SparkFun is looking for an Account Management & Customer Support Team Lead to serve as the leader of the territory team by working alongside the Sales & Support Manager and supporting acquisition of new accounts and the growth of existing business.
Pay: $45,000 - $50,000 / year
Shift: M-F 9 am - 5 pm
Department: Business Development
About SparkFun
Since 2003, SparkFun has been helping turn ideas into reality – whether you’re creating a smart weather station, exploring the frontier of machine learning, building a robot for school or prototyping your first (or tenth) product. No matter your vision or skill level, our open source components, resources and online tutorials are designed to broaden access to innovative technology and make the road to a finished project shorter.
We are an equal opportunity employer that values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. SparkFun offers an abundance of opportunities to learn new skills from other Funions, in addition to many other benefits and perks.
This position is eligible for commission
SparkFun's Next Account Management & Customer Support Team Lead:
This role employs a consultative and solutions/values based approach to business development and displays leadership in assisting the Territory team in supporting all aspects of account growth. In addition to the lead contact role for key target existing accounts and acquisition/development of new target accounts, this role is also responsible for ensuring alignment of the Territory Team in transparency into leads, opportunities/pipeline, wins, and losses.
Essential Job Functions:
1. Win new business (new accounts)
- Work with Sales & Support Manager to identify targets for prospecting and lead gen campaigns, lead Territory Team in implementation of these activities
- Collaborate with Marketing to develop and execute on lead generations campaigns and to develop impactful sales tools
- Deliver formal and informal presentations that articulate a compelling value proposition and move accounts forward
- Leverage internal resources (people) to push deals over the edge or to take them to the next level on behalf of key accounts and in support of Territory Team accounts
- Leverage business levers (example: terms and other operational/financial levers) to make doing business with SparkFun easier and more compelling
- Develop accurate and compelling proposals/quotes and process orders specific to key assigned account; collaborate with internal teams to most efficiently handle the needs of those accounts
- As the opportunity arises, support marketing efforts (for example, at trade shows and events)
- Serve as voice of the customer in internal conversations; including bringing to light external needs and pain points (close the intel gap) on behalf of the Territory Team
2. Nurture and Grow Existing Key Target Accounts - Build long-term relationships
- Work with Sales and Support Manager to identify target and priority accounts - based on (for example) purchasing history, renewal time frame, adoption of retired/retiring product, relevant new release, intriguing user stories - to cross-sell, upsell, alert, or for collaboration
- Know your accounts - conduct research/data dive to uncover purchasing history, how they are using products, their values/priorities/pain points, and how we can better serve them
- Build out account analysis reports and account growth plans
- Facilitate periodic meeting with key accounts
- Develop and execute account growth plans, including but not limited to product presales, NPI collaborations, cross-selling, upselling, product road map presentations,
- Know the catalog, upcoming releases, and external trends - connect the dots between what we have and what accounts would find helpful
- Collaborate with and Sales and Support Manager to develop and execute on account growth plan
- Know your levers of growth for particular account types and determine what would most compel an account to increase and/or continue business with us
3. Maintain deep knowledge of SparkFun products, services, and story
- Be an evangelist, clearly articulate SparkFun’s value proposition, product and service offerings (features, benefits, competitive advantages)
- Know the catalog, upcoming releases, and external trends
- Be attuned to SparkFun’s future - know upcoming product/documentation releases and marketing campaigns/promos to inform selling plans
- Know your internal resources - it takes a village to sell, build bridges and know all presale and post sale resources that support account growth
- Participate in all sales-team meeting and internal trainings; understand policies parameters for selling
- Participate in professional development opportunities to increase your product, customer, selling, and industry knowledge
4. Provide leadership and guidance in serving as a resource for the Territory team
- Assist/provide guidance to territory team in their day to day activities supporting growth and development of new and existing accounts
- Lead Territory Team meetings to ensure team is aligned with growth and development initiatives as established in collaboration with the Sales and Support Manager, Marketing team or CBDO
- Attend and support cadenced account meetings led by the Sales Specialist in the Territory Team for their key mid-level accounts
Other duties and tasks will be assigned as needed.
Requirements:
- Sales experience - we are looking for someone who has a passion for building relationships, solving problems, and closing business
- 1-3 years sales experience
- 1-2 years leadership and/or management experience
- Mid-to-high level of knowledge of electronics, including SparkFun products with some understanding of prototyping tools and/or hobbyist electronics
- Ability to maintain accurate sales pipeline and activity reports in CRM
- Excellent communication and online presentation skills
- Outstanding relationship management and influence capabilities
- Ability to translate technical knowledge into plain and easy-to-understand language
- Proficient in Microsoft Windows and Office products; experience using CRM, ERP, and collaboration/project management systems
- Bachelor’s Degree; or equivalent combination education and experience
- Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in parallel and balance workload based on priority
- Experience with working on cross-functional teams
Additional Qualifications (not Required)
- Experience in technical sales
SparkFun Benefits & Perks
At SparkFun, we ask a lot of our employees, and that’s why we give so much in return. Here are just some of the benefits:
- Competitive salary
- Medical/dental/vision plan
- Matching 401(k),
- A casual dress code for you
- Dogs - yes, we bring dogs to work
- Full gym with climbing wall. If that’s not your style we offer a monthly gym stipend or onsite yoga
- We have a great employee discount and opportunities to create and share content with the SparkFun community
- Paid time to volunteer
- EcoPass (public transportation pass)
- Flexible Paid Time Off
- Summer BBQs, work parties, and more!