Sales Manager - Indirect

Forward Air•United States,

6h•Onsite

About The Position

The Sales Manager - Indirect role is responsible for developing and executing channel sales strategies to drive revenue growth through indirect sales partnerships. This includes identifying, recruiting, onboarding, and managing channel partners, as well as educating them on the company's offerings and supporting their sales activities. The role requires close collaboration with internal teams, performance monitoring, pipeline management, and market analysis. The Sales Manager will also represent the company at industry events and resolve partner concerns.

Requirements

High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.
6+ years of B2B or enterprise sales experience, preferably in transportation or logistics.
Proven success developing and managing indirect sales channels, strategic partnerships, or agent networks.
Experience influencing and driving revenue through third-party partners and matrixed stakeholder relationships.
Demonstrated ability to grow partner-generated revenue and build long-term strategic relationships.
Strong negotiation, presentation, facilitation, and executive-level communication skills.
Ability to influence cross-functional partners without direct authority.
CRM proficiency (Salesforce preferred).
Demonstrated discretion and confidentiality in handling and protecting sensitive information.
Proficient with common office technologies, including Windows PCs, Microsoft O365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and web conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.).

Nice To Haves

Undergraduate degree in business, sales, supply chain, or a related field preferred.
Supply Chain / Logistics industry certifications preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute channel sales strategies to drive revenue growth through indirect sales partnerships.
Identify, recruit, onboard, and develop new channel partners, agents, brokers, referral partners, and strategic alliances.
Manage and grow existing partner relationships to increase revenue, market penetration, and customer acquisition.
Educate and enable partners on Forward's service offerings, value proposition, operational capabilities, and sales processes.
Collaborate with partners to identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities.
Support partner-led sales activities through solution development, pricing guidance, proposals, and customer presentations.
Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned channel partners and partner-driven opportunities.
Work closely with Operations, Product, and Commercial teams to ensure successful execution of partner-generated business.
Monitor partner performance against established revenue, activity, and growth objectives.
Develop joint business plans and account strategies with key channel partners.
Maintain accurate pipeline management, forecasting, partner activity tracking, and reporting within CRM systems.
Analyze market trends, competitive activity, and channel opportunities to identify new growth strategies.
Represent Forward at partner meetings, conferences, trade associations, and industry events.
Resolve escalated partner concerns and facilitate cross-functional support when needed.
All other duties as assigned to meet evolving business needs.