National Sales Director

About the role

The National Sales Director, Experiential Marketing leads national sales strategy, manages and develops the sales team, and drives revenue growth across the exhibits, events, and experiential marketing business. This role partners closely with Project Managers, Design & Engineering, Operations, and Senior Leadership to align sales goals with business priorities, streamline client communications, and ensure a consistent, high-quality client experience from prospecting through project execution.

The National Sales Director will also provide backup leadership and client escalation support for the Exhibits and Environments department as needed, ensuring continuity of sales activities, client communication, and team coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and manage the national sales team, including setting expectations, supporting performance goals, reinforcing accountability, and fostering a results-oriented sales culture.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities in the trade show and exhibit services space.
• Develop and execute national sales strategies, action plans, and account-growth initiatives that align with revenue goals and market opportunities.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key clients, understanding their needs and delivering tailor-made solutions.
• Streamline client communications by establishing clear follow-up practices, consistent messaging, escalation paths, and coordination between sales, project management, design, engineering, and operations teams.
• Prepare and present proposals, negotiating terms to close deals effectively.
• Oversee pipeline management, sales forecasting, CRM accuracy, proposal activity, and performance reporting to provide leadership with visibility into revenue opportunities and risks.
• Work closely with the design and project management teams to ensure client requirements are met with high-quality standards.
• Keep abreast of industry trends and competitor activities to recommend strategies for continued growth.
• Partner with marketing and leadership to identify target accounts, improve lead generation, support go-to-market initiatives, and expand market presence nationally.
• Recruit, onboard, mentor, and develop sales professionals as business needs require, ensuring team members have the tools, training, and direction needed to succeed.
• Achieve and exceed sales targets set by the company.
• Provide exceptional customer service, ensuring client satisfaction and repeat business.
• Travel up to 75% with overnight stays.

Requirements

• Proven sales experience, ideally within the exhibits, events, or related industries.
• Demonstrated experience leading, coaching, and developing sales teams across multiple markets or territories.
• Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in CRM software and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong understanding of CRM discipline, sales analytics, pipeline management, forecasting, and performance reporting.
• Willingness to travel as needed to meet clients and attend industry events.
• A driven, results-oriented mindset with a commitment to achieving sales goals.
• Ability to create structure around client communications, internal handoffs, account planning, follow-up expectations, and issue escalation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Skilled in prioritizing tasks, managing various projects simultaneously, and meeting deadlines in a dynamic environment.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position is responsible for leading, coaching, and managing sales team members and may provide direct supervision, performance feedback, training, workload direction, and support for recruiting, onboarding, and developing sales personnel as business needs require.

Physical Demands

• Regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Occasionally required to stand and walk.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.

Work Environment

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate with opportunities to work in office and field-based settings.