National Sales Manager

The National Sales Manager spearheads the company’s efforts to maintain and expand relationships with its’ retail partners offering the most creative products in the industry. This role is responsible for achieving sales quotas and executing assigned strategic account representation methodologies. Directly responsible for identifying opportunities with retailer partners while actively prospecting new business. Maintain, grow and develop assigned key accounts; Pioneer and create new opportunities with strategic accounts; initiate and cultivate relationships, identify white space opportunities and generate sales; Become immersed and educated in all the categories, brands and licensed products the company has to offer; Conduct extensive research for each and every account, including store surveys and trend identification to create a recommended product offering which is unique and will result in above average selling for your customer; Utilize your attained knowledge to passionately convey a strategic point of view; Build a trust and foster a relationship to be recognized as a premium supplier; Create a strategy and formula with a balance to maximize sell ins with exceptional sell thru’s; Become the expert on your core customers and our business; Continually self-educate on where the consumer shops, how they shop, what they wear, how they wear it and the overall competitive market landscape; Maintain a current position on market trends, price points, vogue silhouettes and &sales conditions; Execute the established sales appointment protocol preparation for customer meetings and trade shows: construct targeted agendas, assemble creative presentations from design data base, select appropriate samples, pack and carry cases up to 50 lbs., capture all customer feedback and promptly relay in a structured meeting recap; Provide creative input to the design teams combining feedback from the retail partner and market relevance; Create and present recommended programs to the customer with a visual cohesive statement utilizing planograms, ladder plans, suggested initial mark ups / retail price points and projected selling; Always be more concerned with sell thru’s than sell ins; Actively participate in scheduled internal weekly and annual sales meetings, preparing in advance to share relevant, beneficial information; Collaborate with your sales and creative peers to ensure you're offering the very best assortments to the customer. Ideal candidate would: 4 year BA or BS college degree is desired Have 3-5 years of direct sales experience - optimally in apparel and accessories categories catering to major retailers; Bring a strategic approach to the business creating profitable, trend right, consumer specific sales programs; Possess the ability to survey the market - then identify customer needs and transition them into actionable sales opportunities; Exhibit strong verbal, written, and telephone communication skills; Have experience using Microsoft Software; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and/or Database related programs; Recognize the importance of critical thinking with the ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple projects; Be able to work independently as well as within in a team environment: Have impeccable presentation skills and a keen ability to sell to all levels of corportate retail