Ace Hardware - Sales Associate with a Business-to-Business (B2B) Sales Focus
Are you passionate about building strong customer relationships and helping businesses find the right products and solutions? Do you thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced retail environment and enjoy connecting with customers to understand and meet their needs?
Ace Hardware, your local hardware store, is looking for a highly skilled and motivated full-time Sales Associate with a Business-to-Business (B2B) Sales Focus to join our team. In this role, you will build and maintain relationships with business customers, identify their needs, recommend products and solutions, and provide exceptional service to help grow our B2B customer base. You’ll also assist retail customers and contribute to a welcoming, positive shopping experience. Join our team and be part of a friendly, enthusiastic group dedicated to serving our local business and residential communities.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Sales Associate with a Business-to-Business (B2B) Sales Focus reports directly to the store manager with the primary responsibility of building, growing, and maintaining positive relationships with existing and new business customers to increase sales. They work in support of the outside sales rep or the sales manager. The person in this role is the trusted hardware consultant and advisor for local business customers to ensure they have the supplies they need to keep their business running. This is a fast-paced active environment which will require focus, flexibility, and time management skills. In addition to being the main point of contact for business customers, this person is tasked with building B2B into the culture of the store. This entails building excitement and awareness with the staff, ensuring everyone is trained and understands their role in B2B and keeping B2B top of mind day to day by sharing success stories and celebrating wins.
SALES ASSOCIATE ESSENTIAL DUTIES
-
Provide exceptional customer service by being helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly at all times.
-
Help unload incoming trucks and put away merchandise (as arranged by management).
-
Maintain your assigned department: Keep all areas clean, organized and fully stocked.
-
Actively participate in daily huddle meetings, share ideas for improvement with management. Be part of the team and participate in store communications and initiatives.
-
Execute daily operational tasks accurately and efficiently as directed by store management.
-
Participate in team meetings, share ideas for improvement, and contribute to store initiatives.
-
Monitor merchandise displays, handle special orders, and prevent shoplifting through excellent customer interaction.
-
Operate the cash register, process customer transactions accurately, and assist with cashiering duties as needed.
HUNTER DOUGLAS ESSENTIAL DUTIES
-
Functions as the lead for Hunter Douglas Blinds Sales
-
Trains and becomes an expert in Hunter Douglas Designs, Measuring, Ordering and Basic Installation Requirements
-
Follows Hunter Douglas Special Ordering and Deposit workflows and procedures
-
Works with installer for Hunter Douglas Blinds and follows up on completion of installation
-
Expertly utilizes the Hunter Douglas platform.
B2B ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
-
Capture business leads inside the store and convert them to business accounts.
-
Collaborate with and refer leads to the sales manager or sales rep for further follow-up.
-
Generate new leads and build relationships, connecting over the phone, in-store customer visits and/or in-store workshops and events.
-
Actively reach out to customers over the phone for timely follow-up and completion of orders, providing excellent customer service.
-
Research current and potential customers to understand their business and educate them on the value of working with Ace.
-
Use monthly reports to identify and target specific customers who represent an opportunity for sales growth based on purchasing patterns and account variances.
-
Works with sales manager and sales rep to maintain gross margin while negotiating commercial pricing to close B2B sales.
-
Validate inventory levels to meet expectations set with business customers.
-
Assist with the sourcing of products for special orders via vendors, internet research, etc.
- Provide input to the store manager and buyers on whether a product should be added to the store inventory mix.
-
Ensure orders are received, maintained in the designated area and customers are notified for pickup or delivery.
-
Educate store staff and help them understand their role in B2B. Work with the store manager and the sales manager to train, motivate, and coach store staff.
-
Use huddles, communication boards, and store meetings as the means to communicate the store’s performance, and educate, engage, and motivate the team.
-
Provide direct support to the B2B sales manager and the B2B sales rep.
-
Updates and maintains the store’s B2B online accounts through the Online B2B Management Tool.
-
Uses Salesforce to track and note all sales calls and leads the store produces.
-
Other duties as assigned
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
-
High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED); or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
-
Sales experience with retail and/or business customers, ability to establish relationships with customers and fellow associates.
-
Strong verbal and written communication skills as well as being comfortable talking with existing and new customers.
-
Develop and maintain client relationships and strategic partnerships.
-
Strong organizational and time management skills. Must have excellent attention to detail and follow up.
-
Ability to work independently and during flexible hours.
-
Comfortable with computers, various applications, technology, and the internet. PC skills including knowledge of Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Outlook.
-
Bilingual (Spanish) verbal and written communication skills strongly preferred.
-
Possess a valid driver license with an acceptable driving record in accordance with company’s insurance carrier’s standards.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT:
-
Ability to stand for an extended period, frequently walk, reach and bend to perform job duties
-
Move and handle merchandise up to 50 pounds as well rearrange fixtures throughout the store as needed
BENEFITS
-
Paid time off accrued for full time work
- Health Insurance: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescriptions
-
401K with company match for full time work
-
Life insurance and short-term disability
-
Employee Assistance Program to help with managing wellness and work-life balance
-
Employee discount at affiliate Ace Hardware store
We are your local hardware store and we are a part of your community. Ace Hardware has over 5,000 stores around the world with the majority of those stores independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs. These hard working men and women are part of the fabric of your community. They are small business owners who are local and loyal...just like it ought to be. While others have become large and impersonal, at Ace, we've remained small and very personal. That's why we say a visit to Ace, is like a visit to your neighbor.
Benefits:
-
Health insurance
-
Dental insurance
-
Vision insurance
Job Type: fulltime
Education: No education required
Work location: On-site
