Account Executive - Brand Standards

Summary

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a multi-brand retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home. The Account Executive will identify, pursue, and secure large brand partnerships with national and multi-location clients, while managing originated accounts. The role involves prospecting, pipeline development, full-cycle sales, strategic planning, proposal development, negotiation, and client relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, prospect, and develop new business opportunities with national and multi-location clients
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of prospective Brand Standards partnerships across commercial and emerging industry verticals, using Salesforce to manage account activity, opportunity tracking, and forecasting
• Own the full sales cycle for self-sourced opportunities, from prospecting and discovery through proposal, negotiation, close, and ongoing account management
• Translate client needs into clear proposals, product recommendations, pricing strategies, and program structures that support successful close and execution
• Manage follow-up, next steps, internal coordination, and client-facing deliverables to ensure sales strategies are executed effectively from initial meeting through rollout
• Leverage existing relationships while also creating new relationships with developers, owners, operators, specifiers, procurement teams, and other key decision-makers
• Develop and execute a strategic business plan and sales strategy to drive new-business growth and meet departmental sales goals
• Partner with cross-functional subject matter experts and internal support teams to deliver the WSI value proposition, execute sales strategies, and support a strong client experience
• Promote WSI products and services to prospective and existing clients through a variety of outreach opportunities, including telephone, email, office visits, site visits, trade shows, and industry events
• Represent WSI with strong product knowledge, professional communication, and outstanding service throughout the sales and client-management process
• Proactively seek opportunities for expansion in new industry verticals, including senior living, banking, retail, F&B, cruise, education, healthcare, private aviation, and other commercial markets

Skills

• Minimum of 3 years of directly relevant sales experience
• Or 7+ years of experience in design or development
• Proven track record of hunting, developing, and closing new business
• Demonstrated ability to build a pipeline through proactive outreach, industry relationships, referrals, networking, trade shows, and targeted prospecting
• Established industry relationships and a demonstrated ability to convert those relationships into new business
• Ability to work effectively with internal cross-functional teams to move complex client opportunities from proposal through execution and long-term account success
• Ability to balance new-business development with ongoing management and growth of accounts originated by the individual
• Comfortable and confident presentation skills, including the ability to present solutions to senior-level clients and cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to effectively manage concurrent and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Passion for furniture, interiors, design, and the WSI brand portfolio
• Advanced product knowledge in at least two of the following categories: indoor contract-grade furniture, outdoor contract-grade furniture, lighting, textiles, bath/plumbing, or flooring
• Proactive, solution-oriented problem-solving skills
• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time during peak seasons
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a variety of internal and external customers, clients, and business partners
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel
• Preferably in contract furniture, brand standards, or related industries
• Preferably in a complex B2B sales environment
• Salesforce experience preferred

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Minimum of 3 years of directly relevant sales experience
• or 7+ years of experience in design or development
• Proven track record of hunting, developing, and closing new business
• Demonstrated ability to build a pipeline through proactive outreach, industry relationships, referrals, networking, trade shows, and targeted prospecting
• Established industry relationships and a demonstrated ability to convert those relationships into new business
• Ability to work effectively with internal cross-functional teams to move complex client opportunities from proposal through execution and long-term account success
• Ability to balance new-business development with ongoing management and growth of accounts originated by the individual
• Comfortable and confident presentation skills, including the ability to present solutions to senior-level clients and cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to effectively manage concurrent and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Passion for furniture, interiors, design, and the WSI brand portfolio
• Advanced product knowledge in at least two of the following categories: indoor contract-grade furniture, outdoor contract-grade furniture, lighting, textiles, bath/plumbing, or flooring
• Proactive, solution-oriented problem-solving skills
• Ability to travel up to 40% of the time during peak seasons
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a variety of internal and external customers, clients, and business partners
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel

Nice to Haves

• preferably in contract furniture, brand standards, or related industries
• preferably in a complex B2B sales environment
• Salesforce experience preferred

Benefits

• Remote role
• A generous discount on all WSI brands
• A 401(k) plan and other investment opportunities
• Paid vacations, holidays, and time off to volunteer
• Health benefits, dental and vision insurance, including same-sex domestic partner benefits
• Tax-free commuter benefits
• A wellness program that supports your physical, financial and emotional health
• In-person and online learning opportunities through WSI University
• Cross-brand and cross-function career opportunities
• Resources for self-development
• Advisor (Mentor) program
• Career development workshops, learning programs, and speaker series
• Bonus opportunities