Strategic Account Relationship Manager (Remote- Jackson MI)

STRATEGIC ACCOUNT RELATIONSHIP MANAGER - Are you ready to make a difference?

School Specialty is dedicated to transforming education for the better. Our success is fueled by a team of passionate innovators who are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of students. Are you ready to make an impact?

Job Summary: Drives revenue by increasing School Specialty market share and penetration within a geographic territory. Works primarily via the phone generating new business, as well as maintaining re-order business. Provides consultative and collaborative approach to understand customer environment and competitive forces to consistently execute on the strategy and exceed customer expectations while gaining market penetration.

Work Location:

• This is a work-from-home role. Qualified Applicants must live within the designated territory.

What you'll do:

• Effectively utilizes an inbound / outbound sales process including, needs-based consultative selling to aid customers in achieving business goals. Proactively interact with each account on a regular and ongoing basis, utilizing available communication Channels.
• Research and analyze the strategic business direction and needs of each assigned account to determine how School Specialty can best align itself as a vendor partner for all current and future business needs of the account.
• Coordinate and lead customer sales activities, and communication between each account to achieve appropriate business solutions, respond to customers' purchasing needs and coordinate sales.
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to resolve escalated issues quickly and effectively, improving both loyalty and sales.
• Supports the successful execution of service-to-sales ("Team Sell") strategy and assures achievement of customer experience objectives.
• Function independently with limited supervision in performing all job duties and responsibilities including negotiating terms, pricing and contracts of each account.
• Effectively use OneForce/SalesForce.com to manage time and resources to provide updated information, competitive intelligence, and market trends with our customers
• Drives and creates a positive, collaborative team selling environment by developing a deep customer understanding of needs and leveraging internal departments to maximize revenue opportunities.
• Works with aligned sales team including Strategic Account Managers, Strategic Account Reps, Category Sales Managers and Vendors.
• Ability to overcome objections and effectively deal with customer rejection.
• Responsible for responding to customer inquiries in a timely manner and following up on all sales leads.
• Drives continued growth by moving customers to our online order-entry platform.
• Work directly with customer to assess, describe solutions, define products and create quotes.
• Responsible for input to sales, profit forecasting overall sales, marketing plans, self-study of products and applications
• Attendance required at sales meetings as well as National and Regional conferences and trade shows
• Conducts Business Reviews as required
• Services all customers, internal and external, in a professional manner.

What we expect you to bring to the table:

• Operational knowledge of CRM and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent organizational skills
• Possess a high level of professionalism, ethics, confidence and a commitment to a team approach.
• Engaging and goal-oriented personality.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to conduct presentations.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• 2 + years of sales experience (Inside/Field sales preferred).
• Understand the complexity of sales:
• o Territory Planning and Strategizing
• o Pipeline Management o Prior experience selling multiple product lines
• o Strategically and effectively navigate large, complex sales
• o Ability to work within Team Sell, collaborative selling environment.

Education and/or Certifications Required:

• Bachelor's degree in business related field preferred; years of relevant experience considered in lieu of degree.

Benefits Package: We offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental & Vision (effective day 1), basic life insurance, disability coverage, PAID parental leave, wellness programs, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, 401k, Educational Reimbursement, Paid Holidays, annual paid Volunteer time, and so much more!

We're determined to positively impact the future, one child at a time.

If you share our passion, we need to talk.

Just imagine what we could do together.

Physical and Mental Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, hear, use hands to type data, use a personal computer and telephone. This employee may occasionally have to operate business machines. Specific vision abilities required in this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Mental demands include multi-tasking, decision making, problem solving, comparing, copying, computing, compiling, analyzing, coordinating, and synthesizing data.

Additional Information

• The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
• School Specialty, Inc. is a Drug-Free Workplace. All applicants are subject to a drug screen and background check as a condition of employment.
• EEO/AA including Vets and Disabled
• If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at Opportunities@SchoolSpecialty.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

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Job Grade: C9