Bulk Sales Manager

Airgas•Waterford, CT

2d•$125,000 - $145,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sales Manager, Bulk Gases is responsible for managing bulk sales, including tactical execution of the bulk growth strategy, direct management of Bulk Sales Specialists and driving the profitable growth of the bulk product line.

Requirements

Minimum of five (5) years of increasing responsibility in a business to business sales-related or sales operations position to include prior experience managing a team or comparable experience in gases industry.
A track record of achieving profitable sales growth is required.
Must have reliable, appropriate transportation.
Job requires visitation of to various Airgas and customer sites, which have varying environments/conditions, layouts, and accessibility.
A reputation for strong leadership skills and the capability of developing and managing a team of experienced sales professionals and technical subject matter experts with a strong emphasis on customer excellence and customer-focused results is required.
Ability to analyze a business opportunity, and develop a successful sales strategy to acquire new business & increase customer wallet share.
Demonstrated knowledge of business and accounting concepts including but not limited to Return on Investment (ROI), Profit & Loss (P&L) statements, balance sheets, interest and leasing calculations, and margin responsibilities.
Tough-minded, take charge change agent who challenges the status quo and acts with a sense of urgency
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to influence others and to create cross-functional alignment.
Must possess excellent communication skills, especially in the development of actions plans and to ensure accountability and follow through.
Ability to make highly effective oral and written presentations and proposals to all levels of management.

Nice To Haves

Four-year college degree from an accredited institution in Business, Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Sales Management, Engineering, or related field.
In lieu of degree requirement, may consider an equivalent amount of education and experience as a trade-off.
Working knowledge of SAP preferred.

Responsibilities

Drives safety within the sales organization ensuing bulk specialists conduct themselves in a safe manner and within company policies, both at Airgas sites and at customer sites.
Participates in the development of the region growth strategy which includes identification of key target markets, products, and applications, looks for innovation opportunities, identifies opportunities for Airgas that may not be part of the standard product offering.
Develops and implements launch plan for new targets identified as key components of the growth strategy, including training of the sales team and adherence to pricing guidelines.
Serves as primary contact with strategic accounts for new/renewal opportunities.
Establishes sales targets per specialist and works with each specialist to develop and execute a growth plan within his assigned territory.
Manages the productivity and activity of the sales team through regular communication and ride alongs and by tracking and coaching/driving key metrics such as pre-call plans, opportunity pipeline, territory growth plan, campaign results, etc.
Consistently provides feedback to the specialists.
Acts as a champion of Track Selling to drive that as an integral part of the Airgas sales culture. Promotes Track Selling through words and actions.
Drives the value based selling philosophy within the sales team. Coaches team to identify and capitalize on value based selling opportunities.
Effectively listens for customer "pain" and unfulfilled needs and directs selling effort at the most critical customer needs, using a value based approach.
Implements the practice of conducting lessons learned reviews for lost business and failed to gain business and adjusts strategy accordingly based on the findings.
Serves as the "chief sales strategist" in selected situations, is actively involved in the selling effort to win or retain key accounts (strategic or financial).
Interfaces regularly with the Area Vice Presidents and District Managers to ensure quality service for customers that are served directly from their branches. Works with the local team to address any service issues.
Gains knowledge of competitor product offers, strengths and weaknesses, market opportunities and market pricing, maintains knowledge of market trends and anticipates potential bulk business opportunities and threats.
Provides feedback to the bulk specialists to assist in their continued professional growth - both in their knowledge of the market / Airgas offerings and in their sales approach
Assures new employees receive thorough on-boarding / orientation opportunities, balances sales priorities with the proper mix of training and orientation experiences, may serve as or assign a mentor to a new team member.
Other projects/initiatives as assigned.
The above job functions are illustrative of the duties and responsibilities associated with this position and are not intended to be all inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization