Account Manager

Inland Label and Marketing Services • La Crosse, WI

1d

About The Position

Join our dynamic team at Inland Packaging, a leading local label and packaging manufacturer. We are currently seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Account Manager to be part of our growing family. As a global supplier, Inland proudly produces 25 billion labels annually for renowned brands such as Kraft Heinz, New Glarus Brewing, Purina, AriZona, Coors Light, and many more.

At Inland, we are a family-owned business committed to innovation and excellence. We invest in state-of-the-art technology and offer comprehensive on-the-job training, ensuring endless opportunities for career advancement.

Job Summary:

The Strategic Account Manager is responsible for nurturing and maintaining relationships with key accounts. They provide support by understanding the unique needs of each customer, offering personalized solutions, and ensuring a seamless experience throughout the sales process. By serving as a trusted point of contact, the Strategic Account Manager enhances customer satisfaction and retention, ultimately contributing to the overall success of the sales team and the organization.

The strategic account manager must possess a high degree of flexibility to adapt to rapidly shifting workloads. They often encounter changes in customer priorities, market dynamics, and internal resources, requiring them to quickly realign their strategies and priorities. Effective communication skills are essential for a strategic account manager. They need to articulate complex ideas clearly to both internal teams and external customers, ensuring alignment on objectives, strategies, and expectations. This includes active listening to understand customer needs, persuasive communication to convey the value proposition of products and services, and diplomatic negotiation to resolve conflicts and reach mutually beneficial agreements. Strong communication skills also enable them to build trust and credibility with customers, fostering long-term relationships that are vital for the success of the organization.

Requirements

• Two years of experience in account management, sales, customer service, or a related field
• Bachelor’s or Associate degree in marketing, communications, business or related field
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with customers
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and workloads in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in orders, pricing, and customer communications
• Ability to prioritize tasks, allocate time efficiently, and maintain focus to meet deadlines and achieve goals
• Ability to work independently and make decisions confidently, taking ownership of tasks and projects to drive results without constant supervision
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams such as sales, estimating, pre-press, operations, logistics, and accounting/finance
• Familiarity with CRM software, Microsoft Office Suite, and other relevant tools for managing customer accounts and data
• Proficiency in managing multiple projects simultaneously, coordinating resources, and meeting deadlines

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience within the printing industry is highly desirable
• Proficiency in developing and implementing strategic plans to drive sales growth and profitability
• Strong negotiation skills
• Understanding of financial principles and metrics to analyze profitability, pricing strategies, and cost-saving opportunities
• Ability to lead and motivate teams, provide guidance and support, and drive results

Responsibilities

• Manages key accounts and provides support to the sales team by nurturing customer relationships and enhancing customer satisfaction
• Collaborates with estimating teams to generate accurate quotes for customer projects, ensuring that pricing reflects the scope of work, materials, and production requirements
• Collaborates and communicates effectively with both internal teams and external customers to ensure alignment on objectives and expectations
• Resolves issues and addresses concerns raised by customers in timely and effective manner
• Makes discretionary decisions that impact the organization, such as pricing and resource allocation
• Adapts to rapidly shifting workloads and priorities by demonstrating flexibility and agility in decision making
• Stays updated on product offerings and service enhancements to effectively address customer needs and preferences as well as identify opportunities for growth within existing accounts
• Maintains accurate records of customer communication, interactions, and transactions
• Analyzes patterns within customer behaviors to pinpoint opportunities for operational efficiencies and cost-savings measures, such as order frequency, rush and change requests, etc. and puts forth solutions for the relevant stakeholders
• Manages customer inventory by monitoring stock levels, forecasting demand, and coordinating with production and logistics teams to ensure timely delivery and replenishment
• Serves as liaison between customers and prepress team, ensuring timely submission, review, and approval of artwork
• Ensures the correct application of pricing and verify that invoices accurately reflect negotiated terms and conditions for each customer
• Manages and maintains the customer database, including orders, and pricing information, to ensure accurate and up-to-date records are maintained for each customer account. This involves entering new customer data, updating existing information, and overseeing pricing structures to reflect current agreements and terms
• Participates in and leads press approvals, ensuring that printed materials meet both internal quality standards and customer expectations. Leverages knowledge of product and process to make informed decisions regarding print quality, color accuracy, and finishing options to ensure the final product aligns with customer requirements and specifications
• Assists the sales team in resolving billing issues and past due balances by working closely with the accounting/finance teams and customers to address discrepancies, clarify invoice details, and facilitate timely payment arrangements, ensuring accounts remain in good standing
• Responsible for stock code creation and accuracy of configuration, ensuring that each product is properly categorized and accurately represented in the inventory management system, facilitating efficient tracking, reporting, and fulfillment processes
• Works with outsource vendors to ensure the accurate and timely completion of orders
• Attends customer meetings on or off-site as required, serving as a key representative of the organization and providing valuable insights, support, and solutions to address customer needs and inquiries, fostering strong relationships and driving business growth
• Assists in the creation and maintenance of standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring that best practices are documented and consistently followed, promoting efficiency, quality, and compliance with our standards and policies as well as customer requirements
• Continuously seeks opportunities for process improvement and optimization to drive overall business success
• Participates in training and development activities to enhance skills and knowledge relevant to the role, staying updated on industry trends, technologies, and best practices, and contributing to a culture of continuous learning and improvement within the organization

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree