Sales Roles Explained
Sales roles explained: duties and responsibilities
Sales job titles vary across companies, even when the underlying responsibilities are similar. One organisation may use Business Development Manager, while another uses Account Executive for a comparable role. What matters is not the title, but where the role sits in the revenue cycle, whether it focuses on generating leads, closing deals or managing existing clients.
This guide breaks down the most common sales role descriptions, what various positions involve day to day and how they differ across pipeline, revenue and responsibilities.
Core sales roles
Sales teams are structured around stages of the revenue cycle, with each role aligned to a specific outcome. Some positions focus on building pipeline, others on converting opportunities into revenue and others on maintaining and growing existing accounts.
In most organisations, early-stage roles handle lead generation, mid-stage roles focus on closing deals and hitting revenue targets and later-stage roles manage client relationships and retention.
For example, when comparing an account executive vs an account manager, one focuses on acquiring new business while the other focuses on maintaining and expanding existing accounts. The exact structure can vary, but the goal remains the same: move customers from first contact through to long-term value.
Sales Development Representative (SDR)
What they do: Sales Development Representatives focus on generating and qualifying leads before passing them to closing teams. SDRs are not responsible for closing deals. Their performance is measured through activity and pipeline generation rather than revenue.
The duties of a Sales Development Representative are typically structured around daily outreach targets and conversion metrics. SDRs build initial interest, assess fit and move qualified prospects into the sales pipeline, making it a common entry point into sales careers.
Key responsibilities:
- Prospecting through calls, email and LinkedIn outreach
- Qualifying inbound and outbound leads
- Booking meetings for BDMS or AEs
- Updating CRM systems with activity and lead status
- Following structured outreach sequences
Who this suits: Individuals who are target-driven, resilient and comfortable working in high-volume, performance-based environments. It suits those who can handle frequent rejection, stay consistent under pressure and build confidence through repetition and measurable progress.
Salary range: $55,000 – $75,000 base | $70,000 – $95,000+ OTE
Business Development Manager (BDM)
What they do: Business Development Managers focus on generating new business and converting opportunities into revenue. In many organisations, this role bridges the gap between lead generation and closing, particularly in smaller teams where BDMs manage the full sales cycle.
A Business Development Manager’s job description typically centres on identifying new markets, building relationships and progressing deals from initial contact through to close. Compared to SDRs, BDMs operate with greater autonomy and are measured directly on revenue outcomes rather than activity alone.
Key responsibilities:
- Identifying and generating new business opportunities
- Managing and progressing a sales pipeline
- Conducting discovery calls and presenting solutions
- Negotiating and closing deals
- Collaborating with internal teams, including technical or pre-sales support where required
Who this suits: Professionals who are commercially focused, confident in communication and comfortable managing revenue targets. It suits individuals who can balance prospecting with closing, handle rejection and negotiation and take ownership of outcomes in less structured environments.
Salary range: $80,000 – $120,000 base | $120,000 – $180,000+ OTE
Account Executive (AE)
What they do: Account Executives take ownership of the full sales cycle, from qualified opportunity through to deal closure. This role carries direct responsibility for revenue and is typically measured against quota performance.
AEs work on converting pipelines into signed deals, often managing multiple opportunities at different stages. Compared to BDMs, the role is usually more structured, with defined territories, targets and forecasting expectations. When reviewing Key Account Manager vs Account Executive job descriptions, the difference becomes more apparent at a senior level. Account Executives focus on bringing in new revenue, while Key Account Managers are responsible for protecting and expanding high-value client relationships over time.
Key responsibilities:
- Running product demos and sales presentations
- Managing deal progression and pipeline forecasting
- Negotiating pricing and contract terms
- Closing deals against quota
- Working with technical or pre-sales teams in complex sales environments
Who this suits: Individuals who are results-driven, comfortable with negotiation and capable of managing high-value deals under pressure. It suits those who can handle longer sales cycles, maintain pipeline discipline and take accountability for revenue outcomes.
Salary range: $90,000 – $140,000 base | $150,000 – $250,000+ OTE
Account Manager / Key Account Manager
What they do: Account Managers focus on retaining and growing existing clients. Rather than generating new business, they work to maximise long-term value from current accounts through renewals, upsells and relationship management.
The role is centred on maintaining consistent engagement with clients, understanding their needs and ensuring the product or service continues to deliver value. When comparing Account Executives vs Account Managers, the distinction is clear: Account Executives focus on winning new business, while Account Managers focus on maintaining and expanding existing relationships. Key Account Managers typically handle fewer, higher-value clients and operate at a more strategic level, often influencing long-term contracts and partnership outcomes.
Key responsibilities:
- Maintaining client relationships and acting as the main point of contact
- Managing renewals and contract extensions
- Identifying upsell and cross-sell opportunities
- Monitoring client satisfaction and resolving issues
Who this suits: Professionals who are relationship-focused, commercially aware and comfortable managing long-term client outcomes. It suits individuals who can balance customer needs with revenue goals, manage ongoing conversations and build trust over time rather than focusing on one-off deals.
Salary range: $85,000 – $130,000 base | $110,000 – $180,000+ OTE
Inside sales vs field sales
Sales roles differ not just by responsibility but by how they engage with customers. A typical sales role description will often outline whether the position is inside or field-based, as this directly affects how deals are managed, how relationships are built and how performance is measured.
In many organisations, this also shapes team structure, sales cycles and earning potential. Inside sales roles tend to prioritise efficiency and volume, while field sales roles focus more on relationship depth and deal value.
Inside sales roles are typically based in an office or remote environment and rely on digital communication to manage the sales process. This model is common in SaaS, tech and high-volume sales environments where deals can be progressed without in-person interaction.
Inside sales
Inside sales roles usually involve:
- Managing sales conversations through phone, email and video calls
- Running product demos and presentations remotely
- Handling higher volumes of opportunities with shorter sales cycles
- Working closely with CRM systems and structured sales processes
Because of the volume and speed, inside sales roles tend to be more process-driven, with clear activity and conversion metrics. Performance is often closely tracked, with a strong focus on pipeline movement, response times and conversion rates.
Field sales
Field sales roles involve in-person interaction with clients and are often tied to industries where relationships, site visits or physical products play a larger role in the sales process.
Field sales roles usually involve:
- Meeting clients face-to-face for presentations, negotiations or site visits
- Travelling to manage territories or key accounts
- Building long-term relationships through regular in-person contact
- Managing fewer but often higher-value deals with longer sales cycles
These roles place greater emphasis on relationship-building, trust and negotiation over time. Success often depends on maintaining ongoing client engagement and managing complex decision-making processes across multiple stakeholders.
The choice between inside and field sales depends on the product, deal size and customer expectations. Digital products and services tend to favour inside sales, while industries that rely on physical delivery, complex installations or long-term partnerships are more likely to require field-based roles.
How sales roles work together
Sales functions operate as a connected system rather than separate roles. Each position contributes to a different stage of the revenue cycle, from generating interest to closing deals and maintaining long-term relationships.
In practice, this structure allows teams to specialise while keeping a consistent flow of opportunities moving through the pipeline. Each role depends on the previous stage being executed well, which is why alignment between teams is critical.
Here’s a typical sales workflow:
- Sales Development Representatives (SDRs): Generate and qualify leads, building the initial pipeline for the team. Their output directly impacts how many opportunities move into the next stage.
- Business Development Managers (BDMs) / Account Executives (AEs): Take ownership of these opportunities, manage conversations and convert pipeline into revenue. A Business Development Manager’s job description, in particular, often includes progressing deals, handling objections and closing against targets.
- Account Managers / Key Account Managers: Step in after the sale to maintain relationships, manage renewals and grow long-term account value through upselling and retention strategies.
- Technical or pre-sales support (where required): Support complex deals by handling product demonstrations, solution design or technical validation, particularly in SaaS and enterprise environments.
Each role is measured differently (activity, revenue or retention), but they operate as a single system. Strong pipeline generation supports higher revenue outcomes, while effective account management drives repeat business and long-term growth.
Find sales roles that match your experience at CareerOne
Finding the right sales fit means looking beyond the job title. Sales role descriptions can vary significantly depending on the environment, whether that’s high-volume B2C settings or long-cycle B2B negotiations.
CareerOne streamlines your search by aggregating Australia’s top B2B, B2C and SaaS opportunities in one place. Use our filters to narrow down roles by deal size, experience level or remote flexibility to find a position that aligns with your skills and rewards your expertise.
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