Sales Manager

DescriptionPremier Packaging provides innovative packaging solutions through a combination of curiosity, drive, and a culture that embraces an entrepreneurial spirit. We are responsive to our customers’ needs, responsible to one another and the environment, and improve our processes to deliver quality products. We ask ‘Why’ so we can deliver the ‘How’.

The Sales Manager is responsible for driving profitable sales growth and providing leadership to the sales function within an assigned geographic region. This position develops and executes regional sales strategies, identifies and secures new business opportunities, strengthens relationships with key customers, and leads and develops a team of Sales Representatives.

In this role you will be a key strategic partner between customers, Sales, Operations, Manufacturing, Customer Service, and other internal functions. This role is responsible for ensuring regional sales activities align with Premier Packaging's overall business objectives while maintaining a strong focus on customer satisfaction, profitability, accountability, and sustainable growth. The Sales Manager reports directly to the VP of Regional Sales and is considered a part of the Premier Packaging Leadership team.

At Premier, leadership is the ability to effectively provide direction and support, inspire, motivate, and recognize others, as our biggest asset is our people. In this leadership role, you are responsible for guiding the Customer Service team towards achieving our mission while maintaining a positive environment and exemplifying our values.

Key Responsibilities:

Regional Sales Strategy & Growth

Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy for the assigned region that supports company revenue, margin, and growth objectives.
Identify new markets, customers, products, and opportunities for profitable growth within the region.
Establish regional sales goals and translate broader company objectives into actionable plans for the sales team.
Maintain a strong understanding of market conditions, customer needs, competitor activity, pricing trends, and industry developments.
Evaluate the regional customer portfolio and identify opportunities to expand existing business, diversify the customer base, and improve overall account profitability.
Partner with senior sales leadership to develop annual sales plans, forecasts, budgets, and strategic priorities.

Business Development

Maintain an active role in prospecting and new business development through networking, referrals, cold outreach, industry relationships, and other lead-generation activities.
Develop and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified opportunities throughout the region.
Support Sales Representatives in developing prospecting strategies and advancing complex or high-value opportunities.
Participate directly in strategic customer presentations, negotiations, proposals, and new-business opportunities when appropriate.
Ensure leads and referrals are assigned, pursued, and followed through in an organized and timely manner.
Balance new-business development with the expansion and retention of existing customer relationships.

Sales Team Leadership & Development

Lead, coach, develop, and hold accountable Sales Representatives within the assigned region.
Establish clear expectations regarding prospecting activity, pipeline development, customer engagement, sales performance, CRM utilization, forecasting, and account management.
Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and sales reviews with team members to assess performance, opportunities, challenges, and development needs.
Provide coaching and field support to improve prospecting, relationship management, negotiation, presentation, and closing capabilities.
Identify performance gaps and partner with Human Resources and sales leadership to establish appropriate coaching or performance improvement measures.
Participate in the recruitment, selection, onboarding, training, and development of Sales Representatives.
Build bench strength and support succession planning for key sales positions.
Foster a collaborative, accountable, customer-focused sales culture aligned with Premier Packaging's values and business objectives.

Customer Relationship Management

Develop and maintain strong executive-level relationships with key and strategic customers throughout the region.
Serve as an escalation point for significant customer concerns and coordinate appropriate internal resources to drive timely resolution.
Partner with Sales Representatives to develop account strategies for key customers, including retention, organic growth, profitability, and risk mitigation.
Prepare and participate in Quarterly Business Reviews and other strategic customer meetings as appropriate.
Maintain a comprehensive understanding of Premier Packaging's products, capabilities, services, and value proposition to effectively identify solutions that address customer needs.
Ensure customer commitments are communicated effectively to internal partners and appropriately aligned with operational capabilities.

Sales Performance, Pipeline & Forecasting

Monitor regional sales performance against established revenue, margin, volume, retention, and new-business objectives.
Maintain visibility into the regional sales pipeline and ensure opportunities are accurately documented and progressed through the sales process.
Provide timely and accurate sales forecasts, pipeline reports, prospect updates, and other reporting requested by senior leadership.
Analyze sales trends and performance data to identify risks, opportunities, and areas requiring corrective action.
Hold Sales Representatives accountable for maintaining accurate and current customer and opportunity information within the company's CRM and other designated systems.
Develop action plans when regional or individual performance falls below expectations.

Profitability & Commercial Management

Promote profitable growth by considering pricing, margins, freight, inventory requirements, operational complexity, customer terms, and other commercial factors when pursuing business.
Partner with Finance, Operations, and sales leadership on pricing strategies and significant customer proposals.
Monitor account profitability and identify opportunities to improve margins or address unprofitable business.
Support pricing reviews and customer negotiations as necessary.
Ensure appropriate approvals are obtained for pricing, contractual commitments, customer programs, and other commercial arrangements.

Inventory & Accounts Receivable Support

Partner with Sales Representatives, Operations, and customers to monitor customer-specific and aged inventory and support established inventory-turn expectations.
Develop corrective action plans for slow-moving, obsolete, or at-risk customer inventory when necessary.
Support Finance and Accounting with customer collection efforts when commercial relationships or sales involvement can assist in resolving outstanding balances.
Work proactively with customers and internal partners to identify and resolve issues that may contribute to delayed payments.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Maintain consistent communication and partnership with Operations, Manufacturing, Customer Service, Finance, Design, Estimating, Planning, and other internal teams.
Represent the voice of the customer while balancing customer expectations with Premier Packaging's operational capabilities and business objectives.
Participate in regional and company leadership meetings and communicate relevant sales priorities, cust