The Next Evolution of the Account Executive
If I could restart my corporate career today (knowing everything from my past and building HUMN), I would do it completely different. Not because the fundamentals of sales have changed but because the environment has. In 2026 and beyond, the most successful account executives and client directors won’t just be top performers, they’ll be top storytellers with top visibility and top trust.
Here’s exactly what I’d do if I were starting over… and what I wish someone had told me on Day 1.
Treat Social Media Like Your Territory
When I started at CDW, I built my entire career through cold calls, persistence, and frankly, a ton of trial and error. That still matters but today’s AEs have an advantage I never used early on… social media. Social media is the new pipeline. If I could go back, I would’ve posted weekly (even daily) on LinkedIn about:
What I was learning
What I was struggling with
What customers were asking (if one person is asking there’s probably 5 others asking the same question)
Industry insights
How I thought about solving problems (positioning yourself as a thought leader versus just another rep)
This is not for likes. This is about visibility. Visibility creates credibility and credibility opens doors faster than any cold outreach ever could. This is something I wrote about in The Power of Telling Your Story Online. It’s not about going viral, it’s about becoming known in your market. If you’re an AE today, your digital presence is your advantage.
Document Your Journey Not Your Wins
When reps think of “posting,” they think of bragging. When founders think of posting, they think of building trust. If I could restart, I would document the process, not just the outcome. New AEs should post things like:
A lesson learned from a customer conversation
How they prepare for a demo
A mistake they made and what it taught them
A new skill they’re developing
A framework they use to qualify deals
What they’re reading, listening to, studying (show your market you’re investing into it and it will invest in you)
Executives don’t relate to perfection, they relate to progress and progress builds connection.
Use Social Media as a Discovery Engine
People are interested in getting involved with HUMN because they feel like they know me. The most common answer I get when I ask people why do they want to invest in HUMN, they typically say “I’m investing in you Omar” and that’s when it hit me… If social media is my ongoing story to build trust for HUMN, what could this have done for my corporate career? If I were restarting as an AE, I’d use social media to:
Build relationships with decision makers in conjunction with my outreach strategy (the fancy term for this is called omni channel outreach strategy)
Comment daily on my ICP's posts (the first time it’ll be awkward but so is the first cold call)
Ask public questions that start conversations
Share insights that position me as a guide, not a seller
Social media isn’t a hobby anymore. It’s a lead source, credibility engine, and networking tool all in one. It’s changing the way we engage with our audience. I talk about this in Followers Are the New Email List where I outline that people don’t want another email survey that they’ll probably delete. Meet your customers and audience where they are and make it easy to engage. Distribution is the secret advantage most professionals overlook.
Talk on Camera Like You’re on FaceTime with Your Best Friend
If I were starting over, I’d begin practicing camera confidence on Day 1. This sounds small, but it’s massive. The next decade of sales will be built on:
Video messages
Video follow-ups
Video prospecting
Video storytelling
Video personal branding
Most AEs are terrified of speaking on camera. Just like public speaking used to be the #1 fear, camera speaking is the new one but mastering it is one of the most valuable skills you can have. If I were an AE again, I’d send short 20–30 second video messages to prospects, partners, and even my internal team. Here’s the reality… we will not be going back to a full time in-office setup ever again. With that being said, we are eager for more human connection. It’s something I craved when I was a remote worker and was always like, “I want to talk to people” and would just video call people to get some engagement. I needed it so why not master it through practice so when you talk to your clients, you’re cool, calm, and collected.
Build a Personal Operating System Not a Persona
If I could go back, I would stop trying to be “professional” and start trying to be useful. My content would be:
Tactical
Honest
Educational
Helpful
Reflective
Your personal brand isn’t how polished you look. It’s how consistently you help other people think, grow, or solve problems. Your operating system should be:
Show up daily (consistency compounds)
Add value
Be the learner, not the expert (this is crucial if you want to move up and start working with the c-suite)
Focus on fundamentals
Serve, don’t sell
Play the Long Game Because It Always Pays Off
If you’re a new AE reading this, remember:
The meeting you’ll need in 2 years starts with a comment today.
The referral you want next quarter comes from the trust you build now.
The VP who ignores your email might follow your content for months before replying.
When I started raising capital, the momentum didn’t start when I pitched. It started months before, when people were silently watching my consistency, discipline, and vision. If I restarted my career, I’d treat every post as a future meeting, every message as a future partnership, and every insight as a future introduction. Because what you publish today becomes your reputation tomorrow.
Final Thoughts
If I were restarting my career right now, I’d still focus on the fundamentals of cold calls and persistence but I’d also do this:
I’d build my brand
I’d own my story
I’d use social media as leverage
I’d start all of it on Day 1
Because the truth is this… Your content becomes your credibility. Your credibility becomes your pipeline. Your pipeline becomes your career. The reps who understand this will win the next decade of sales.
