Account Executive (AE)
A quota-carrying sales rep responsible for running deals from qualified opportunity to closed-won. AEs own discovery, demos, negotiation, and the buying relationship.
Related terms
Sales Development Representative (SDR)
A sales role focused on the top of the funnel — qualifying inbound leads and generating outbound opportunities to pass to account executives. SDRs are measured on qualified meetings and pipeline created.
Business Development Representative (BDR)
A prospecting role that, in many orgs, specializes in outbound generation of new opportunities, while SDRs handle inbound. Titles vary by company, but both feed qualified pipeline to closers.
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)
A lead that has engaged enough with marketing — by behavior and fit — to be considered more likely to buy and worth sales follow-up. MQL criteria are typically defined by a lead-scoring model.
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)
A lead that sales has vetted and accepted as a genuine opportunity worth active pursuit. The MQL-to-SQL conversion rate is a key measure of lead quality and sales-marketing alignment.
Sales Accepted Lead (SAL)
A lead that sales has formally agreed to work after handoff from marketing, sitting between MQL and SQL. The SAL stage creates accountability for follow-up and feedback on lead quality.
Product Qualified Lead (PQL)
A lead that has experienced value in the product itself — often via a free trial or freemium plan — signaling readiness to buy. PQLs are central to product-led sales motions.
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