Account Executive - Brand Standards

New Business Development And Strategic Account Role

This is a national new-business development and strategic account role focused on identifying, pursuing, and securing large brand partnerships with multi-location clients. The person in this role will be responsible for hunting new opportunities, building a qualified pipeline, closing new business, and managing the accounts they originate.

The ideal candidate is a proactive business developer with strong industry relationships, a disciplined approach to prospecting, and experience converting complex opportunities into long-term commercial partnerships. This role is best suited for someone who is energized by creating new business, opening doors with prospective clients, and growing those relationships over time across the WSI brand portfolio.

This is a remote role that can be based in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Seattle, Miami, or Dallas.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, prospect, and develop new business opportunities with national and multi-location clients.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of prospective Brand Standards partnerships across commercial and emerging industry verticals, using Salesforce to manage account activity, opportunity tracking, and forecasting.
• Own the full sales cycle for self-sourced opportunities, from prospecting and discovery through proposal, negotiation, close, and ongoing account management.
• Translate client needs into clear proposals, product recommendations, pricing strategies, and program structures that support successful close and execution
• Manage follow-up, next steps, internal coordination, and client-facing deliverables to ensure sales strategies are executed effectively from initial meeting through rollout.
• Leverage existing relationships while also creating new relationships with developers, owners, operators, specifiers, procurement teams, and other key decision-makers.
• Develop and execute a strategic business plan and sales strategy to drive new-business growth and meet departmental sales goals.
• Partner with cross-functional subject matter experts and internal support teams to deliver the WSI value proposition, execute sales strategies, and support a strong client experience.
• Promote WSI products and services to prospective and existing clients through a variety of outreach opportunities, including telephone, email, office visits, site visits, trade shows, and industry events.
• Represent WSI with strong product knowledge, professional communication, and outstanding service throughout the sales and client-management process.
• Proactively seek opportunities for expansion in new industry verticals, including senior living, banking, retail, F&B, cruise, education, healthcare, private aviation, and other commercial markets.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of directly relevant sales experience, preferably in contract furniture, brand standards, or related industries; or 7+ years of experience in design or development.
• Proven track record of hunting, developing, and closing new business, preferably in a complex B2B sales environment.
• Demonstrated ability to build a pipeline through proactive outreach, industry relationships, referrals, networking, trade shows, and targeted prospecting.
• Established industry relationships and a demonstrated ability to convert those relationships into new business.
• Ability to work effectively with internal cross-functional teams to move complex client opportunities from proposal through execution and long-term account success.
• Ability to balance new-business development with ongoing management and growth of accounts originated by the individual.
• Comfortable and confident presentation skills, including the ability to present solutions to senior-level clients and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to effectively manage concurrent and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for furniture, interiors, design, and the WSI brand portfolio.
• Advanced product knowledge in at least two of the following categories: indoor contract-grade furniture, outdoor contract-grade furniture, lighting, textiles, bath/plumbing, or flooring.
• Proactive, solution-oriented problem-solving skills.
• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time during peak seasons.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a variety of internal and external customers, clients, and business partners.
• Salesforce experience preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel.

Our Culture & Values

We believe that taking care of our people is vital to our success and we strive to offer equitable and transparent practices for all. We prioritize connection, growth, and wellbeing. People First

Putting People First means investing in overall well-being and opportunities to grow and advance within the organization. Depending on the position and location, here are a few highlights of what benefits may be available: Benefits - A generous discount on all WSI brands- A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities- Paid vacations, holidays, and time off to volunteer- Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits- Tax-free commuter benefits- A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health Continued Learning - In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University- Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities- Resources for self-development- Advisor (Mentor) program- Career development workshops, learning programs, and speaker series