Essential Responsibilities:

Sales and Manage Targeted Customer Accounts

• Responsible for a set list of customers. Based on the directed strategy, maintain, or incrementally grow sales on these accounts. Develop customer relationships.
• Achieve targeted annual sales goals relating to specific accounts, products, or market segments.
• Promotional selling of targeted products, product lines, and promotional focus items.
• Actively manage orders on assigned accounts. Proactively reach out to customers inquiring about timing and provide inventory updates to ensure the maximum amount of product can be fulfilled on an order.
• Actively manage orders that have been released and ensure customers pick them up within a week to ensure maximum plant quality.
• Answer direct phone calls/emails and process orders and quotes from the assigned customer list.
• Participate in monthly outbound sales initiatives, directed by sales leadership.
• Travel to visit assigned accounts based on customer needs. Travel approximately 20% of the year.
• Responsible for performing the following customer service tasks for the assigned customer list:
  • Maintain customer accounts and diary information on the ROSS system (SPROBS/SCOMPS/SCOMNT/CANCEL).
  • Monthly will call follow-up to push orders out in a timely manner.
  • Maintain up to date customer contacts in Ross.
  • Set up new customer records in Ross for assigned territories.
  • Understand ordering, shipping, and credit policies.  Apply and communicate these policies.  Issue credits as needed.
  • Follow through on errors or customer problems to resolution.
• With Outside Sales Manager, develop sales plan and support activities in serving Growth customers to collaboratively meet their needs to ultimately grow sales significantly.
• Update Monthly Summary sales reports on a weekly basis.
• Contribute ideas for show promotions, presentations, and messages.  Collaborate with marketing and trade show teams. Work trade shows such as:
  • iLandscape Trade Show
  • ILCA Summer Field Day (every other year)
  • ASLA Events as needed
  • Assist in the coordination and production of in-house events.

Plants and Inventory

• Perform weekly nursery walks to view products in person.
  • Select plants to take out on sales visits to distribute as samples.
  • Take photos to provide to customers.
• Thoroughly understand inventory information in Ross system and communicate to customers.
• Maintain and share accurate knowledge of current inventory status and future crop inventory.
• Work with internal and external customers regarding plant shortages, QA issues, and communicate with customers, inventory, and production as appropriate.

Projects and Process Improvements

• Act as lead on some or all the following Sales processes:
  • Contract Pricing administration
  • Annual and seasonal allocation of product and overbooking management
  • Specialized sales and solutions development for new or emerging markets.
• Support and participate in marketing and promotion development and activities.  Support internal marketing communication to Inside Sales, Wholesale Office, and Customer Service teams as well as actively promoting to external customers.
• Participate in product development, either for specific targeted plant areas or targeted sub-markets.
• Participate in regular training to maintain and update skills.  Lead key portions of the annual department and ongoing staff training.
• Support process, procedure, and system improvements for the department.  Utilize the closed loop, problem-solving methods, and action plan systems to help implement changes.
• Participate in cross-department collaboration and cross training to increase awareness of overall processes, especially in the Shipping & Wholesale Yard Departments.
• Develop and maintain strong Ross Report output skills to supply feedback information for tracking sales, and to support department and outside sales goals.  Some reports include: ACD, Open Booked Orders, Will Call Orders, Sales History Reporting, Allocation, and Overbooking.
• Assist with projects as requested, especially by Management and Department Supervisors, to meet customer expectations and grow sales.
• Be proficient at writing Ross Specs. Be actively working on sales department efficiencies to improve workflow.

Knowledge & Skills Required:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Sales expertise with a focus on relational selling techniques and approach.
• Strong computer skills with competency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Strong commitment to customer service and teamwork.
• Positive, action-oriented attitude towards satisfying customer needs.
• Ability to output a high volume of work accurately with attention to detail.
• Ability to multi-task, work in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.
• Understanding of the green industry.

Preferred Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture, sales, marketing, general business, or related field.
• Strong knowledge of cultivated plants.
• 5 years of horticultural or job-related experience in sales.
• 3 years of Midwest company experiences such as Senior Inside Sales Representative or other relatable experience.