Sales Development Manager at Land O'Lakes

San Jose, California, United States

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Not SpecifiedCompensation

Junior (1 to 2 years), Mid-level (3 to 4 years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Agriculture, AgribusinessIndustries

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in agriculture or business-related field from an accredited university plus 2 years of industry or direct sales experience; or equivalent of 7 years of successful work experience in industry or direct sales
Ability to see the “big picture” of the organization and the farmer’s operation
Understands how the key drivers of the business relate to each other and work together to produce profitable growth
Proactive communicator with exceptional written, verbal, and formal presentation skills
Trustworthy with a strong level of personal commitment
Ability to coach and mentor others by suggesting improvements and leading change
Ability to make sound decisions and complete tasks in a fast-paced work environment
Ability to work independently and manage productivity
Experience demonstrating agility and leading/adapting quickly to change
Technical agriculture product/crop expertise and ability to develop and educate others on products, services, and programs
Ability to effectively manage projects
Solid experience using Microsoft products (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); virtual collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom); and CRM software (Salesforce)
Must have current and valid state driver’s license
Travel up to 50%, including evenings and some weekends making direct farm-gate calls; may require working long hours during peak seasons
Located within North East Iowa (remote/virtual, work from home)

Responsibilities

Manages and grows business through a defined plan and consistent communication with assigned owners and internal teams with strong focus on STAMPS, seed, and services (60% Sales Generation)
Coaches and trains top retail sellers at the farm-gate on products, programs, services, and technologies with the goal of influencing grower decisions
Utilizes pre-call planning tools and approach
Relies on agronomy or services experts for technical knowledge as needed
Records all relevant account details in the CRM software (Salesforce)
In partnership with top retailer sellers, executes by using tools such as the Account Plan, Farmer by Farmer (FxF) Plan, and ACRE sprints; measures and monitors progress against plans (40% Strategy Execution)
Owns and is accountable for the FxF Plan and for digital and services adoption by retailer sellers
Coaches and communicates at the farm-gate level the total acre value proposition to the top 1,000 retailer sellers including brand ladder, partnered and proprietary brand strategies, programs, pricing, services, and digital technology and platforms
Supports the retail seller in Answer Plot and post-harvest meetings
Coordinates with local manufacturer representatives
Implements Account Plan with retail sellers
Manages discretionary and insight trial seed
Serves as a direct partner and coach to customer-owner’s top 1000 retail sellers to expand the retail seller’s competencies and selling skills
Includes daily direct farm-gate calls in partnership with the retail seller

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

SalesforceCRMSales PlanningAgronomySeed SalesAccount ManagementCustomer CoachingDigital Platforms

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

Is this position remote or does it require office work?

This is a remote/virtual position where you can work from home, but you must be located within North East Iowa.

What are the required qualifications for this role?

Candidates need a Bachelor’s degree in agriculture or business-related field plus 2 years of industry or direct sales experience, or equivalent of 7 years of successful work experience in industry or direct sales.

What salary or compensation does this position offer?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What skills are essential for success in this role?

Key skills include technical agriculture product/crop expertise, strong communication and presentation skills, ability to coach and mentor others, experience with CRM software like Salesforce, and proficiency in Microsoft products and virtual collaboration tools.

What makes a strong candidate for this Sales Development Manager position?

Strong candidates have agriculture or sales experience, the ability to coach retail sellers, technical expertise in ag products, and proficiency with tools like Salesforce, along with skills to work independently in a fast-paced environment with up to 50% travel.