Sales Readiness Manager at Lawson Products in CA

Since 1952, Lawson Products has worked hard to make our customers' jobs easier by improving their operational efficiency, productivity and overall performance. As a leader in the MRO industry, we partner with customers to make sure they have the right maintenance and repair parts on hand when needed.

We’re looking for a Sales Readiness Manager who is accountable for sales readiness outcomes within the assigned sales regions, including new sales representative ramp to productivity, CRM engagement, growth in average book of business, and first-year representative retention. This role serves as the readiness consultant to district sales managers within assigned regions, diagnosing capability gaps from district-level performance data and equipping districts through the most efficient available means, including direction to existing resources, engagement of product and category subject matter experts, engagement of supplier partners, personal delivery, or content commissioned from the Readiness Content Partner.

This role will work from a home office.

Responsibilities:

• Assumes accountability for readiness outcomes within assigned regions and reports performance against them to the Director on a defined cadence.
• Analyzes district-level performance data, including CRM engagement, representative ramp against plan, retention, and book growth, in order to identify capability gaps and prioritize effort across assigned districts.
• Consults with each district sales manager on an annual district readiness plan. The district sales manager owns and signs the plan; this position shapes it, supplies the supporting data, and holds it to the readiness standard.
• Owns the ramp plan for every new sales representative within assigned regions through the first ninety days, including onboarding sequence, territory orientation, systems readiness, and progress against first-order milestones.
• Determines the most efficient means of closing each identified capability gap and executes accordingly, selecting among existing resources, subject matter experts, supplier partners, personal delivery, and commissioned content. (Personal delivery is one option among several and is not the default.)
• Engages and coordinates subject matter experts from the network maintained by the Manager, Product Readiness, briefing them on the specific district requirement and holding their delivery to the readiness standard.
• Provides direct coaching to district sales managers against the True North Fundamentals in live settings, including ride-alongs, pipeline reviews, and customer conversations.
• Designs and facilitates readiness sessions personally where that represents the most effective solution for the identified need.
• Maintains direct working relationships with district sales managers in assigned regions and supports the Director in the regional vice president relationship.
• Returns field intelligence to the Sales Readiness function, including recurring representative questions, content gaps, and resources that are not performing.
• Demonstrates a commitment to Lawson Products Vision, Mission, and Values (integrity, progressive, results driven and team oriented.)
• Assists with other projects as directed by management. Other duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may be required and/or assigned as necessary.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree, plus five or more years of experience in sales, sales management, sales enablement, or sales training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Past sales experience and experience in the MRO industry are preferred, but not required.
• Strong diagnostic capability, able to read district performance data to locate the capability gap before being asked, and distinguish a capability problem from a territory, staffing, or market problem
• Persuasive consultative skills, able to advise and influence district sales managers who do not report to this position
• Resourceful in sourcing solutions, able to identify, engage, and brief subject matter experts and supplier partners and achieve results through individuals under no obligation to assist
• Sound judgment in determining whether to direct, source, deliver, or commission, weighing speed, quality, and the cost of field selling time
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills, with field audiences of varying size and seniority
• Established credibility with a distributed field sales organization, able to coach in live settings without undermining the manager present
• Organized across multiple districts, plans, and cadences simultaneously, with reliable follow-through on commitments made in the field
• Proficiency with CRM and sales analytics tools
• Working knowledge of adult learning principles, with emphasis upon application and reinforcement rather than classroom instruction
• Direct field sales or field sales management experience, or demonstrated equivalent credibility with a distributed sales organization
• Experience advising or coaching managers, not only individual contributors
• Experience within distribution, MRO, industrial, or another field-intensive sales model preferred
• Willingness to travel at varying intensity depending upon business needs, with an overall average expectation of 45% travel annually

Lawson Products is an Equal Opportunity Employer of women, minorities, protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.