Account Manager - Construction

This position will be located in Richmond, VA.

About the role

As an Account Manager, you will manage assigned customer account relationships, focusing on opportunity prospects and accounts. You will promote Border States’ products, services, and capabilities to maximize customer sales potential. This role involves regular engagement with assigned accounts, developing new accounts, documenting cost savings, coordinating sales strategies with preferred vendors, and providing input to pricing and purchasing departments on competitive issues.

Responsibilities

• Meet or exceed established sales goals.
• Penetrate and grow current and prospect medium opportunity accounts by identifying new capabilities and cross-sell opportunities.
• Meet and exceed daily outreach expectations through a consistent, structured account planning process.
• Identify targeted opportunities aligned with current strategies and new or increased capabilities.
• Prospect, validate, and convert new opportunity prospects by targeting appropriate influencers and positioning the company competitively.
• Understand customer business objectives and translate them into a company-differentiated advantage.
• Stay current with company offerings, value advantages, and the competitive landscape.
• Ensure quality customer support through expediting, pricing, follow-up, returns, and other services as required.
• Provide timely follow-up on technical inquiries and requests, including after-hours support when needed.
• Input TCCM cost savings documentation relevant to the assigned customer base.
• Direct the use of marketing tools, technical specialists, and company capabilities to support a coordinated sales strategy for each assigned customer.
• Coordinate sales strategies with preferred vendors to maximize customer sales potential.
• Actively manage and direct company sales and support resources to maximize sales and profit potential.
• Participate in and advise sales management on the implementation and success of marketing plans and strategies.
• Provide input to sales, marketing, pricing, and purchasing departments on customer needs, competitive issues, and market potential.
• Advise Customer Financial Services staff on changes in customer creditworthiness or management/ownership.
• Develop quotations for customers within company profit objectives and guidelines.
• Lead and attend sales meetings, product meetings, and technical training programs as required.
• Coordinate with Customer Financial Services to resolve billing issues related to pricing, shipping, delivery, or credit errors.
• Entertain clients as needed.

Requirements

• 4-year degree in business, sales, marketing, or trade, or equivalent related work experience.
• 2 years of prior distribution, customer service, marketing, quotation, or sales experience preferred.
• Experience with contract negotiation and presenting in front of large groups.
• Ability to read, write, and speak in English.
• Strong working knowledge of PC for Windows, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Access, PowerPoint), Internet, Email, and SAP software preferred.

Skills

• Consistently provides responsive, quality service to meet and exceed customer expectations.
• Technical competence in understanding piping systems (PVF) or electrical systems as required.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to effectively plan and organize.
• Strong customer service skills, including being competent, accurate, responsive, and engaged.

Physical Requirements

Lifting Frequency:

• Lift from waist: Frequently lift up to 25 lbs.
• Lift from floor: Frequently lift up to 50 lbs.

Physical Activity Frequency:

• Sitting: Continuously
• Standing: Frequently
• Walking: Frequently
• Bending/stooping: Frequently
• Climbing/walking stairs: Frequently
• Reaching: Frequently
• Crouching/squatting: Occasionally
• Kneeling: Occasionally
• Repetitive motion: Continuously
• Pivoting: Occasionally
• Pushing/pulling: Occasionally
• Grasping: Continuously
• Fingering: Continuously
• Talking: Continuously
• Driving: Frequently
• Desk work: Frequently
• Use of a computer: Continuously
• Use of a telephone: Continuously
• Hearing: Continuously
• Exposure to adverse weather/temperature conditions: Occasionally
• Travel: Frequently

Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) & Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Disability Benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Volunteer Time
• Personal Leave Time
• Bonuses based on branch and company goal achievements

About Border States

Border States is a 100% employee-owned leader in the electrical supply distribution industry, with approximately 130 locations across 31 states. Our employee-owners are dedicated to delivering top-notch customer service and demonstrating exceptional people skills. We are one of the largest independent electrical distributors in the United States, serving the construction, industrial, and utility industries. Our culture emphasizes open-book management, empowering employee-owners to be innovative and decisive, allowing us to respond quickly to customer needs. We value diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunity employer.