B2B Outside Sales Representative - Chicago

About This Role

The Ace for Business Outside Sales Representative supports Ace Hardware Corporation's B2B growth strategy by engaging business customers, developing sales opportunities, and helping connect those customers with products, services, and solutions available through participating Ace retailers. This role is focused on consultative selling, account development, sales process execution, customer follow-up, and coordination with participating Ace retailers to support consistent and helpful customer experience.

What You'll Do

Direct Customer Selling and Account Development

• Identify, contact, and develop business customers within an assigned market or territory.
• Build a pipeline of prospects and active accounts using customer data, market knowledge, referrals, CRM activity, and input from participating Ace retailers.
• Conduct customer discovery, site visits, needs assessments, quote follow-up, and account planning to grow recurring B2B sales opportunities

Consultative Customer Solutions

• Understand customer operations and recommend relevant Ace products, services, programs, and solutions available through participating Ace retailers.
• Help customers solve practical business needs by connecting them with appropriate product categories, vendor resources, special order options, delivery or fulfillment options, trade credit, digital tools, and other B2B capabilities.
• Represent Ace for Business in a clear, professional, and customer-focused manner

Participating Retailer Coordination

• Communicate with participating Ace retailers regarding customer opportunities, order needs, customer needs, fulfillment timing, and follow-up activity.
• Provide visibility to customer activity and recommended next steps while recognizing that participating retailers make their own store-level operating, fulfillment, customer relationship, and service decisions.
• Provide recommendations for retailer consideration related to B2B lead identification, customer information capture, opportunity routing, customer handoff, and service expectations

B2B Sales Process and CRM Execution

• Execute a disciplined sales process that includes prospecting, qualification, customer meetings, opportunity tracking, quote follow-up, order coordination, and post-sale account development.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, sales notes, customer activity, pipeline status, and next-step actions to support visibility, accountability, and measurable growth.
• Use sales data, customer history, and pipeline information to prioritize accounts and recommend growth actions

Vendor, Product, and Program Support

• Leverage vendor representatives, product experts, sourcing support, category initiatives, and Ace B2B programs to help business customers and participating Ace retailers identify practical solutions.
• Connect customers and retailers to product training, sales events, special order support, and account-specific resources that support sales conversion.
• Support adoption of B2B digital tools, trade credit, e-commerce features, vendor programs, and customer growth initiatives

Customer Service Coordination, Issue Resolution, and Reporting

• Follow up with business customers and coordinate with participating Ace retailers on customer questions, order status, delivery expectations, service needs, and issue resolution.
• Escalate service gaps, product needs, or process barriers through appropriate Ace and retailer contacts so customers receive timely, accurate, and helpful communication.
• Provide regular updates to the Field Sales Manager, Ace B2B leadership, and participating retailer contacts as appropriate

Who You Are

You are a driven, relationship-focused sales professional who believes in Ace's Helpful Promise and thrives working alongside independent Ace Retailers and local businesses. You take a consultative, solution-driven approach—listening first, solving real customer needs, and turning trust into long-term growth.

Required Skills

• A minimum of two years of B2B sales, outside sales, account management, or related customer-facing sales experience preferred.
• Ability to prospect, build a pipeline, conduct customer meetings, identify needs, follow up on quotes, and develop recurring business accounts.
• Strong consultative selling skills with the ability to understand customer operations and recommend practical product, service, and program solutions.
• Ability to work effectively with independent participating Ace retailers, retailer leaders, store associates, vendors, customers, and internal Ace teams.
• Ability to communicate clearly with customers and retailer contacts regarding sales opportunities, customer needs and facilitating coordination, and next steps.
• Strong organization, time management, follow-through, and territory planning skills.
• Ability to use CRM tools, customer data, sales reporting, Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other business technology.
• Ability to analyze customer activity, sales trends, and pipeline information to prioritize accounts and recommend growth actions.
• Ability to travel daily within an assigned territory and work flexible hours, including overnight travel as needed.
• Bachelor's degree in business or a related field preferred, or equivalent practical experience.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, negotiation, and issue-resolution skills.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision while maintaining accurate communication, activity records, and follow-up discipline.

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