GM & Senior Director, Inside Sales

Background
Location: office: 303 E Wacker Dr., Suite 2200, Chicago, IL
Type: Full-time, permanent position
Division: Inside Sales
Reports to: President, Intersport


Overview
Intersport is an award-winning agency that fills the empty space between marketing campaigns and consumers - helping brands make more meaningful connections. Our industry-leading team includes 200+ team members supporting 50+ clients with services spanning brand and partnership consulting, experiential and event marketing, hospitality, content production, social and digital marketing, creative, and platform development. We also own and operate event properties across the professional and collegiate sports landscape, focused on sports including basketball, football, golf, pickleball, and volleyball.


The Position
Intersport is seeking to add an aggressive and dynamic GM & Senior Director as the founder and leader of its Inside Sales team.

The GM & SD will serve as the Group's founder and leader in all aspects of developing and managing a team of six or more entry-/junior-level sales personnel tasked with selling hospitality, premium, and group ticket sales to Intersport's owned-and-operated live event properties focused mainly in the areas of college basketball and professional golf.

As the leader of the Inside Sales team, the GM & SD is responsible for building and managing a high-performance sales team, establishing a culture of accountability through metrics-driven coaching, and executing against aggressive revenue targets.

This position will require an assertive, measured, and uncompromising approach to overseeing a thriving sales operation built for sustained excellence. This opportunity is best for someone who is a great collaborator, strong leader, can thrive in an entrepreneurial environment and succeed within a "keep score" environment. The ideal candidate is an experienced sales leader who thrives in a fast-paced, event-driven environment and possesses an equal passion for people development and closing deals.

Responsibilities
General

• Embody and reflect Intersport's performance-based culture and commit him/herself and team to the highest standards for all work
• Work effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver executional excellence

Sales Leadership & Strategy

• Based on experience and insights gathered, apply understanding of macro forces in the industry and identify the core challenges of a prospect to best articulate how Intersport's offering can best support their needs
• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy across hospitality, premium, and group sales verticals to meet or exceed annual revenue goals
• Oversee and manage the full sales cycle, from prospecting and pipeline development through negotiation, close, and renewal
• Identify new product and market opportunities, partnerships, and outreach programs to expand the customer base
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Intersport's owned-and-operated property leaders and its Strategic Partnerships to align sales initiatives with organizational objectives
• Serve as a senior point of contact for key accounts, VIP clients, and high-value hospitality partners
• Take a proactive approach among key stakeholders to effectively consult, manage and challenge all levels of management to properly marshall resources, leverage company contacts and know how, and communicate progress throughout, all in order to deliver against revenue goals
• Provide long-term forecasting for annual growth and new business planning

Sales Training & Coaching

• Working with Intersport's Talent team, help to recruit, and then onboard, and develop a team of sales representatives across the three verticals
• Design and facilitate ongoing sales training programs covering product knowledge, consultative selling, objection handling, and CRM and reporting best practices
• Provide continuous mentorship and conduct regular one-on-one coaching sessions, call reviews, and "ride-along" observations to accelerate individual skill development among sales team members
• Create and maintain a "sales playbook" that standardizes best practices and provides a clear framework for each stage of the sales process
• Foster a competitive, yet collaborative, team culture that motivates high performance and ensures accountability

Sales Metrics & Reporting

• Define, track, and report on key sales KPIs including revenue attainment, pipeline velocity, conversion rates, average deal size, and renewal rates by vertical and by seller
• Maintain accurate CRM data hygiene standards and hold the sales team accountable to consistent pipeline documentation
• Prepare and present weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales performance reports to senior leadership
• Use data-driven insights to identify trends, adjust strategy, and allocate resources effectively across verticals
• Set individual and team sales goals in alignment with organizational revenue targets and market conditions

Lead and Manage Dedicated Team

• Create the ideal new business team structure and subsequently help to identify planned Director and Manager hires to lead a dedicated three-person Growth team
• Set an impeccable example and direct the team, inclusive of management, training, mentoring and overall professional development
• Ensure supporting team members produce quality work, including research and competitive analysis, prospecting assistance, support materials, decks and proposals, and other ad hoc deliverables and coach the teams to ensure peak performance in rehearsals

Salary and Benefits
The targeted salary range for this position is a minimum of $150,000, depending on full-time, non-internship professional relevant experience.


This position includes medical, dental, vision, parental leave benefits and 401(k) with company match for qualified employees. This position includes variable compensation.

Qualifications

• Minimum (10) years of experience of progressive sales experience, with a minimum of two (2) years in a sales leadership or management role
• A demonstrated track record of meeting/exceeding revenue targets in a B2B or B2C sales environment, ideally within sports, entertainment, hospitality, or live events
• Understanding of the sports/entertainment live events industry, with experience in hospitality, premium and group sales
• Proven ability to train, coach, and develop a multi-person sales team
• Proficiency with CRM platforms (e.g. Salesforce, HubSpot, Archtics, or equivalent) and sales analytics tools
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to lead presentations and articulate Intersport's unique value proposition to persuade senior/executive colleagues and prospects alike
• Strong negotiation and closing skills
• Ability to manage multiple programs/projects concurrently, inclusive of a detail-oriented and organized approach
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Proactive, team player with a strong work ethic
• Ability to travel for business on trips on an as needed basis (frequency and duration to vary)

Intersport is an Equal Opportunity Employer.