Outside Sales (Chicagoland/Central Illinois)

Job Description

Job Description

JOIN US AND "CREATE YOUR VISION"

ABOUT US

S&S Activewear is a leading North American, tech enabled specialty distributor of imprintable apparel, including t shirts, fleece, athletic wear, headwear, workwear, scrubs and accessories. We pride ourselves on being the “critical link” that enables our 100+ brand partners such as Adidas, Columbia and Gildan to reach our hyper fragmented base of customers, comprised of apparel decorators, eRetailers and promotional products distributors that embellish apparel items for diverse end consumer use cases (e.g., everyday wear, concerts, fitness attire, life events, team sports, etc.). At S&S, we differentiate in the market through a customer service focus, strategic product portfolio, world class distribution infrastructure, a collaborative growth culture and a relentless focus on technology and innovation.

Our success has compounded since the Company’s humble beginnings in 1988 as a regional t shirt distributor to a leading, multibillion dollar value-added distribution platform that drives market penetration for our suppliers while enabling growth, operations and fulfillment for a diverse range of customers across channels and business sizes.

Today, we continue to strive to be the apparel distributor of choice by inspiring and fostering growth for customers, employees and suppliers, anchored in our commitment to Lead with Respect, Never Settle, Own the Outcome, Win Together, and the belief that Innovation Powers Our Hustle . These values guide how we serve, how we collaborate and how we continuously improve, ensuring we deliver on our promise of service, deep relationships, innovation, continuous improvement and accountability.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The ideal candidate will be responsible for managing and growing an existing group of targeted accounts, as well as prospecting for new opportunities. They will manage complete S&S Activewear relationships with customers in a designated geographic area and drive sales growth within assigned accounts. The role requires travel 3-4 days per week in the field, including overnight travel on at least a quarterly basis, depending upon geographic scope of territory. Qualified candidates must possess excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills, be comfortable interacting with decision-makers and business owners, and have a demonstrated ability to analyze data to identify business development opportunities. Reps need to understand the steps of a sales call and be proficient in account planning and post-call follow up. Reps will be paired with Account Managers to maximize the follow up and sales opportunities with each customer. As a result, they need to be both self-directed and a good team player.

COMPENSATION & SCHEDULE

Salaried: $75,000 - $85,000 (based on experience)

Monday - Friday, Full-Time

Territory: Chicagoland/Central Illinois

BENEFITS

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your life, health, and future. Benefits begin 0–90 days after hire and include Vacation, Personal, and Sick time; Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and Disability coverage; Flexible Spending Accounts; and a 401(k) plan. You’ll also enjoy discounts on brand‑name apparel, fun employee events, and meaningful opportunities for growth and advancement. Join a company that invests in you from day one.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Owns the P&L in aggregate for all accounts in the territory, as well as for each customer (to manage volume, sales, and profitability)
• Calls on all assigned accounts, in-person, with minimum agreed frequency. Proficient in call planning/preparation, analysis, presentation, and post-meeting follow-up.
• Develops relationships with all ownership, sales, customer service and merchandising representatives in each account; Understands the customer’s and end-user’s needs and buying patterns; Conducts one on one meetings with customer sales representatives to uncover opportunities; Responsible for proactive and creative solution sets; Engages in end-user meetings.
• Develops relationships with all relevant constituents within their accounts (finance, marketing, operations, production, etc.).
• Partner with assigned S&S Account Manager to meet the full needs of the customer and jointly optimize sales opportunities and frequency of customer interaction
• Understands the customer go to market strategy and knows customer programs, remerchandising schedule and method of managing, renewing, refreshing and fulfilling.
• Responsible for new product launch line presentations, internal initiatives and programs, and overall sales plans.
• Effectively utilizes merchandising skills to upsell and position S&S Activewear competitive advantages regarding products and services
• Collaborates with and leverages internal resources to uncover, develop and close opportunities (trade marketing, decoration, EDI, pricing, credit, website, custom websites, etc.). Work cross-functionally and understands how to accomplish goals within the organization. Develops relationships across the organization to facilitate communication and achievement of goals.
• Manages administrative aspects of the job to include weekly reporting, calendar management, sales funnel management, program registration and renewal, DNR management, CRM reporting, program proposal tracking. Meets all due dates.
• Manages and maintains S&S Activewear's presence within their accounts, including but not limited to showroom management and upkeep and collateral management.
• Attends trade shows, industry events and customer events as necessary.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• 2+ years in-person sales experience, promotional goods or apparel industry a plus
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Must be able to manage multiple tasks, effectively prioritize and manage time
• Demonstrated ability to carry out special assignments and tasks with minimal supervision
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong sense of urgency with a results orientation
• Enthusiastic and energetic approach
• Demonstrated creative problem-solving skills
• Excellent sales skills (SPIN selling)
• Excellent product merchandising skills
• Effective, engaging presentations skills
• Ability to train and demonstrate use, features and benefits of our website
• Excellent analytical skills; able to access the financial impact of a decision
• Strong administrative and organization skills
• Able to develop written strategic plans
• Proficient with Microsoft Office
• Daily travel with monthly overnights (varying based on territory)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or listen.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

S&S Activewear welcomes people of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to creating a diverse culture and supporting human growth. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We conduct business without regard to sex, race, creed, color, religion, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, military status, status as a veteran, or any other protected characteristic. Our policy is to recruit, hire, train, promote, assign, transfer, and terminate employees based on their own ability, achievement, experience and conduct and other legitimate business reasons. S&S participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm you are authorized to work in the U.S.

This job offer is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.