Business Interior Specialist (Commercial Furniture Sales)

Business Interior Specialist

Basic Function:

A Sales Representative at SBI is responsible for generating leads across diverse markets, cultivating new business opportunities, and maintaining long-term relationships with existing clients through regular face-to-face interactions. This role emphasizes delivering accountable, high-quality customer service while actively contributing to a positive team culture. The representative collaborates with support roles to ensure seamless service and promotes a cooperative, results-driven environment.

Specific Responsibilities and Duties:

Lead Generation

• Networks extensively for leads (business groups, real estate brokers, local community organizations, industry organizations, etc)
• Researches for leads through business journals, newspapers, industry periodicals and publications, internet, etc.
• Cold calls potential clients in person or by telephone, or combination
• Participates in dealership lead generation programs such as telemarketing, open houses, industry events, etc.; follows up diligently on leads provided by the dealership

Selling

• Qualifies leads into potential customers; does thorough needs analysis to understand client’s requirements for furniture products and services
• Makes persuasive presentations to customers on dealership’s products and services in person, through written/graphic documentation and electronic means
• Develops detailed, accurate and professional looking quotes through own effort or in conjunction with dealership personnel (designers, customer service representatives, project managers, etc.) and presents these to the customer in a timely manner
• Works with service departments to develop service contracts to present to customer when complex services are sold (design, for instance) or for major projects (installation, design, project management)
• Provides accounting department with timely information for any necessary credit checks

Sale Implementation

• Is responsible for setting up the sale so that it can be efficiently managed and administered by the dealership, and the dealership operations and business personnel
• Accepts responsibility for the accuracy of specifications when entering orders themselves, and reviews specifications for obvious errors when done by others (design, for instance); provides complete, accurate and timely sales order (header data, pricing, contract numbers, etc.) and work order (site and project parameters, installation schedule, etc.) information required for proposal/sales order system
• Ensures a responsible close of sale by obtaining signed sales orders (and terms & conditions, if appropriate), client purchase orders and deposits as required
• Stays involved throughout sale implementation to ensure that any bottlenecks or changes in scope are identified and resolved, and that both customer and dealership are satisfied

Customer/Account Interfaces

• Is available, responsive and timely to customer inquiries, requests for information and/or quotations, problem resolution, etc.
• Provides frequent and regular follow-up contact with customer regarding after sale services and information, including customer satisfaction
• Conducts a professional, cooperative interface with the customer, the customer’s employees, and the customer’s third party consultants/subcontractors
• Ensures the customer gets frequent and regular reports on order status, project progress and overall customer activity status
• Assists accounting in resolving any late receivables or customer credit issues

Goals and Performance

• Meets monthly, quarterly and yearly sales, margin and new business goals as set by the dealership and sales manager
• Provides timely reports on sales forecasts and new leads as required
• Participates in special sales programs sponsored by the dealership or in conjunction with the dealership’s designated furniture manufacturers; attends training sessions as determined by the dealership

Contract Furniture Management

• Is knowledgeable of dealership’s product lines—product features, application, technical capabilities, specification, etc.
• Has good understanding of contract furniture management at dealer level—account servicing, project management, order preparation, order management, factory interface, delivery & installation— including sale’s role in those processes and procedures
• Functions as customer advocate for internal order fulfillment performance and service products
• Has knowledge of office environment issues (ergonomics, technology integration and use, office productivity, etc.) and general business trends

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: $60,000.00-$100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Extended health care

Work Location: In person