Department: Administration

Position Title: Sales Executive

Reports to: Vice President of Sales/CEO

Position Type: Full-time, Non-exempt

Compensation Range: $50,000 - $125,000

Company Description

Certified Testing and Data, an analytical testing facility, provides consultations and analytical results across the entire spectrum of the plant medicine industry. Building on a record of excellence, Certified Testing and Data features one of the largest full-service testing laboratories in the United States. Dedication to personalized service coupled with superior scientific practices are the foundation of Certified Testing and Data success.

Purpose

This position is responsible for generating new business, as well as maintaining and deepening our existing customer relationships. This includes sourcing, coordinating with, and meeting potential customers in the industry that have cannabis testing needs. Primary areas of focus are identifying new customers, promoting existing customer retention, and successfully onboarding new accounts. This role is an outside sales position. The incumbent works with the Regional Manager of Technical Services in support of sales.

Responsibilities and Duties

1. Assist Sales Leadership on developing a strategic plan for the laboratory with the management team implementing this plan.
2. Provide the highest level of customer service at all times. This is a relationship business.
3. Partner with cannabis professionals to educate them regarding testing requirements and benefits that Certified Testing and Data delivers.
4. Deliver market research to industry professionals.
5. Implement industry knowledge to strengthen our existing customer relationships and broaden our lead pipeline.
6. Serve as a subject matter expert in our offerings, including, but not limited to, pricing, differentiation, and what we provide that our competitors do not.
7. Take sales orders and submit for processing per our internal SOP.
8. Educate customers on our process and ensure appropriate expectations are established and maintained regarding order timing and outcomes.
9. Deliver sales presentations to customers and for internal training purposes.
10. Network at industry events to gain key updates. Inform the team accordingly.
11. Perform heavy cold calling to schedule in person appointments. This may require creative sourcing methods, such as leveraging social media.
12. Meet our minimum number of in person and remote customer check-in meetings each week. These are focused on growing existing relationships and expanding services.
13. Hit and surpass other quotas as defined by the VPS.
14. Regularly maintain accurate, detailed, and current notes in CRM. This includes notes for existing and potential contacts.
15. Partners with all levels of employees to ensure communication is seamless at all times regarding updates to customer orders.
16. Generate and regularly deliver a variety of reports to the Leadership team.
17. Foster a success-oriented, accountable, and ethical environment.
18. Build strong internal, external, and cross-functional relationships.
19. Perform other related duties as needed.

Knowledge & Skill

This position needs a high degree of self-motivation, initiative, sales acumen, analytical/technical ability, and decisive judgment. A working knowledge of chemistry and microbiology is necessary to manage the customer journey. A general knowledge of the business disciplines of finance, budgeting, sales, and marketing practices are necessary to gain new business and maintain current customers successfully. A general knowledge of personal computers is necessary to track laboratory information and produce documents to support the management functions. General knowledge of the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is needed to review analysis results and provide general customer support. Analytical skills are needed to problem solve and fulfill customer's analysis needs. Strong oral and written communication skills are essential to this position for effective customer contact. Customer relation skills are needed to obtain and provide information to the customer. Strong portfolio management skills, obtained from previous sales experience, are necessary to ensure that the laboratory exceeds its growth expectations. Planning skills are essential to maintain efficient laboratory operations.

Job Complexity

This position requires individual analysis of each problem to determine the optimal solution. Problems can occur when the customer requests a test not currently used in the laboratory or when a new product requires a modification of current methods. The incumbent uses previous experience, federal (FDA, USDA, and APHA) publications, field texts, and current journal articles as resources to provide necessary information to solve a problem. Solutions may require innovative alternatives to modify current analysis methods to improve productivity or for solving unique employee relation difficulties. Customer problems are often unique and require the incumbent to select among several different alternatives to maintain customer business. The incumbent is responsible for financial and operational activities of the microbiology and chemistry laboratories. This position uses previous experience, guidance from other laboratory leaders and relevant literature to obtain a solution to the problem. The incumbent must prioritize the difficulties with little factual information to maintain profitability.

Decision Making or Recommendations

This position requires decisions to be made regarding laboratory needs and difficulties. Information is available from standard operating procedures, position precedents, federal and state regulations and written company procedures and policies. All of the incumbent's decision making and recommendations must be based on ethics and integrity.

Accountability

The incumbent receives general direction from the Vice President of Sales (VPS). This position works toward broad long-term objectives established with the VPS. The incumbent, with the authorization of the VPS, determines intermediate sequences. Review of work occurs on a monthly basis to ensure that procedures are followed and budget parameters are exceeded. The incumbent is responsible for maintaining revenue by expanding the customer base or increasing laboratory service offerings to the customer. This position is responsible for maintaining a work environment that promotes a productive workforce and accurate results for the customer. The Unique or unusual problems may result in consulting the VPS or corporate personnel to suggest possible solutions.

Supervision of Others & Relationships

This position coordinates with the Lab Managers and subordinates.Coordination with microbiology and chemistry departments is required to provide a completely satisfied customer journey. This position coordinates with the corporate departments of accounting, sales, IT, research, human resources and educational services to obtain information to provide quality services to the customer. Internal coordination between the various laboratory functions is needed to achieve the most accurate and timely analysis possible. This position is responsible for managing the relationships of their portfolio.

Work Environment

The incumbent works in a laboratory environment with proper lighting and temperature control. Occasional exposure to laboratory fumes, chemicals, and materials will occur when obtaining results or testing status from operations personnel. Client visits may require protective clothing and equipment according to the facility environment. Physical dexterity is necessary to effectively manipulate a keyboard. The incumbent can expect extended time spent in a sitting position.

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of a broad range of plant medicine products, processes, and cultivation preferred (e.g. Cannabis, Hemp, CBD and Fungi).
• Working knowledge of regulations (local and federal), Good Laboratory Practices, and current official methods with at least 3 years experience working in an accredited laboratory.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Demonstrated expertise in plant medicine safety, quality and value.
• Must have strong organizational, leadership, and customer service skills. Excellent interpersonal, communications, public speaking, and presentation skills.
• Solid working knowledge of budgeting, sales, business development, and strategic planning.
• Ability to generate respect and trust from staff and external constituencies.
• Proven work experience as sales representative in Cannabis Sales/lab Services
• Travel up to 50%, including overnight travel.
• A high school diploma (or GED) and at least three (3) years of related sales experience. BS/BA degree preferred.
• Must be at least 21 years of age and pass required background check

Physical Requirements

These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions. While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is regularly required to communicate and converse with employees, clients and the public at work, trade shows, sales calls, business trips, and in the media. The employee is also expected to communicate via telephone and email 50% of the work day. The employee is required to sit 75% of most work days. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision while viewing a computer terminal or portable communication device. The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 50lbs and pull up to 150lbs.