Head of Sales, Central Area, US

Air Express International - Chicago, IL

Full-time - Senior

Chicago, IL

Air Transportation

About the position

As the Director of Field Sales for the Central Area, you will be instrumental in driving revenue growth, enhancing customer retention and acquisition, and increasing lead conversion for a defined geographic region, product line, or market segment. This role requires a strategic mindset to provide input and lead the implementation of field sales strategies that align with business objectives, financial goals, and Group guidelines. You will be responsible for developing comprehensive plans that generate leads, manage accounts, and close sales through a dedicated field sales team. Your responsibilities will include conducting thorough market analysis and leveraging market intelligence to identify and engage prospective customers. You will build relationships that foster repeat business and evaluate customer needs to provide tailored recommendations on products and services. Additionally, you will lead the development and delivery of major sales bids, presentations, proposals, and product demonstrations to key customers, driving the pursuit of major prospects and leading negotiations to structure favorable terms of sale. Collaboration is key in this role, as you will work closely with internal teams such as sales, marketing, operations, and service management to resolve customer issues and enhance sales efforts. You will also support field sales representatives in securing critical sales in key or complex accounts. As a leader, you will provide direction and supervision to your team, assigning work, setting timelines, reviewing output, and managing performance. Your leadership will extend to recruiting, motivating, developing, and coaching team members to foster a high-performing sales environment.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development of field sales strategy, including sales forecast, budget, and manpower plans, aligning them with business strategy, financial objectives, and Group guidelines
• Develop comprehensive plans for a defined geographic region, product line, or market segment to generate leads, manage accounts, and close sales through a field sales team
• Conduct market analysis, leverage market intelligence, identify and engage prospective customers to build relationships, generate future sales, and foster repeat business
• Evaluate customer business needs and requirements, providing recommendations on appropriate products/services to meet their objectives
• Lead the development and delivery of major sales bids, presentations, proposals, and product demonstrations to key customers
• Drive pursuit of major prospects, leading negotiations, and structuring appropriate terms of sale
• Lead implementation planning and execution of marketing campaigns to support customer acquisition and retention programs
• Collaborate with internal teams such as sales, marketing, operations, and service management to resolve customer issues, enhance sales, and improve customer retention
• Support field sales representatives in securing critical sales in key or complex accounts
• Provide direction and supervision to the team, assigning work, setting timelines, reviewing output, and managing performance
• Recruit, motivate, develop, and coach team members to foster a high-performing sales team

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in sales, with a focus on new business development, account management, cross-selling, leading sales teams, and persuasion
• Proven track record in delivering sales results and achieving targets
• Proficiency in people management, including recruitment, coaching, and performance management
• Strong knowledge of value-added services, product lines, and sales proposals
• Experience in contract negotiation, CRM, customer acquisition, and sales forecasting
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to drive and manage business processes and strategy
• Excellent project management skills and stakeholder management abilities
• Exceptional influencing and negotiation skills
• Familiarity with DHL business knowledge and processes is advantageous