Under the direction of the Chief Growth Officer, the Sales Manager leads an assigned sales team and is accountable for executing sales plans that support consistent sales, margin, and customer growth. This role coaches and develops sales team members, maintains an effective operating rhythm, monitors pipeline performance, and coordinates resources to improve execution within assigned territories and market segments. The Sales Manager partners with Sales Leadership, Marketing, Operations, and strategic vendors to support company objectives and models Nassco's Core Values in daily leadership and decision-making.
Sales Team Leadership and Development:
- Lead, coach, mentor, train, and supervise assigned sales team members.
- Conduct regular one-to-one meeting planning and coaching sessions with direct reports focused on priorities, activity, performance, and development.
- Establish a consistent communication and meeting rhythm that supports accountability, collaboration, and sales success.
- Address performance or capability gaps promptly and partner with Human Resources and Sales Leadership as appropriate.
- Encourage open communication, knowledge sharing, and productive resolution of conflict within the team and across departments.
Sales Performance and Growth:
- Lead execution of sales plans for assigned territories, market segments, and customer groups to achieve established sales, margin, retention, and growth objectives.
- Develop a thorough understanding of assigned territories, market segments, customers, team capabilities, and competitive conditions to improve coverage and penetration.
- Build strong relationships with key current and prospective accounts and support sales representatives with customer planning and complex opportunities.
- Monitor team performance against goals, identify risks and opportunities, and implement corrective actions or support plans when needed.
- Provide input to sales budgets and forecasts using customer knowledge, pipeline information, historical results, and team insights.
- Recommend account coverage or resource adjustments based on customer needs, territory design, market segments, and business priorities.
Pipeline and Sales Process Management:
- Ensure consistent use of the company’s Sales Pipeline/CRM and related sales tools across the assigned team.
- Review prospecting and opportunity activity regularly and coach team members on pipeline quality, size, velocity, and next steps.
- Identify bottlenecks in the sales process and help team members develop practical strategies to overcome them.
- Use ERP, reporting, CRM, and other business systems to analyze results, identify root causes, and uncover growth opportunities.
- Reinforce established sales processes, documentation expectations, and effective account planning practices.
Cross-Functional and Vendor Collaboration:
- Partner with Sales Leadership and Marketing to execute programs, incentives, events, and activities that support sales results.
- Coordinate with Operations, Customer Experience, Purchasing, Service, and other internal teams to remove barriers and deliver effective customer solutions.
- Support initiatives, training, events, and customer activities associated with Nassco’s strategic vendors.
- Mobilize internal resources, anticipate potential issues, and guide the team in developing timely contingency plans.
- Coordinate assigned networking, lead-generation, customer relationship, and industry events.
Planning, Communication, and Continuous Improvement:
- Communicate team results, forecasts, needs, and risks to the Chief Growth Officer through established reporting and meeting routines.
- Participate in Sales Leadership meetings, sales meetings, projects, training, and planning activities as assigned.
- Provide practical input to broader sales strategy based on customer, market, pipeline, and team insights.
- Maintain knowledge of Nassco’s products, services, policies, procedures, and operations to guide the team effectively.
- Pursue ongoing development in sales leadership, coaching, management, and the industries and market segments served by Nassco.
- Stay informed through supplier training, manufacturer resources, industry education, competitive observations, business networking, and relevant trade information.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Experience:
- Progressive business-to-business sales experience, including at least 2 years in a sales leadership, supervisory, or team-lead role.
- Demonstrated experience coaching sales professionals and managing sales performance, pipelines, forecasts, and customer growth initiatives.
- Experience using CRM, ERP, reporting, and productivity tools to manage activity and make data-informed decisions.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in distribution and packaging, service, or related product and customer segments.
- Strong leadership and coaching skills with the ability to set expectations, provide feedback, and build accountability.
- Knowledge of consultative selling, territory management, opportunity management, forecasting, and account planning.
- Ability to analyze sales and margin performance, identify root causes, and translate findings into action plans.
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational, presentation, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with customers, suppliers, and other business partners.
- Sound judgment, practical problem-solving skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn and use company systems and sales technologies.
- Ability to travel within assigned territories and to company, customer, supplier, and industry locations as business needs require.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to sit for extended periods while working at a computer, reviewing reports, or participating in meetings.
- Use of hands to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, phone, and other office equipment.
- Ability to read and analyze information on screens, reports, and documents.
- Ability to communicate clearly with employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders in person, by phone, and through video conferencing.
- Occasional movement within office, warehouse, customer, and event environments.
- Frequent local or regional travel operating a company vehicle within assigned territories, with occasional overnight travel as business needs require.
- Current and ongoing safe driving record.
- Ability to lift and carry up to 20 pounds occasionally, such as product samples, presentation materials, or office supplies.