For Founders
So, You're Ready to Bring on Your Missionary AE?
A missionary account executive (AE) is often the first live interaction with a customer.
Ten Stages, Each With a Test
An account doesn't move to the next stage until the test is met. That one rule keeps a thin pipeline honest.
| Stage | Ready when: |
|---|---|
| 1. Market Analysis | You can say in one sentence who has the problem, what triggers a buy, how they cope today and what it costs. |
| 2. Customer Segmentation | Every Tier 1 account has a trigger note and three mapped contacts. |
| 3. Marketing Qualified Leads | A score sends a lead to a named owner, with the source and the asset attached. |
| 4. Inbound | Every asset has a tracked link and a follow-up rule. |
| 5. Outbound | A meeting is booked, or the record is closed with a reason and a return date. |
| 6. Discovery | A champion is named, the cost is estimated in the buyer's numbers, and the next step has a date. |
| 7. Proposal | The champion confirms in writing that the success metrics are right. |
| 8. Close | The signed order form is attached to the deal. |
| 9. Booked | The booking checklist is complete with no open items. |
| 10. Handoff to Customer Success | A customer success owner is named and has met the champion. |
Why the Loop Matters
In any quarter, about 5% of a market is buying. Most accounts that stay quiet in quarter 1 are early, not wrong. Doug suggests the system brings them back, because sellers spent 40% of their time selling in Salesforce's 2026 survey of 4,050 sales professionals.
What's in the Guide
The full guide has four parts.
- What You Need: the tools, inputs and time to start.
- Research: the sourced numbers behind the stages.
- Step by Step: the steps, documents and tests for each stage.
- Troubleshooting: common problems and fixes.
Open the full guide for the steps, tools, sequences and fixes.
Get the Full Guide (PDF) Quick Start Guide (PDF) Book a Discovery Call