Senior Field Account Manager

As the Senior Field Account Manager your role is key within the sales team at Wayside Publishing and focuses on managing and nurturing relationships with key clients or accounts. This position requires a high level of responsibility, as the Senior Account Manager is responsible for maintaining and growing the company's business with existing clients and acting as a subject matter expert to more junior Account Managers. As a Senior Field Sales Representative, you are responsible for actively selling Wayside Publishing World Language products and services to customers in designated geographical areas. You will spend a significant amount of time outside the office, meeting with clients, conducting sales presentations, and building relationships with customers face-to-face.

Territory: Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina - The candidate must reside within the State of Florida.

Who We Are

Wayside Publishing is a progressive developer of world language programs, resources, and materials for middle and high schools across the United States. We partner with educators to craft transformative texts and digital tools that engage students and foster successful communication and understanding across cultures.

Primary Responsibilities

• Identify new business opportunities within the existing client base and work collaboratively with the sales team to generate revenue growth. Share ideas and exchange information with junior Account Managers.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and mentor to more junior Account Managers.
• Professional Development: Stay updated on language industry standards, certifications, and best practices. Attend conferences, workshops, and training sessions to enhance knowledge and skills in the field. Share and model these best practices with the sales team as appropriate.
• Prospecting and Lead Generation: Identify and research potential customers within the assigned territory, and attend trade shows, networking events, and customer outreach to generate new leads.
• Client Relationship Management: Build and nurture strategic relationships with clients within the assigned territory or market segment through regular communication, lunches, meetings, and visits. Understand their language requirements, project timelines, and budgetary constraints. Uses CRM to manage and document all stages of the sales process.
• Cold Calling and Sales Visits: Conduct face-to-face meetings with prospective clients, schedule appointments, make cold calls or set up meetings, and present product/service offerings in person.
• Proposal Development: Prepare and present comprehensive proposals to clients, outlining products, timelines, cost estimates, and any other relevant details. Address client inquiries and negotiate terms to reach mutually beneficial agreements.
• Account Growth: Through the development of a territory action plan, you will identify opportunities for account expansion and revenue growth. Work with clients to understand their evolving language needs and propose additional services or upgrades accordingly.
• Territory Research: Stay updated on industry trends, language technology advancements, and competitors' offerings as they apply to the assigned territory. Conduct market research to identify potential clients and explore new business opportunities.
• Reporting and Analytics: Maintain accurate records of client interactions, projects, and revenue data. Generate regular reports, analyze key metrics, and present findings to management.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborate with other teams within your organization, such as sales, marketing, and operations, to align strategies, share insights, and optimize processes.
• Conduct sales visits, meetings, and presentations to promote and sell products or services to clients including meeting with C-level executives. 
• Travel approximately 50% of the time between the months of September and April, adhering to the travel budget and recommendations from management. Travel may include one flight per month during peak prospecting season. Customer events are hosted with prior approval.
• Achieve sales targets and objectives within the assigned territory, driving revenue growth and market share.
• Negotiation and Closing Deals: Handle negotiations, overcome objections, and close sales deals in person, leveraging strong interpersonal and persuasion skills.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field.
• 5+ years of proven experience as an Account Manager or in a similar client-facing role, preferably in a B2B environment.
• Ability to work independently and manage time effectively while traveling within the assigned territory.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of sales processes and strategies.
• Experience with State Adoptions is required. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and establish long-term relationships with clients.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple client accounts simultaneously and prioritize tasks effectively.
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel extensively within the assigned territory.
• Plan multiple strategic meetings by mapping and use of effective time management while traveling.
• Results-oriented mindset with a track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets.
• Strong problem-solving and negotiation skills, with the ability to overcome obstacles and objections.
• Proficiency in CRM software such as Salesforce and other relevant tools for managing client relationships.
• Familiarity with the industry or market served by the company is desirable.
• Teaching experience is a plus; World Language teaching experience is even better.
• Proficiency in one or more of the following is a strong plus but not required: Spanish, French, German, or Italian.
• Bilingual is a plus.
• Commitment to providing exceptional service to customers and support for staff members.
• Experience in the educational K-12 industry is preferred but not required.
• A passion for learning and growing in a terrific company in a wonderful and necessary industry.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation: base salary and commissions, uncapped potential.
• Health insurance with options for dental, vision, life insurance, and more.
• Retirement savings plan with employer contribution.
• Employer-paid STD and LTD policies.
• Paid holidays.
• Work/life balance as a company value.

We believe that traditional hiring policies can hurt the most marginalized people in society, including people of color, people from working-class backgrounds, women, and LGBTQ people. Because we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, we strongly encourage applications from people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities.

 Wayside Publishing is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.  

When submitting your application, please include a concise cover letter that speaks to your experience, and why this role is the next best step in your career.

NO PHONE CALLS OR RECRUITERS PLEASE.