After working in B2B sales for more than 25 years, one thing I’ve learned is that B2B sales roles are often confusing, constantly evolving and rarely as clear-cut as the job titles make them sound.
Some B2B sales organisations may use titles such as Sales Representative, Business Development Manager (BDM) and Account Manager (AM), while SaaS and technology companies are more likely to use titles such as Sales Development Representative (SDR), Business Development Representative (BDR) and Account Executive (AE).
Even within the same industry, those titles are not always used in exactly the same way. A role that means one thing in one company can carry quite different responsibilities somewhere else.
In this article, I’ll break down the most common B2B sales roles, explain what each one typically involves, show how they differ between traditional and SaaS sales organisations, and explain where they usually fit within the wider sales process.
Jump to a section:
- The Structure of a B2B Sales Team
- Sales Representative
- Sales & Business Development Manager (SDR & BDR)
- Account Executive (AE) and Business Development Manager (BDM)
- Customer Success Manager (CSM)
- Account Manager (AM) & Key Account Manager (KAM)
- Sales Engineer and Solutions Consultant
- The Full-Cycle Sales Roles
- Salesperson Types
- Final Thoughts
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Structure of a B2B Sales Team
The structure of a B2B sales team can vary quite a lot depending on the size of the company, the type of product or service, and complexity of the sales process.
In some companies, one salesperson may be responsible for almost everything from finding new potential buyers through to closing the deal and managing the account afterwards.
In others, those responsibilities are split across several specialised roles, with different people responsible for prospecting, booking meetings, managing opportunities, closing sales and looking after existing customers.
The differences are not only driven by industry or company size. They can also vary by country and sales culture. In the UK, for example, titles such as Business Development Manager and Account Manager are very common and often used quite consistently.
In SaaS and technology companies, especially younger companies and startups, titles such as Sales Development Representative and Account Executive are more common and can be used much more flexibly.
This is one of the main reasons B2B sales job titles can become confusing. The title itself only tells you part of the story. What matters more is what that person is actually responsible for inside the sales process.
With that in mind, let’s look at the most common B2B sales roles and what each one typically involves.
Sales Representative
Sales Representative is one of the broadest and most traditional titles you will come across in B2B sales.
The exact responsibilities can vary considerably. In some companies, a Sales Representative may be responsible for the entire sales process, from finding new buyers and making first contact through to running meetings, presenting the solution, negotiating and closing the deal.
In other companies, the role may be narrower and focused mainly on generating new business or managing a defined territory.
That is why I would always look beyond the title itself.
If you are considering a Sales Representative role, the important thing is to understand which parts of the sales process you will actually own, how much prospecting you will be expected to do, and whether you will be responsible for closing your own opportunities.
Sales Representative is also a good example of how traditional B2B sales structures can differ from the more specialised models commonly used by SaaS and technology companies, where the same responsibilities may be divided between several different roles.
Sales & Business Development Representative (SDR & BDR)
Business Development Representative (BDR) and Sales Development Representative (SDR) are two of the most commonly confused roles in modern B2B sales.
In a more clearly defined structure, a BDR may be responsible for sourcing potential buyers, building account lists and doing some of the more operational work needed to create pipeline.
An SDR is more likely to take those potential buyers and actively engage them through cold calling, email and social outreach, with the objective of qualifying interest and booking meetings.
The problem is that many companies use the titles differently. Some use BDR and SDR almost interchangeably, while others combine both responsibilities into one role.
That is why I would focus less on the title and more on the actual job description.
If the role is mainly about finding potential buyers, reaching out to them and booking qualified meetings for someone else to close, you are essentially looking at an early-stage business development or sales development role.
These roles are especially common in SaaS and technology companies where the sales process is split between people responsible for generating opportunities and Account Executives who take over later in the process.
Account Executive (AE) and Business Development Manager (BDM)
Account Executive (AE) and Business Development Manager (BDM) are often the core new-business sales roles responsible for managing opportunities and closing deals.
In a typical SaaS or technology company, an Account Executive will often take over once a meeting has been booked or an opportunity has been qualified.
From there, they manage the sales process through discovery, presentation, proposal, negotiation and closing.
Business Development Manager can mean almost exactly the same thing in many more traditional B2B organisations.
The title tends to be broader, and in some companies the role may also include prospecting and generating their own opportunities rather than relying on a separate Sales Development Representative.
Again, the title does not tell you everything. Some Account Executives are full-cycle salespeople who generate their own pipeline and close their own deals, while others focus almost entirely on opportunities passed to them by another team.
Enterprise Account Executive is usually just a variation of the same role, but focused on larger accounts, higher deal values and more complex sales processes involving more stakeholders.
Customer Success Manager (CSM)
Customer Success Managers (CSMs) usually take over after the sale and focus on helping customers successfully adopt and use the product or service they have purchased.
The role is especially common in SaaS companies, where keeping customers for the long term is critical to recurring revenue.
A CSM may be responsible for onboarding, regular check-ins, product adoption, resolving issues and making sure the customer continues to see value from the relationship.
The commercial responsibility attached to the role varies. In some companies, Customer Success Managers are responsible for renewals and may also identify expansion opportunities.
In others, those responsibilities sit with an Account Manager or Account Executive.
That means Customer Success can sit somewhere between customer service, account management and sales, depending on how the company structures the team.
Account Manager (AM) & Key Account Manager (KAM)
Account Managers (AMs) are usually responsible for looking after existing customers once the initial sale has been completed.
Their role often includes maintaining the relationship, making sure the customer continues to get value from the product or service, handling renewals and identifying opportunities to grow the account through upselling or cross-selling.
In some companies, Account Managers are heavily commercial and carry clear revenue targets.
In others, the role is more focused on relationship management, with much less emphasis on selling. This is another area where the job title alone does not tell you everything.
A Key Account Manager (KAM) usually performs a similar role but focuses on the company’s most important customers.
These key accounts may be larger, more strategic or more complex, which means the relationship tends to require more time, planning and coordination across different stakeholders.
The main difference between an Account Manager and a Key Account Manager is usually the importance and complexity of the accounts they manage, rather than a completely different type of sales role.
Sales Engineer and Solutions Consultant
Sales Engineers (SEs) and Solutions Consultants (SCs) usually support the sales process when the product or service is more technical or complex.
They typically work alongside Account Executives or Business Development Managers and help with the more detailed parts of the sale.
This can include technical discovery, product demonstrations, answering technical questions, helping design a solution and making sure what is being sold will actually work for the customer.
These roles are especially common in SaaS, software and other technology companies where buyers may need more than a commercial conversation before making a decision.
Sales Engineers are also sometimes referred to as Pre-Sales Engineers, particularly when their main focus is supporting the new business process before a deal is closed.
They may also stay involved after the sale and work with Customer Success Managers or Account Managers during onboarding and implementation.
The exact title can vary. Some companies use Sales Engineer, others use Solutions Consultant, Solutions Engineer or similar variations. The responsibilities often overlap heavily.
Unlike an Account Executive, they are not usually the person carrying the overall commercial responsibility for the deal.
Their job is to bring technical expertise into the sales process and help the buyer understand how the solution fits their needs.
Full-Cycle Sales Roles
A full-cycle salesperson is responsible for managing most, if not all, of the sales process themselves.
Rather than having a Business Development Representative or Sales Development Representative generating meetings for them, they will usually source their own leads, do their own prospecting, qualify opportunities, run meetings, present the solution, negotiate and close the deal.
You will often find full-cycle roles in smaller companies or sales teams where it does not make sense to divide the process across several people.
The job title might still be Account Executive, Business Development Manager or Sales Representative, which is another reason the title alone does not always tell you what the role actually involves.
Full-cycle roles can be demanding because you need to be strong across several different parts of the sales process. They also tend to require broader sales training than highly specialised roles, where someone may only be responsible for one particular stage.
Salesperson Types
It is common in sales to hear people described as either a Sales Hunter or a Sales Farmer. Sales Hunters are usually more motivated by winning new customers, while Sales Farmers tend to get more satisfaction from developing existing relationships and growing accounts over time.
I also like to include Sales Hybrids, because in reality plenty of B2B sales roles sit somewhere between the two.
Some salespeople are responsible for both winning new customers and then continuing to manage, retain and grow those accounts afterwards.
That distinction matters because the job title does not always tell you which type of role you are looking at.
An Account Executive, Business Development Manager or Sales Representative could all be heavily focused on new business, while an Account Manager or Customer Success Manager will usually sit much closer to the farming side.
Understanding whether a role is primarily hunting, farming or a mixture of both can therefore tell you far more about the actual day-to-day job than the title alone. I explore this in more detail in my article on sales hunters vs farmers, including the hybrid roles that sit between the two.
Final Thoughts
If you are looking at a career in B2B sales, the job title should only be the starting point. What matters is understanding what the role actually involves day to day.
Are you expected to find your own opportunities?
Will someone else book meetings for you?
Are you responsible for closing new business, managing existing customers, or doing both?
Those questions will tell you far more about the role than the title itself.
They will also help you work out whether the job actually suits the type of salesperson you are.
About the Author
I’m David Craig White, a British B2B sales trainer, coach and consultant with more than 20 years’ experience helping sales teams get results.
When I’m not writing B2B sales articles, I’m providing sales training, coaching and sales consulting to B2B sales teams, sales leaders and business owners.
👉 Subscribe to my sales success newsletter
👉 Get my latest updates in your Google feed
👉 Book a free consultation call
Frequently Asked Questions
A Business Development Representative (BDR) often focuses on sourcing potential buyers and building lists, while a Sales Development Representative (SDR) is more likely to contact those buyers and book meetings. Some companies use the titles interchangeably.
Both roles often manage new business opportunities and close deals. Account Executive is more common in SaaS and technology companies, while Business Development Manager is a more traditional title, especially in the UK.
An Account Manager usually focuses more on retaining and growing existing accounts through renewals, upselling and cross-selling. A Customer Success Manager usually focuses more on onboarding, adoption and helping customers get value from the product or service.
A full-cycle salesperson manages most or all of the sales process themselves, from finding potential buyers and prospecting through to running meetings, negotiating and closing the deal.
A Sales Hunter focuses mainly on winning new customers. A Sales Farmer focuses more on managing and growing existing accounts, while some roles combine both.
A Sales Engineer brings technical expertise into the sales process, helping with areas such as technical discovery, product demonstrations and solution design. They may also support onboarding or implementation after the sale.