Early Career Sales Rep - Nebraska

Summary

Smurfit Westrock is a sustainable packaging company that provides paper and packaging solutions. The Early Career Sales Representative will develop new business, manage and grow assigned customer accounts, coordinate orders, resolve account issues, and pursue cross-selling, up-selling, and customer win-back opportunities through remote communication. The role also involves consultative customer engagement, margin improvement, collaboration with sales and plant teams, and coaching junior team members.

Responsibilities

• ECSRs will be dedicated to improving Smurfit Westrock customer experience while also driving value by creating both cross-selling up-selling, and new business opportunities
• Stay up to date and well versed in the Paper and Packaging industry, Smurfit Westrock products, manufacturing challenges and retail trends by category segments
• Maintain a working knowledge of Smurfit Westrock Enterprise solutions and continue learning by studying new products and participating in educational opportunities
• Understand the business pressures effecting our customers and the relevant value of Smurfit Westrock’s solutions as well as an understanding of competitor information and trends by region to create SWOT analysis and competitive selling strategies
• Research new and current customer accounts and identify key players to engage through outbound calls and digital tools
• Conduct complex issue resolution for customers (involving communication with both customer and appropriate Smurfit Westrock colleagues). Some examples include pricing, delivery, quality, warehousing, logistics, new product design, and margin improvement
• Maintain and improve quality results by following established processes and methodologies
• Collaborate with Business Unit and Plant sales teams to maintain relationships and coordinate potential overlapping business responsibilities
• Strive to achieve individual and team established metrics and goals
• Meet targets for volume and margin with sales including cross-selling and up-selling
• Achieve department and organization goals by accepting ownership for completing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value
• Generate ideas and pro-actively work with Inside Sales Manager/Director and regional area plants to ensure positive customer experiences
• Drive cross-sell and up-sell opportunities by establishing rapport and understanding customers’ unique challenges
• Cultivate consultative interactions with customers
• Efficiently manage customer interactions across Smurfit Westrock divisions
• Create and deliver on margin improvement plans for customers
• Coach junior team members

Skills

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience is required
• Ability to manage full book of assigned accounts, spanning multiple business units
• Ability to develop and qualify new opportunities, present solutions, overcome objections, negotiate, and close business over the phone & videoconference
• Consistent track record and top performer among ECSR team
• Flexible and resilient problem solver
• Salesforce.com or similar CRM software
• Microsoft Office applications, social media platforms
• Requires a home office or workspace, free of disruptions; company provided laptop and phone
• Excellent phone presence, verbal, and written communication skills
• Comfortable making dozens of calls per day
• Strong listening and presentation skills
• Ability to prioritize, and manage time effectively
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to close opportunities with customer
• Team player; works exceptionally well with others
• Adapts well to a matrix organization
• Minimum of 1- 3 years of B2B inside sales, field sales, or related experience strongly preferred
• Experience in fiber-based packaging industry is strongly preferred

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience is required
• Ability to manage full book of assigned accounts, spanning multiple business units
• Ability to develop and qualify new opportunities, present solutions, overcome objections, negotiate, and close business over the phone & videoconference
• Consistent track record and top performer among ECSR team
• Flexible and resilient problem solver
• Salesforce.com or similar CRM software
• Microsoft Office applications, social media platforms
• Requires a home office or workspace, free of disruptions; company provided laptop and phone
• Excellent phone presence, verbal, and written communication skills
• Comfortable making dozens of calls per day
• Strong listening and presentation skills
• Ability to prioritize, and manage time effectively
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to close opportunities with customer
• Team player; works exceptionally well with others
• Adapts well to a matrix organization

Nice to Haves

• Minimum of 1- 3 years of B2B inside sales, field sales, or related experience strongly preferred
• Experience in fiber-based packaging industry is strongly preferred

Benefits

• Corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence
• Comprehensive training with numerous learning and development opportunities
• A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work.
• Company provided laptop and phone