Job Description
Since 1982, L.A.T. Apparel has been a leader in supplying timeless, trend-inspired brands to the blank apparel industry for decorator, promotional distributors, retailers, and brands. We are aggressively growing with our brands Live & Tell, Rabbit Skins, and Doggie Skins. Through these brands, we service infants and toddlers, as well as men’s and women’s (and doggie) blanks to the industry.
We are excited to be looking for a highly motivated Outside Sales Manager to cover the state of Georgia, with travel required, while also managing select states as an inside sales representative. Our customer base includes screen printers, embroiderers, promotional products distributors, uniform companies, tie-dyers, catalog companies, craft suppliers, small resort retailers, cheerleading suppliers, etc. This position reports to the VP of Sales.
This position is responsible for directing and managing (owning) customer growth opportunities for the state of Georgia, as well as supporting growth through an inside sales role. The preferred candidate will be responsible for developing, executing, and driving well-thought-out sales strategies across a complex product and brand platform to accelerate sales and profit growth. The individual must be a self-starter, a collaborator, a good communicator, and possess organic leadership abilities.
Keys to success, but not limited to:
- Self-starter who can easily adjust based on market conditions
- Mastered the art of account relationships and finding the “win/win” to create long-lasting B2B partnerships.
- Great at messaging a strong brand story
- Anticipating issues and communicating clearly both internally and externally to exceed customer expectations.
Responsibilities
- Initiate, develop, and facilitate sales and marketing strategies that increase LAT’s multi-brand assortment, sales, and profit in the Southeast territory.
- Owns the LAT lead role in customer relationship/ management – documenting details in CRM system.
- Individuals need to have an entrepreneurial spirit with the ability to be creative, to be a problem solver, and to think outside the box. All while being the ultimate collaborator.
- Exhibits keen understanding of the marketing and sales process with the ability to develop, implement, and communicate well-thought-out strategies to improve profitability and drive business for LAT, as well as the customer.
- Accountability for continuous and comprehensive sales action plans to achieve goals – display ability to execute short-term and long-term opportunities in managing results.
- Responsible for product sell-in, assortment management, forecasting, and sales to meet/exceed LAT financial metrics, as well as achieve customer KPI/goals.
- Must quickly develop an understanding of customer processes, strategies, and financial metrics to communicate and collaborate with LAT internal partners to drive incremental business.
- Conduct business reviews with cross-functional LAT teams, including but not limited to marketing, forecasting, planning, customer service, and design/merchandising.
- Manage monthly, quarterly, and annual financial, sales, and travel plans.
Requirements
- The job requirements needed to execute the responsibilities of this role effectively include:
- High-level market analysis/competitive insight.
- High-level account sales analysis.
- Strong product knowledge, including account-level productivity metrics.
- Product selling strategy/formulation.
- Promotion selling strategy/formulation
- Regularly travel (3 to 4 days/nights a week) within the sales territory, servicing and growing sales within the existing customer base, as well as developing new business
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, 5 years outside sales work experience required
- Minimum work experience: 5+ years of sales, retail buying, or marketing experience in the apparel industry and/or CPG experience.
- Excellent negotiation and problem-solving skills required.
- Strong communication skills (oral and written), including excellent presentation skills.
- Financial Acumen; must fully understand retail scorecard drivers, and be able to manage detailed analytics
- Possess strong tactical skills; able to manage detailed execution plans, both internally and externally
- Proven ability to build strong business relationships.
- Travel required.
The compensation includes a salary plus commission/incentives/car allowance, and benefits.
