Account Executive, SMB

Sprout Social, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 94,000 - 118,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Health & Wellness

401(k) plan with company match

Paid time off

Parental leave

Office in Chicago Loop

Job summary

Sprout Social is seeking an Account Executive for the SMB segment to drive new business and support growth from our Chicago office. You will execute the sales process, manage pipeline, and contribute to hitting monthly metrics while aligning with the Sales & Customer Experience team.

The role requires a customer‑centric mindset, a drive to close deals, and collaboration with cross‑functional teams. This is a full‑time position based in our Chicago office with potential for enhanced in‑office

Qualifications

• 6+ months of outbound closing sales experience or relevant experience.
• Experience working with Salesforce.
• Consistent track record of success in recent roles.
• Ability to work from Sprout’s Chicago office at least three days per week (Tue–Thu) with potential for more in‑office days.

Responsibilities

• Execute our sales process and close new business within our small business segment.
• Meet and exceed monthly activity, pipeline and new business metrics.

Skills

Outbound closing sales

Salesforce experience

Consistent track record

Office in Chicago

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Description

Sprout Social is looking to hire an Account Executive, SMB to join the Sales & Customer Experience team.

Why join Sprout’s Sales & Customer Experience team?

At Sprout Social, our Sales and Customer Experience team is the driving force behind how today’s most innovative brands use Sprout to power the future of customer connection. We sell and support the leading social intelligence platform for businesses, helping organizations unlock the full value of social data to drive strategic decisions. Through powerful social intelligence and trusted partnership, we enable teams to build authentic relationships and drive meaningful business impact.

In this role, you will collaborate with the brightest minds in the industry to support global giants like Salesforce, Airbnb, and Equifax. Just as importantly, we believe in the power of our people. You’ll find a culture that honors your ambition, encourages you to explore new horizons, and provides the framework for you to build a career that matters. If you’re ready to champion innovation and accelerate your impact, this is where you can do your best work.

What you’ll do

• Execute our sales process and close new business within our small business segment
• Meet and exceed monthly activity, pipeline and new business metrics

What you’ll bring

Sprout Social is looking for a highly driven, collaborative, and tech‑savvy Account Executive with strong business acumen to join our Sales team. Ideally, you will be equally driven by a customer‑centric mentality as well as a desire to close new business.

Qualifications

These are the minimum qualifications that our hiring team is looking for in this role:

• 6+ months of outbound closing sales experience or relevant experience
• Experience working with Salesforce
• Consistent track record of success in recent roles
• Ability to work from Sprout’s Chicago office at least three days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday) with the possibility of additional in‑office days depending on business needs

Additionally, these are the preferred qualifications that would indicate a particularly strong candidate:

• Closing experience in B2B sales, social media experience is a plus
• Exceptional organizational, presentation, and communication skills - phone, email and webinar
• Technical expertise and ability to acquire knowledge of new products

How you’ll grow

Within 1 month, you’ll plant your roots, including:

• Complete Sprout Social’s new hire training & onboarding program alongside other new Sprout team members. You’ll gain a broader understanding of our products and how your role fits into the organization.
• Partner with the Manager of SMB Sales to define key success metrics for your role and how you will measure against them.
• Acclimate yourself with the day to day responsibilities of the SMB Account Executive team by shadowing team members and listening to recorded customer calls and demos.
• Learn Sprout’s go‑to‑market messaging, key differentiators, develop and personalize segment‑specific value propositions.
• Learn Sprout’s existing customer sales process by shadowing your peers and working closely with our Sales Enablement Specialists.
• Complete a demo and written certification to ensure comprehension.

Within 3 months, you’ll start hitting your stride by:

• Become fully ramped in your role as an Account Executive
• Manage a strong pipeline of qualified leads and begin the process of building relationships with key strategic stakeholders.
• Meet and exceed monthly activity, pipeline and new business metrics.
• Conduct active research leveraging all available tools and data sources to understand your customers’ brand, culture, KPIs, partners, and success metrics so you can add value throughout your interactions and become a trusted advisor.

Within 6 months, you’ll be making a clear impact through:

• Own your numbers - consistently meet and exceed your activity goals to build a fruitful pipeline that will provide consistent quota attainment.
• Become a Sprout Social and social media expert to confidently speak to ever‑changing trends, new product features and platform enhancements to help our customers realize their full potential and accomplish their goals.

Within 12 months, you’ll make this role your own by:

• Consistently meet and exceed monthly activity, pipeline, and new business metrics.
• Step up as a leader to share best practices across the organization and help others grow from your experiences.
• Obtain (solicited and unsolicited) and act upon peer and customer feedback.

Of course what is outlined above is the ideal timeline, but things may shift based on business needs and other projects and tasks could be added at the discretion of your manager.

Our Benefits Program

We’re proud to regularly be recognized for our team, product and culture. Our benefits program includes:

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Premium BCBSIL medical, dental (high/low plans), and vision (Eyemed) insurance for you and your eligible dependents.
• Premium Mental Health Support: Full, free access to Modern Health for you and your dependents, including coaching, therapy sessions, and digital wellness resources.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan with a 50% company match on your first 6% of contributions (a 3% total match).
• Financial Security: 100% employer‑paid Life and Disability insurance for your peace of mind.
• Flexible Paid Time Off: A flexible PTO policy, supplemented with additional company‑wide Rest & Recharge days throughout the year.
• Paid Parental Leave: Up to 16 weeks of paid leave for new parents to support you in expanding your family.
• Annual Lifestyle Stipend: A $1,000 USD annual Lifestyle Spending Account to spend on your physical, mental, and financial well‑being.
• Work From Home Support: A one‑time $550 USD stipend to set up your home office, plus a monthly $50 USD stipend for internet.
• Giving Back: 16 hours of paid volunteer time annually, plus a $100 annual match for your charitable donations.
• Additional Financial Perks: Access to pre‑tax commuter benefits, subsidized child/eldercare (Care.com), discounted pet insurance (Figo), and no‑cost personalized financial wellness support through Your Money Line.
• Office Environment: Beautiful, convenient, and state‑of‑the‑art office in Chicago’s Loop.

*This list is for informational purposes only. Benefit offerings are discretionary and subject to change and do not constitute a contract or guarantee of benefits.

Our salary ranges reflect the expected earning potential for this role. Individual pay is based on geographic zone, relevant experience, and skills.

Our current hiring range for this role: $94,400 – $118,000 OTE

annual. OTE is governed by an incentive plan. It is the sum of a fixed base salary plus incentives at target performance. Incentive compensation will vary based on performance. Offers are made within this range, with opportunities to grow within the broader band based on performance and impact.

We share both our current hiring range and our broader geographic salary bands to provide transparency into our compensation philosophy. This ensures you understand not only your starting potential but also the long‑term growth potential available as you progress in your role.

Zone 1 (New York, California, Washington)

$103,800 - $155,800

Zone 2 (All other US states)

$94,400 - $141,600

These ranges were determined by a market‑based compensation approach; we used data from trusted third‑party compensation sources to set equitable, consistent, and competitive ranges. We also evaluate compensation bi‑annually, identify any changes in the market and make adjustments to our ranges and existing employee compensation as needed.

Sprout Social is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on identity- race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged or sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law. Because Sprout Social is a federal contractor, we affirmatively recruit individuals with a disability and protected veterans. Learn more about our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our latest DEI Report .

If you require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the interview process or to submit your application, please email us at [e-mail]. Include the nature of your request and your preferred contact information. We'll do everything we can to support your success during our recruitment process while upholding your privacy. Please note that only inquiries regarding accommodations will receive a response from this email address; other inquiries will not be addressed (e.g., you send your resume but are not requesting an accommodation).

Additionally, Sprout Social participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.

Sprout Social Inc. and its subsidiaries process personal data submitted through your application to assess your qualifications for employment and to inform our hiring decision and, where applicable, for required governmental reporting. For more information, please review Sprout's Global Applicant Privacy Notice .

Sprout Social is a global leader in social media management and analytics software. Sprout’s award‑winning platform offers intuitive and comprehensive social media management solutions, including publishing and engagement functionality, customer care, influencer marketing, advocacy, and AI‑powered, predictive business intelligence. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Chicago, Sprout has a hybrid team of 1400 people across the globe with offices in Seattle, Dublin and Poland. Sprout Social is consistently recognized as a best place to work with recent accolades from Fortune, Glassdoor, Built In and more.

Sprout Social powers open communication between individuals, brands and communities through elegant, sophisticated software. We are relentless about solving hard problems for our customers and committed to both customer and team success. Our team’s shared belief in Sprout’s mission promotes a culture of openness, empowerment and fun.