Learning Environments Furniture Sales Specialist (Remote- South Eastern Territory)

Learning Environment Furniture Sales Specialist - Are you ready to make a difference?

School Specialty is dedicated to transforming education for the better. Our success is fueled by a team of passionate innovators who are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of students. Are you ready to make an impact?

Job Summary: The Learning Environment Specialist (LES) works collaboratively with the inside and outside sales teams to represent a comprehensive array of products and services utilized to create a 21 st Century Learning Environment. The role needs a deep knowledge of the breadth and depth of School Specialty’s offering from furniture, equipment, educational technology, and proprietary safety and security products. Positioning and presenting this offering is key to success within their customer base. A critical element of this role is the ability to assess customer needs and provide the proper solutions that drive sales growth while strengthening customer relationships. The role is expected to build and foster collaboration within Team Selling, while being accountable to meet or exceed sales forecasts.

Work Location:

• This is a work-from-home role.
• Must be in one of the following or surrounding territories:
  • Jackson MS
  • Birmingham AL
  • Chattanooga TN

Compensation Information:

• Annual salary range of $70-$90K with a quarterly sales incentive plan.

What you’ll do:

• Understand the dynamics and trends within the education market, specifically as they relate to learning environments, to promote School Specialty’s value proposition. Manage sales opportunities pertaining to this proposition, from identification through post-sale support, by understanding customer, product insight, and learning environment layout and design.
• Establish and build relationships at the local level with key school districts on multiple levels to position and enable the development of key account strategies for growth/penetration and to execute sales plans/initiatives. Including understanding customer objectives, strategies and requirements in order to present the appropriate learning environment solution.
• Collaborate with colleagues within the context of School Specialty’s team sell model to achieve sales objectives across the entirety of the Company’s value proposition, utilizing the breadth and depth of School Specialty’s learning environment product offering to grow and penetrate accounts.
• Maximize effectiveness through the use of tools and resources (Stratum & OneForce) to focus efforts on driving business and addressing white space opportunities. The role is required to fully utilize the Company’s customized version of Salesforce.com, referred to internally as OneForce.
• Establishing and moderating regular team discussion cadence around bonds and other funding sources relating to learning environment opportunities within their assigned territories. Minimum expectation of one time per month per assigned territory team. Other expectations include:
  • Regular review of key funding updates and associated customer stakeholder information
  • Development and oversight of the execution of bond/funding strategies, tactics, and activities within the School Specialty team sell model
  • Regular review for proper and timely updates within OneForce related to each bond or funding opportunity to ensure sales stage accuracy.
• The role will be expected to manage a travel & entertainment budget and budgets related to other business expenses, such as: samples and trade show / conferences related costs. All of which will done to ensure alignment with corporate strategy and budget.
• This role will be required to successfully complete ongoing proficiency and professional development training. This training will consist of various applicable topics and include spending time in the fulfillment centers and within other departments to better understand the operational flow of the organization and other support functions.

What we expect you to bring to the table:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite with an emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint
• Proficiency in the use of CRM (e.g., SalesForce.com)
• Sales Process Skills – time management, territory management, financial management and question and probing skills. •
• Furniture and Equipment product knowledge
• Builds networks including social media

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• 2-5 years successful outside sales experience required furniture, equipment and/or education technology sales experience with the K-12 education market preferred
• 3-5 years experience in furniture and equipment project management/sales or associated field.
• Acceptable driving record, valid driver’s license, and insurance in a program-compliant automobile. Must keep and maintain a license as well as the ability to drive.

Education and/or Certifications Required:

• 4-year college degree (Business, Marketing or Education preferred) or equivalent work experience

Benefits Package: We offer a comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental & Vision (effective day 1) basic life insurance, disability coverage, PAID parental leave, wellness programs, Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, 401k, Educational Reimbursement, UNLIMITED paid time off and so much more!

We’re determined to positively impact the future, one child at a time.

If you share our passion, we need to talk.

Just imagine what we could do together.

Physical and Mental Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, hear, use hands to type data, use a personal computer and telephone. This employee may occasionally have to operate business machines. Specific vision abilities required in this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Mental demands include multi-tasking, decision making, problem solving, comparing, copying, computing, compiling, analyzing, coordinating, and synthesizing data.

Additional Information

• The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.
• School Specialty, Inc. is a Drug-Free Workplace. All applicants are subject to a drug screen and background check as a condition of employment.
• EEO/AA including Vets and Disabled
• If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

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Job Grade C11