Account Manager

Account Manager

Be part of a growing, successful company in an exciting and challenging field. Border States is 100% employee-owned, which means you're empowered to make decisions, find solutions and receive rewards for your hard work. This position will be located in Faribault, MN.

Job Summary: The Account Manager will manage assigned customer account relationships and focuses on opportunity prospects and accounts. Promotes Border States' products, services and capabilities to maximize customer sales potential. Regularly calls on assigned accounts, develops new accounts, inputs cost savings documentation, coordinates sales strategies with preferred vendors, actively manages and directs company sales and support resources, and provides input to the pricing and purchasing departments on competitive issues related to price, margin strategy product evaluations, inventory requirements and other related sales, marketing and service functions.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Meets or exceeds the sales goals which are established.
• Penetrates and grows current and prospect medium opportunity accounts by identifying new capabilities and cross-sell opportunities.
• Meets and exceeds daily outreach expectations through a consistent process in a structured account planning environment.
• Identifies targeted opportunities that align to current strategies and new / increased capabilities.
• Prospects, validates, and converts new opportunity prospects by identifying and targeting appropriate influencers and positioning company appropriately vs. competition.
• Understands customer business objectives & translates into a company differentiated advantage.
• Keeps current with company offerings, value advantage, & competitive landscape.
• Ensures quality customer support, through expediting, pricing, follow-up, returns, and other services, as required.
• Provides customers with timely follow-up on technical inquiries and requests; this may be needed after business hours as well.
• Inputs TCCM cost savings documentation that is relevant to the assigned customer base.
• Directs the use of marketing tools, technical specialists, and company capabilities/services in support of a broad spectrum of products and services to facilitate a coordinated sales strategy for each assigned customer.
• Coordinates sales strategies with preferred vendors to maximize customer sales potential.
• Actively manages and directs company sales and support resources to maximize the sales and profit potential in support of all products, markets and specialist team opportunities for Border States.
• Participates in and advises sales management on the implementation and success of marketing plans and strategies.
• Provides input to other sales and marketing staff on customer needs and concerns regarding pricing, products, customer service and support, competition, procedures and market / customer potential.
• Provides strategic input to the pricing and purchasing departments on competitive issues related to price / margin strategy, product evaluations, inventory requirements, and other related sales, marketing and service functions.

Non-essential Functions:

• Advises Customer Financial Services staff on changes in customer credit worthiness.
• Advises Customer Financial Services of any changes in customer management or ownership.
• Penetrates and grows the rest of market opportunity as needed.
• May develop quotations for customers within the company profit objectives and guidelines.
• Leads and attends sales and product meetings and technical training programs, as required.
• Attends and assists with sales meetings, trade shows and training programs, as needed.
• Coordinates with the Customer Financial Services staff to resolve customer billing issues resulting from errors in pricing, shipping, delivery or other credit areas, as needed.
• Entertains clients as needed.

Qualifications

4 years business, sales, marketing or trade degree or the equivalent in related work experience. 2 years of prior distribution, customer service, marketing, quotation or sales experience preferred. Experience with contract negotiation. Experience with presenting in front of a large group. Ability to read, write and speak in English required. Prefer strong working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Access, and PowerPoint), Internet, Email and SAP software.

Skills and Abilities

Consistently provides responsive, quality service to meet and exceed customer expectations. Technical competence in understanding piping systems (PVF) or electrical systems as required. Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. Ability to effectively plan and organize. Excellent customer service skills include being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.

Physical Requirements

Frequency at which you would carry/lift in a typical day: Occasionally 0 - 33%. Lift from Waist: