Are You?
- Passionate about business development and B2B technical solution sales—always with the customer’s best interest at heart?
- Excited about being part of an 80-year-old innovative Danish technology company with a global footprint, unique solutions, and ambitious goals?
- Motivated by a fun and people-focused culture at a company that will invest in your success and professional development?
Our client, DAFA, is seeking a savvy Key Account Manager to help grow its business in North America. Based at DAFA’s Chicago office, you’ll be part of a dynamic fast-growing company with uncompromising product quality, constant innovation, and close collaboration with customers in industries where attention to detail is the difference between success and failure. DAFA is a market leader in the design, development and manufacturing of world-class solutions that seal, absorb, and protect. They combine 80 years of industry experience, passion, and ingenuity to offer the most reliable, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to its customers in a broad range of industries including construction, wind energy, health & medical, sports, electronics, and packaging to name a few. DAFA is a partner to some of the world’s largest companies–a responsibility they take very seriously. The company was founded in Aarhus, Denmark in 1939. Today the DAFA Group has more than 350 employees across three continents and eight countries, with production in Denmark, Italy, Poland, and China. For more info take a look at this video and visit DAFA-Industry.com
What You’ll Be Doing
This is a great opportunity for an energetic self-starter who is motivated by results, teamwork, customer success and always striving to find a better way of doing things. You’ll be responsible for generating leads and close sales through traditional methods such as cold-calling, B2B sales, industry news and networking as well as using the latest digital marketing and sales tools to identify, pursue and capture new business. The ideal candidate for this position should thrive in a high-pressure environment, enjoy working independently and in a teamwork…rolling up your sleeves and pitch in where needed. Domestic travel of up to 50% and up to 10% internationally is to be expected. This role reports directly to the Managing Director of DAFA North America.
- Develop an in-depth knowledge of DAFA’s products and value proposition
- Grow DAFA’s sales of products and solutions to existing and new customers
- Assess market data and identify business opportunities, new product offerings, and pinpoint problem areas.
- Develop forecasts, business development plans and meet or exceed financial objectives
- Conduct annual business review meetings with strategic customers
- Write proposals and negotiate with decision makers to close sales. Sign frame/stock agreements and NDAs
- Provide after sale support
- Coordinate outreach activities with DAFA’s marketing team to ensure consistency in brand strategy
- Track and record all customer and prospect interactions in company’s CRM system
- Keep informed on industry news and trends, products, services, competitors, relevant information about legacy, existing, and emerging technologies, and the latest product-line developments.
- Attend industry meetings, conferences, and trade shows of interest to DAFA.
- Pro-actively contribute to DAFA’s internal sales trainings and project meetings by sharing best sales practices, lead-generation strategies, innovation in new products and services and your dedication to excellence in everything that DAFA does.
What We Expect from You
Your Work Experience & Education:
- Bachelor’s Degree (Engineering preferred but we’ll consider Marketing and Business degrees too)
- Min 5 years of B2B technical solution sales experience with the ability to effectively navigate to and communicate with decision makers to close sales.
- Min 8 years of customer service excellence and outstanding ability to build long-lasting customer relationships
- Proven experience in independently planning and implementing sales strategies
- Proficiency in MS Office 365 suite and various business software (e.g., ERP, CRM)
- Experience in understanding complex contracts is a plus
- Experience from working in a multi-cultural, international company is a plus
- Ability to travel up to 50% domestically and 10% internationally
Your Skills, Traits & Style:
- Great verbal and written communication and presentation skills
- Outstanding stakeholder management skills
- Super organized and detail-oriented
- Affinity to problem solving, negotiating and time-management.
- Team-player who also enjoys working independently
- High energy, drive, and resilience
- Creative—not afraid of trying and learning new things
- Hands-on, Can-do, Can-try approach
What we offer is more than just a job
- An excellent team-focused work environment with huge visibility for your efforts along with great personal and professional development opportunities
- An opportunity to be a part of a financially solid and innovative international manufacturing company
- Great colleagues and great company culture
- Excellent compensation package and benefits including PTO, health care insurance, 401 K
