Sales Director | Chicago

Location: Chicago, IL
Status: Full Time
Travel: Up to 75%

SUMMARY

Responsible for building the business and brand presence while driving company’s growth in the designated region through strategic new customer acquisition. Focused on targeting new business opportunities within multiple channels: institutional foodservice, restaurants, hospitality, higher-end institutional foodservice, café/specialty coffee, and specialty gourmet/natural grocery. This position will proactively prospect and close new business on a direct basis and through the company’s network of vendor partners, while also managing those relationships on the business development side. This position will also be responsible for developing and maintaining long-term relationships with new and existing customers.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The essential duties and responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

  • Execute a deliberate outreach and sales strategy based on disciplined prospecting, networking, and information gathering.
  • Perform lead follow-ups via email and phone, and place outbound cold calls for new prospects.
  • Uncover growth opportunities by canvassing prospective customers within assigned region.
  • Solicit new business opportunities in designated markets by visiting accounts in person.
  • Visit with key decision makers; build and strengthen relationships.
  • Present new products to current accounts; close new business within these accounts.
  • Maintain contact with both current and prospective customers.   
  • Manage relationships with key vendor partners by receiving leads, coordinating received leads, and creating/adhering to a protocol to follow-up on said leads.
  • Work with all teams to process orders and successfully coordinate business needs.
  • Manage and predict revenue through a CRM; fully understand the math of your sales activity and results.
  • Present solutions to customers tied to their business results, using a consultative selling methodology and economic modeling.
  • Expedite the resolution of customer problems and complaints to maximize satisfaction.
  • Coordinate sales effort with team members and other departments.
  • Continuously improve through feedback.
  • Work with coach to execute sales growth strategies in the local market.
  • Think like a business owner, and influence the thinking of other business owners.
  • Exceed sales goals by closing new sales while establishing, developing, and maintaining long-term positive business and customer relationships.
  • Manage existing customer base within region and generate growth from these accounts.
  • Manage budget, negotiate contracts, forecast sales activities and plan for growth.
  • Design and implement strategic sales plans.
  • Review market analyses to determine client needs, price schedules and strategy.
  • Understand and adapt to factors that influence business regionally and nationally.
  • Stay current with the industry and understand competitor strengths and weaknesses.
  • Analyze sales data, identify market expansion opportunities and recommend product line improvements to strengthen market position.
  • Generate and present sales reports and provide consistent and direct feedback to leadership and teammates on the sales team.

 

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

High School Diploma, or equivalent and a minimum of three-plus years of 3rd wave coffee and/or coffee equipment sales experience are required. Three-plus years of leadership and/or management experience is also required.

The ideal candidate will have five-plus years of 3rd wave coffee and/or coffee equipment sales experience. Proven experience in food-services and/or hospitality and/or wholesale coffee is preferred. In addition, being able to bring over a solid client base/existing book of business is desired. A self-motivated and proactive candidate with high emotional intelligence, relationship management skills, and an openness to feedback is preferred. A Bachelor’s degree is a plus.  

Additionally, excellent selling, prioritizing, communication, and negotiation skills are extremely preferred. The ideal candidate would also have a growth mindset (not fixed) and the ability to think disruptively (i.e. – not a status quo thinker). Ideally looking for a candidate with the ability to pull and analyze sales reports from cloud-based CRMs (like Salesforce).  Additionally, the ability to read financial statements and tie strategy/actions to financial performance, and the ability to create and deliver presentation tailored to the audience’s needs are also preferred. Finally, a candidate with experience and proven success working in an entrepreneurial environment, who is highly attentive and with proactive customer service abilities, and possesses the ability to work independently and part of team is desired.