Sales Effectiveness Manager

Job Description: Sales Effectiveness Manager

Reports to: Vice President Sales & Marketing

Position Summary

$80,000-$120,000 Annually

The Sales Effectiveness Manager is a catalyst for driving accelerated revenue through optimizing sales processes, scaling key effectiveness initiatives and leveraging analytics for performance. Working with cross-functional teams, the broader sales organization and by directly leading a team of Sales Specialists this position will drive better results to a set of strategic priorities. Also, through monitoring data and analytics the role also enhances pricing discipline and margin performance and provide vision and focus for the sales team through tracking and creation of Key Performance Indicators and metrics. This leader will be instrumental in delivering consistency to our customers and supporting and directing the sales team to better outcomes and implementations. The ideal candidate combines analytical rigor with creative execution and pulls upon past experiences and successes from industrial distribution or B2B markets. You will be responsible for Sales Operational Execution and making the most out of strategic sales focuses and initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Sales Operations Leadership

• Provide Direct Leadership and continually build and develop a team of sales specialists (Jan/San, Cutting Tools, 3M, ecommerce and others).
• Design and maintain standardized sales processes, workflows, and CRM best practices.
• Ensure accurate customer and opportunity data across CRM systems.
• Support field sales with quoting, contract administration, special pricing and inventory agreements, and develop and implement sales enablement tools that help the team close deals and remain productive.
• Analyze pipeline performance and health, sales activity, win/loss trends, and customer buying patterns. 
• Work with Operations and Customer Service to implement flawless and efficient new business deals.
• Provide Leadership and support for the monthly/quarterly sales forecasting and review process and produce KPI dashboards.
• Engineer Pipeline and scale success to new prospects based on past, regional or demonstrated success. Find like customers and help the team represent value in these opportunities. 
• Work Cross Functionally to improve Sales Effectiveness and Execution and role out tools, processes and expectations.

2. Pricing & Margin Management

• Provide insights and sometimes set pricing guardrails around margin governance and management looking at specific markets and within our Operating Divisions.
• Coordinate with procurement and sourcing to maintain and provide current cost data.
• Identify margin improvement opportunities through sales mix analysis, product segmentation, and price optimization.
• Produce profitability reporting by account, product category, and sales representative.
• Support and grow initiatives that can improve top line and bottom-line performance for GT Midwest.

3. Marketing Collaboration and Execution

• Collaborate with our Marketing Manager to operationalize and monitor field success of marketing plans. Create sales goals around Marketing and Supplier initiatives.
• Collaborate with Marketing Teams to provide facts and intelligence to improve the impact and effectiveness of digital marketing efforts: website, email campaigns, social media, SEO, SEM, and analytics.
• Help find and analyze discoveries from marketing campaigns to drive lead generation, customer engagement, and brand awareness.
• Inspect and follow up on opportunities connected to available marketing materials such as sell sheets, product guides, presentations, and case studies. Make suggestions to continually connect these efforts to field effectiveness and drive automation and digitization with our CRM. 
• Participate in trade shows, customer events, supplier promotions, and training events.

4. Cross-Functional/Divisional Collaboration & Execution

• Work closely with sales leadership, operations, procurement, and finance to ensure alignment across the organization with go to market strategies, metrics and strategic plans.
• Provide facts and data support for product launches, supplier programs, and strategic accounts. Spot laggards and help drive compliance quickly to drive company wide outcomes.
• Act as a liaison between sales, suppliers, marketing, and executive leadership to ensure cohesive go-to-market execution.
• Participate in and create focused improvement and performance improvement projects.

5. Customer & Supplier Engagement

• Implement and follow up on key joint supplier/GT Midwest work and make certain plans turn into revenue and growth in the field.
• Collaborate with suppliers on cooperative marketing programs, market development funds (MDF), and promotional campaigns and drive sales effectiveness around these key programs.
• Coordinate and participate with Affiliated Distributors initiatives, strategies and events. Track programs, submit for rebates and incentives and maximize opportunities through our membership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Industrial Distribution, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 5–10+ years of experience in industrial distribution, B2B sales operations, sales or marketing. Data analytics and economics backgrounds or experiences are a plus.
• Strong proficiency with CRM and ERP systems (Salesforce, Dynamics, Epicor, Infor, SAP, etc.).
• Advanced Excel skills and strong data analysis capability. Ability to turn spreadsheets into readymade tools withing our existing reporting portals, ERP and CRM tools.  
• Experience creating and initiating key performance indicators to assess performance.
• Excellent communication, project management, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of MRO, OEM, wholesale distribution, or technical products is highly preferred.
• Leadership skills and experience is preferred as there is indirect and direct management aspects to this role.

Core Competencies

• Fact Based Data-driven mindset with strong analytical skills
• Process optimization Organization skills and operational discipline
• Strong understanding of B2B/industrial marketing and sales
• Past or current experience as a sales professional
• Cross-functional leadership and collaboration
• Price/margin strategy and business acumen
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution
• Provide the sales team with stronger tools, data, and messaging
• Project management and experience creating a unified go-to-market strategy across cross functional teams

Required Skills 

• Strong Emotional Intelligence
• Past success with pricing strategy
• Solutions and Value Selling Track Record
• Strong presentation and communication skills
• Analytical Fact Based Data Driven Approach

Preferred Skills: 

• Leadership experience and skills  
• Driving performance through a team
• Competitive and positive spirit
• Strategic Orientation