Sales Manager

Summary The Sales Manager is a senior‑level leader responsible for driving revenue growth across both direct and distribution sales channels. This role oversees a team of Account Executives and is responsible for executing the sales strategy set by executive leadership across direct and distribution channels. This role does not own or set sales strategy, does not carry an individual sales quota, and does not own or manage assigned customer accounts; success is measured by team revenue attainment, pipeline health, forecast accuracy, the development and growth of the sales organization, and the team’s effective adoption of AI tools to maximize productivity. Leveraging deep expertise in industrial equipment and material handling solutions, the Sales Manager executes the Company’s sales strategy through the team, drives team execution, and supports Account Executives in cultivating executive‑level relationships with key customers and distribution partners. This role operates at both a strategic and operational level, with full ownership of team performance, pipeline health, and team revenue outcomes, while remaining free of individual account ownership, sales‑strategy ownership, and quota responsibility. Key Responsibilities Lead, coach, and develop a team of Account Executives supporting both direct and distribution sales channels Establish clear performance expectations, quotas, and KPIs aligned with company revenue goals Conduct regular pipeline reviews, deal strategy sessions, and performance evaluations Recruit, onboard, and train new sales talent to support growth across channels Take the lead on interviewing Account Executive candidates after Employee Experience completes initial screening; partner with the CEO and Employee Experience on candidate scorecards, interview‑loop design, and final selection. Scale the sales organization to support company growth targets. Improve and implement the sales onboarding and training program for new hires, including ramp plan, certification milestones, role‑play and shadowing requirements, and time‑to‑productivity targets; the existing program is to be enhanced and operationalized under this role. Train and coach the team using the existing sales playbook (owned by executive leadership); recommend updates and improvements to the playbook, ramp plan, and call‑coaching framework based on observed team performance. Identify bottlenecks in the sales process and recommend improvements to executive leadership and Sales Operations; pipeline stage definitions, qualification criteria, and the lead‑to‑close workflow are owned by leadership/Sales Ops, with the Sales Manager surfacing field issues and proposing changes. Foster a high‑performance, accountable, and collaborative team culture Execute the integrated direct‑ and distribution‑channel sales strategy set by executive leadership; surface field feedback and recommend improvements Apply and operationalize the role, territory, and account assignments defined by executive leadership; recommend adjustments based on team performance and market data Recommend new distribution partners to executive leadership; support onboarding once approved Strengthen relationships with existing distributors to drive mutual growth and performance Ensure alignment and minimize channel conflict between direct and partner sales efforts Revenue Growth & Market Expansion Own and drive overall team revenue performance across all channels, products, and services Surface new markets, verticals, and product opportunities to executive leadership for evaluation and decisioning Partner with executive leadership to align sales strategy with broader business objectives Monitor market trends, competitive activity, and customer needs to inform strategy Drive initiatives to penetrate high‑value and strategic accounts Ensure the team builds and maintains a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities Provide guidance and support on complex deals, pricing strategies, and negotiations Maintain visibility into key opportunities and ensure forecast accuracy Support Account Executives in closing high‑value, strategic, or complex deals Client & Partner Relationship Management Cultivate executive‑level relationships with senior leaders at key customer and distribution‑partner accounts in a leadership and coaching capacity, in support of the assigned Account Executive. Account ownership, day‑to‑day relationship management, and revenue credit remain with the AE; the Sales Manager does not assume responsibility for these accounts. Support the team in engaging C‑suite and senior‑level stakeholders Act as an escalation point for critical customer or partner issues Drive long‑term partnerships, customer satisfaction, and retention Sales Operations & Cross‑Functional Collaboration Partner with marketing, operations, and engineering teams to align sales efforts with company capabilities Ensure seamless handoff and onboarding of new accounts and projects Provide feedback and market intelligence to inform product development and positioning Provide input and recommendations on sales processes, tools, and best practices to Sales Operations and executive leadership; sales operations, solutions engineering, and tooling decisions are owned outside this role Reporting & Performance Management Track and analyze team performance, pipeline health, and revenue forecasts using Salesforce as the system of record, supplemented by Microsoft Teams and other collaboration tools to lead a fully remote sales organization Ensure CRM discipline and accurate reporting across the sales team Hold the team accountable for CRM data hygiene, including activity logging, accurate stage progression, realistic close dates, defined next steps, and complete contact records; conduct routine CRM audits and address gaps directly with reps. Use AI‑assisted tools to reduce manual data entry and surface gaps automatically. Own the weekly forecast cadence and monthly forecast calls; deliver a defensible commit/best‑case/pipeline view and drive forecast accuracy within ±10% of actual, leveraging AI/predictive tooling where available. Deliver regular performance updates and insights to executive leadership Use data to identify gaps, improve performance, and drive strategic decisions AI & Automation Champion the adoption of AI tools across the sales team to eliminate redundant work and maximize productivity. Drive everyday team use of AI for: CRM data entry and call logging, account and prospect research, email and proposal drafting, meeting notes and follow‑up summaries, lead qualification, pipeline analytics, and forecast preparation. Establish AI usage standards and best practices for the team; evaluate, pilot, and roll out new AI tools (e.g., Salesforce Einstein/Agentforce, Gong/Chorus, Microsoft Copilot, Apollo, ChatGPT/Claude); partner with IT and Sales Operations on training, integrations, and guardrails. Identify and remove repetitive, low‑value, or duplicative tasks from the team’s workflow through AI‑assisted automation; design AI‑first workflows wherever they are faster and more accurate than manual processes. Track AI adoption and productivity gains as a team KPI, including time savings per rep, output quality improvements, and reduction in administrative work; report progress to executive leadership. Qualifications Minimum of 7–10 years of experience in direct and/or distribution sales, with at least 2–3 years in a leadership role Proven success managing sales teams and driving revenue growth across multiple sales channels Experience working with or managing distribution networks and partner relationships Strong background in material handling, industrial equipment, or related industries preferred Demonstrated success in selling complex, engineered, or capital equipment solutions Strong leadership and coaching abilities Experience managing multi‑channel sales environments (direct + distribution) Strategic thinker with strong execution skills Advanced negotiation and deal‑closing expertise Ability to manage channel conflict and align stakeholders Data‑driven decision‑making and analytical mindset Excellent communication, presentation, and executive presence AI fluency: hands‑on experience using AI tools to streamline sales workflows (e.g., Salesforce Einstein/Agentforce, Microsoft Copilot, conversation‑intelligence platforms, ChatGPT/Claude) and proven track record of driving AI adoption across a sales team to reduce manual work and improve productivity Travel Requirements Travel as needed to support team, customers, and distribution partners (30‑50%) #J-18808-Ljbffr