Key Account Executive at Essendant Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Job Description:

Scope

The primary segment for KAEs is with partner dealers between $2.4M and $6M+ in annual revenue and vendor dealers with over $6M in annual revenue. 

Major Responsibilities

Key Dealer Relationships

• Effectively manages multiple relationships within each assigned key dealer (i.e., multi-level, multi-buyer), including forging strong relationships with the highest level executive at a dealer in order to grow the account.


• Ensure dealer growth by driving them into new business areas, supporting them with their deficiencies, and truly understanding their needs.


• Apply data analytics to consult with the dealer on ways to improve their business.


• Coordinates the involvement of internal resources, including support, service, and management resources, in order to meet account performance objectives and customers’ expectations.

 Right Sales Representative Skills, Behaviors

• Leads dealer growth through innovative strategy development, and implementation of growth initiatives. 


• Lead solutions using the United Stationers' Core Values and other objectives deemed critical by the company.


• Partners with dealers on solutions, meets in-person with dealers to create and implement business plans for growth.


• Proactively assesses, clarifies, and validates dealer needs on an ongoing basis; understands individual dealer needs.


• Proactively leads dealer strategic account planning processes that develop mutual performance objectives, financial targets, and critical milestones for a one and three-year period.


• Teaches and supports dealers on how to recruit, identify, select, onboard, and train effective sales staff.


• Leads technology-related solutions that expand growth.


• Acquires and converts new business.


• Promotes growth in all Essendants categories.

Discipline of Management Processes and Tools

• Understands product information and connects dealers to product experts efficiently.


• Creates and implements effective dealer pricing strategies.


• Manages people, processes, budgets, performance management, compliance activities, and associate development as required by the job. 


• Understands and demonstrates Essendants' Core Values.


• Performs other duties as assigned

Critical Competencies

Business Acumen - Quickly and keenly understands dealer’s business to ensure team helps dealers grow.  This includes knowledge and understanding of the financial, accounting, marketing and operational functions of a dealer.  It also includes applying good business judgment to solutions.

 

Formulating Strategies and Concepts - Works strategically to accurately predict future industry trends affecting their dealers, and identify strategic initiatives to ensure their ongoing growth.  Develops compelling vision and communicates this vision to support strategic initiatives for assigned dealers.  Uses strategic vision to create, set, communicate, and achieve dealer goals. 

 

Persuading and Influencing - Gains clear agreement and commitment from others by persuading, convincing and negotiating; makes effective use of political processes to influence and persuade others; promotes own ideas and those of others; makes a strong personal impact on others; takes care to manage one’s impression on others.

Planning and Organizing - Sets clearly defined objectives.  Plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances; identifies and organizes resources needed to accomplish tasks; manages time effectively; monitors performance against deadlines and milestones.

 

Relating and Networking - Easily establishes good relationships with customers and teams (internal staff); relates well to people at all levels; builds wide and effective networks of contacts; uses humor appropriately to bring warmth to relationships with others.

 

Presenting and Communicating Information - Speaks fluently; expresses opinions, information and key points of an argument clearly; makes presentations and undertakes public speaking with skill and confidence; responds quickly to the needs of an audience and to their reactions and feedback; projects credibility.

 

Providing Service, Support, & Issue Resolution - Focuses on customer needs and satisfaction; resolves customer problems quickly and accurately; sets high standards for quality and quantity; monitors and maintains quality and productivity; works in a systematic, methodical and orderly way; consistently achieves project goals.

 

Adapting / Responding to Change - Adapts to changing circumstances; tolerates ambiguity; accepts new ideas and change initiatives; adapts interpersonal style to suit different people or situations; shows an interest in new experiences.

Skills/Knowledge Required

• Advanced skill in Microsoft Office including, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint


• Expertise with CRM and/or relational database programs


• Understanding of e-business and e-marketing


• Ability to apply and understand pricing strategies


• Intermediate collaborative management skills and influential leadership ability.


• Intermediate analytical ability in order to read and interpret customer financials and sales results.


• Basic consultative ability to meet and advise customers on strategic and financial objectives to sell/teach the financial acumen of wholesale.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or similar field


• Minimum five years outside sales experience or similar


• Prior experience leading people is preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

See job description

Apply Now