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Job Title: Company Director, Merchant Partnerships
Location: Open
Reports to: Vice President, Merchant Partnerships
Interactions With: Sales Management, Retail Management and Strategy, Sales Support, Marketing, Business Operations, Finance and Legal
Job Summary: Sell, Manage and Grow a $1 – $5MM+ Sales Territory
Actions (Principal Responsibilities):
1. Business Planning:
Work with VP to develop a smart, focused Business Plan (to include a comprehensive territory matrix – key category and account plan) to prioritize and build a portfolio of new and renewable accounts in a pre-specified geographic territory.
2. Revenue Generating:
Prospecting: Secure meetings with decision makers at all key categories/accounts within pre-specified geography.
Account Penetration: Contact and accurately assess all relevant individuals and departments and organizational levels within key account list to sell, manage and grow the business.
Communication: Clearly articulation capabilities and credentials presentation including all relevant information (programs, categories, geography, pricing, execution). Focus on thorough preparation, client questioning (inquiry vs. advocacy), business opportunity assessment (potential $$$) and follow up.
Value Proposition Development: Ability to develop program/price/terms that make sense and lead to efficient, effective and renewable business (based on understanding individual customer & category finances and use of basic business math).
Negotiation: Ability to work with VP and Sr. VP to negotiate mutually agreeable pricing and terms.
Closing: Effectively and quickly closing business to meet and exceed quota.
Account Management: Ensuring that current programs are successful through active account management (alongside Retail Strategy and Management Team), continued client/program development (uncovering new client needs/objectives and providing unique business solutions), and continuing to penetrate up and across within their key accounts.
Hiring Profile:
Intelligent, ambitious and experienced sales people who operate as business leaders. Past success selling in the marketing services arena (using a consultative approach) in a non-direct supervisory capacity is a critical indicator for success.
Sales Experience:
- Thorough understanding and demonstrated success in the basics of the consultative selling process – planning, prioritizing, prospecting, qualifying, presenting, value proposition development, negotiating, closing, renewing, strategic thinking and relationship building.
Business Acumen:
- Ability to see the “big picture”, primarily the vision to see how a territory, category, client and individual program may or may not fit into the company revenue and profit performance and advise senior management on trends, issues and potential problems.
- Excellent analytical skills necessary to understand and interpret the marketing position (including advertising, promotion, and direct marketing elements), data, return on investment, etc.
- Ability to quickly assess client situations, configure appropriate product/service solutions and produce correct value proposition for client.
- Mindset to see problems as opportunities and ability to develop proactive solutions.
Leadership & Teamwork:
- Loyalty, the maturity to understand and execute one’s role and responsibility to be an effective part of the sales team.
- Partner, the ability to compromise and sacrifice for the good of the overall company in order to create an overall better value proposition for the client and ultimately the company.
Traits:
The ideal candidate has …
- High IQ, AQ and EQ
- Passion for selling – marked by “whatever it takes to win” ambition
- Coachable (wants to learn and grow)
- Complete honesty and integrity
- Strong leadership skills (can motivate others to get things done in a constructive, team-oriented manner)
- Entrepreneurial – is self-directed and largely self-sufficient (after an initial training period)
- Collaborative works well with internal teams
- Adaptable/Flexible – Building an industry.
- Education – HS & BA/BS (MBA beneficial)
Critical Success Factors:
- Technical Skill (Classic Sales Training in Fortune 500 Company)
- Ability to Execute
- Leadership
- Innovative
- Smart Risk Taking (Entrepreneurial/Start Up Sales Experience)
Director, Merchant Partnerships – Standards
Business Management:
1. Meet Annual Revenue Quota.
2. Negotiate and Close contracts between $100K and $5MM+ for terms of 6 months to multiple years.
- Prioritize time and efforts on the biggest opportunities.
- Understand your clients (current and prospective) business and industry.
- what are the trends in the industry?
- what are your clients overall objectives and strategies?
- Know who the decision makers are…know who the influencers are.
- Sell solutions to client challenges, not products.
- Own your contracts…it’s your business.
Strategic Planning:
- Attitude – “You are the CEO of your territory and your VP is your investor.”
- Develop annual strategic Territory Business Plan.
- Develop individual Account (current and prospective) Business plans.
- Follow and execute
- Update when changes occur
- Review with your VP every 90 days
Merchant Management:
- Establish business relationships for the long term.
- Understand your customer’s goals and aspirations within their organization.
- Establish a basis of equality.
- Utilize the resources of the organization (RMS, Marketing, etc.) to provide excellent service and support.
Training and Development:
- Keep current and have a thorough understanding of all new Company product introductions and enhancements.
- Attend Business Training Seminars on topics such as:
- Negotiation skills and Account Penetration techniques
- Controlling the selling process
- Participate in local Business Clubs to
- Network and improve your presentation skills
- Read Business/Sales Books