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The Innovation Team Director of Sales is responsible for achieving annual regional sales, gross profit and sales income objectives for the Innovation Team of Cross Automation. This individual directly supervises the outside and inside sales team along with proposal specialists. The Director of Sales assists and leads their team in identifying, quoting, and closing orders for automated solutions. Provides coaching and performance feedback to improve selling skills, order closure rates and sales productivity. This role will also work closely with the marketing team to assist in the development of demand generation initiatives. The Director of Sales will ensure proposal specialists work closely with the engineering team to create accurate proposals in a timely fashion. As a key member of the management team, this role participates in the development and implementation of Cross Automation’s strategic plans, annual business plans, product line strategies, marketing initiatives and sales compensation plans.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
1. Achieve annual regional sales, gross profit and sales income objectives.
2. Provide leadership and direction for the Cross Automation sales and proposal team. Coach, develop and mentor direct reports. Assist with identifying and prioritizing target accounts, developing account penetration strategies, identifying solution opportunities, identifying training required, and closing orders.
3. Participate on the Cross Automation management team. Assist in the development and implementation of strategic plans, annual business plans, product line strategies, marketing initiatives and sales compensation plans
4. Manage salespeople and proposal specialists to increase sales productivity and generate annual sales growth. Focus on new account development.
5. Prepare and conduct timely annual performance appraisals of direct reports. Promote corporate values and culture as defined by Cross Culture Cornerstones. Setting clear expectations, providing frequent performance feedback, resolving conflicts and performance problems quickly, providing frequent and thorough communications to all sales associates, encouraging associates’ inputs and responding to them promptly, providing clear limits of authority and empowering associates to make decisions are key aspects of this responsibility.
6. Regular travel with the sales team in their respective territories to make joint sales calls and provide consistent mentoring and feedback.
7. Assist in development of annual sales, gross profit, expense budget. Develop annual territory sales and gross profit objectives and corresponding compensation plans for direct reports.
8. Provide monthly rolling forecasts for projected sales and bookings.
9. Provide initial review of T&C’s and coordinate the resolution of any issue prior to agreeing to the contract.
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Sales
1. Recruit, hire and develop sales people and proposal specialists.
2. Actively manage the Innovation Team sales funnel to ensure sufficient opportunities to achieve annual sales budget and annual sales growth.
3. Provide focus, direction and training to achieve annual gross margin improvement.
4. Communicate the status of sales opportunities, supplier issues, account issues, personnel issues, competitive issues, market issues, and other important information to Innovation Team Business Leader on a regular basis.
5. Identify synergistic opportunities for other Cross groups at targeted accounts and/or industries.
B. Marketing
1. Actively seek new business opportunities in target markets for Cross Innovation Team.
2. Assist in obtaining market research information (competitive information, industry trends, acquisition targets, compatible new products, etc.) when requested by marketing, Innovation Team Business Leader, or Group President.
C. Administrative
1. Understand and comply with all Cross Company and Cross Automation policies and procedures as outlined in the Cross Company Employee Guide.
2. Responsible for ensuring all direct reports also understand and comply.
3. Prepare and submit on a timely basis expenses reports, sales reports, forecasts, and other information requested by Innovation Team Business Leader.
4. Coordinate regular opportunity review meetings with sales team. This meeting shall include pipeline review of each territory.
5. Prepare and conduct annual Performance Appraisal Reviews (PAR’s) and develop pay plans for direct reports.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
1. Minimum of 7 years proven successful outside sales experience, preferably in automation-related markets and applications.
2. Recognized as a top performing sales professional and possessing fundamental understanding of both integration and accounting knowledge (e.g. income statements, balance sheets, etc.).
3. Minimum of 5 years of sales supervision experience.
4. Bachelor’s degree with preference given to an Engineering degree.
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES
1. Ensures Accountability: Accountable and takes personal responsibility for actions, decisions, failures and mistakes.
2. Business Insight
3. Demonstrates self awareness and self management
4. Communicates Effectively
5. Collaborates
6. Builds Effective Teams
7. Courage to tackle tough assignments
8. Drives Results
9. Strong Decision Quality
10. Resilient and confident under pressure
11. Manages ambiguity
12. Develops Top Talent
13. Servant Leader
14. Top sales professional – proven success in new account development
15. Superior knowledge and practice of consultative selling skills and presenting value added propositions (solutions).
17. Fundamentals of systems integration accounting/finances and operations procedures.
18. Demonstrated ability to sell technical value-based solutions.
19. Instills Trust
PHYSICAL & MENTAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Ability to drive a car and visit manufacturing facilities.
2. Excellent PC skill level including advanced working knowledge of MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook.
3. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
4. Ability to speak publicly
5. Ability to travel at least 50% of the time
