Library Sales Manager - Central Plains

Founded in 1965, SAGE is a leading independent, academic and professional publisher of innovative, high-quality content. Known for our commitment to quality and innovation, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students across a broad range of subject areas.

Through its multiple product offerings, from journals to online reference tools, SAGE promotes the engaged scholarship that is at the heart of any healthy society. Comprised of people with high integrity standards and a passion for exceeding our customers’ expectations, SAGE aims to be the world’s leading independent publisher- the natural choice for our chosen markets. SAGE’s Library Sales Manager plays a critical role introducing our customers to our core content and promoting business relationships that reinforce SAGE’s leading position within the marketplace. The primary purpose of the SAGE Library Sales Manager (LSM) position is to meet or exceed sales objectives by promoting and selling SAGE online products (including all SAGE and CQ Press product lines) and related products through professional sales techniques and long-term customer relationships. The Library Sales Manager (SLSM) is to play a key role in implementing a sales strategy for all SAGE imprints. Primary responsibilities will include negotiating agreements with major consortia or multi-site institutions; key account management; and attendance at conferences and conventions. Additonal responsibilities include managing the customer’s service experience with SAGE. The LSM will have a minimum of 5 years experience in academic journal sales and/or full text databases, strong negotiating skills together with commercial awareness, demonstrated account management skills and high levels of consistent sales achievement. The LSM will need to have a high-level of initiative and self-motivation, as well as ability to both lead and work as part of a team. Excellent communication and project management skills are essential. Extensive travel is required.

• Meeting and exceeding set sales quotas while adhering to SAGE's sales policies. • Making prospecting a part of the regular routine ensuring that new prospects are being added to the pipeline on a consistent basis. • Managing a complex, institution and consortia wide solution sale with a 4 month to 6 month purchasing cycle. Moving the sale through the entire sales process. This includes working closely with sales partners and internal departments (customer care, circulation, licensing, finance, marketing). • Continually learn new product knowledge and acquire better selling skills. The SLSM will be required to attend training events throughout the year and assist at conferences and conventions where SAGE products are promoted. • Being well informed about current industry trends and being able to talk intelligently about the higher education library marketplace and academic industry as a whole and also the scholarly publishing industry. • Familiarity with all corporate Partner relationships and how they relate to company sales. • Being educated on the ~~~ automation tool. The SLSM is responsible for entering all sales information into this system -- this includes everything from contact information to daily activity register to the sales pipeline. • Maintaining subscription renewal expectations in compliance with objectives. • Keeping abreast of competition, competitive issues and products. The SLSM will be required to provide insight into trends affecting the territory and to proactively report findings to immediate and senior management or as requested. • Attending and participating in sales meetings, product seminars and trade shows. • Preparing written presentations, reports and price quotations in a timely manner. The SLSM is expected to keep up to date and to effectively communicate relevant current policy to SAGE customers in all quotations and sales documents. • Assisting in contract negotiations. • Managing the sales pipeline including required use of ~~~ to keep all opportunities and sales activity at an account current for accurate forecasting and data harvesting. • Understanding purchasing nuances of the industry. • Ability to upsell and sell additional products/services into existing clients. • Effectively and efficiently employ staff at appropriate stages in the sales cycle; matching level for level, to grow and advance the sale. • Providing leadership (without direct supervisory services) with partner and marketing support teams. • Defining and executing territory sales plans. • Utilizing company and market knowledge as well as territory experience to strategically position SAGE for long-term growth: leveraging relationships at consortia and individual account levels to determine the appropriate approach to opportunities (i.e. consortia or single-site, muti-year or single-year contract environment, all-access or fixed title product mix). • Serving as as lead sales manager on all consortia with headquarters in the assigned territory, responsible for defining, securing internal agreement to and implementing strategic consortia objectives, and being the primary point of contact at SAGE for our consortia customers. • As a consortia's lead sales manager, the SLSM will assume responsibility for managing our customers' service experience at SAGE through timely coordination of quote requests, customer service requests and other issues crossing multiple territories and SAGE departments. Essential Job Functions & Responsibilities: The job functions of the LSM include, but are not limited to, the following: SELLING PRODUCT Travel Composition: * Visiting academic institutions: 60% * Visiting consortia: 20% * Visiting non-academic (new markets) sites: 10% * Non-sales, customer development meetings: 10% TIME MANAGEMENT: * Work a 40+-hour, five-day week. * Travel: 60% - 70% of the time (see travel composition above for details) including international travel. * Other administrative duties, including site visit planning: 30% of the time * Travel on weekends as necessary. * Do necessary overnight travel. * Be able to prioritize deals. SELF ORGANIZATION: * Plan each day, week, month and quarter. * Plan each call, client meeting, presentation, etc. * Dress appropriately while with a client. * Maintain a neat automobile. * Present a professional image at all times. * Within 5 days of each sales call or meeting enter information into salesforce automation tool. ADMINISTRATIVE: * Maintain prospect information in sales force automation tool. * Submit expense reports in a timely manner. * Comply with all company policies and operate within the expense budget. * Submit defined reports as requested in a timely manner. * Make all travel arrangements. * Follow contractual agreements through the negotiation process including final execution. COMPANY RELATIONS: * Work with, develop positive relationships with, communicate with, and coordinate activities with other employees in Marketing, Product Support, Customer Care, Finance and other departments as needed. * Communicate effectively; cooperate with fellow salespeople and management. ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES: The additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY • Assist with the SAGE product development strategy to positively impact sales strategy • Identification of bundling and product grouping strategies to encourage additional sales. • Development of special pricing strategies to encourage adoption of product and increase sales. • Develop customer segmentation types to assist with pricing and product strategy. PROPOSAL/COMMITTEE/SALES PRESENTATION PARTICIPATION • Participate in SAGE committee or groups where sales involvement as needed. • Participate in journal acquisition presentations and proposal development as needed. • Present sales strategy at company functions and/or sales partners meetings as required. Qualifications & Education: The SLSM will have a combination equivalent to, but not limited to, the following: • BA/BS in Business or related degree and MBA desired. • At least 5 year sales experience in academic publishing with experience at a major publisher of scholarly journals. • Fluent in Spanish and/or French • Proficient with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. MS Access experience desirable. • Experience with CRM management tool, preferrably ~~~ Language - Reasoning - Analytical - & Mathematical Skills: Any combination equivalent to, but not limited to, the following: • Excellent verbal, presentation, and written communication skills. • Basic financial modeling skills to generate profitable deal structures. • Foreign language skills desirable, specifically Spanish. • Exposure to legal and contractual language generated from clients and sales part

The SLSM will have a combination equivalent to, but not limited to, the following: • BA/BS in Business or related degree and MBA desired. • At least 5 year sales experience in academic publishing with experience at a major publisher of scholarly journals. • Fluent in Spanish and/or French • Proficient with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. MS Access experience desirable. • Experience with CRM management tool, preferrably salesforce.com Language - Reasoning - Analytical - & Mathematical Skills: Any combination equivalent to, but not limited to, the following: • Excellent verbal, presentation, and written communication skills. • Basic financial modeling skills to generate profitable deal structures. • Foreign language skills desirable, specifically Spanish. • Exposure to legal and contractual language generated from clients and sales part