Account Manager (Inside Sales)

Key Responsibilities

• Achieve sales and gross profit goals within a defined territory and/or market by proactively seeking new business opportunities within existing customer base & new customer leads.
• Works closely with assigned, existing, and potential customers in a defined territory.
• Maintains customer relations & files (current quotes, correspondence, plans, problems, etc.) and updates customer information in the computer system.
• Enters quotes and orders into the computer system while on the phone with the customer, or works with sales supports to ensure accurate order entry.
• Advises District Sales Managers (DSMs) of all pending quotations, bids, leads, competitive information, and sales possibilities.
• Establishes GP% to be used in bids within the framework of the organization's pricing strategy.
• Processes return authorizations, sends out correspondence & literature, and works back-order reports. Based on sales support staffing levels, this may be handled by the account manager's assigned sales support specialist.
• Maintains close contact with the Purchasing Department (advises of low/high stock levels, competitive market prices, and vendor pricing discrepancies).
• Participates in vendor shows, in-house product training, association meetings, and P&T training.
• Transmits a daily order sales summary to direct manager.
• Issues direct/drop shipments and POs when required.
• Daily activity reports to Country Sales Leader.
• Assists in planning, designing & launching email promotions for generating leads for new sales/customer.
• AR follow-up & calls to customers.
• Product search e.g. substitutes, approx. for specific applications.
• Prospect, propose and close sales, utilizing negotiation tactics.
  
  

Skills Needed

• Attention to detail.
• Clear phone voice and excellent communication skills a must.
• Strong interpersonal skills with customers, peers and others, and strong ability to demonstrate diplomacy in difficult situations.
• Change resilient with the ability to quickly change directions without losing focus or motivation as business evolves or pivots based on the moving target nature of business.
• Advanced general computer skills including Microsoft Office products.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and ability to create, work, edit and understand pivot tables, vlookup functions and other widely used Excel functions above entry level (advanced to expert ideal).
• Strong problem solving, reasoning and judgement skills.
• Some selling and negotiation skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills and time management.
  
  

Minimum Educational Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Sales or relevant field of study OR equivalent, relevant work experience.

Experience Required

The successful candidate will have 1 to 2 years previous sales or Customer Service experience. Some experience with sales/negotiation even if not within a prior role. Wholesale distribution experience is preferred, but is not required.

NOTE: The purpose of this outline job description is to focus attention on the most important aspects of the job. It is not intended to be a complete list of every duty and it is therefore to be expected that the day to day performance of the job will frequently include tasks not listed above. The list of duties for which the job holder is responsible may be varied or added to at the discretion of your manager. Any such alterations intended to be permanent will be added to this job description.