Director of Sales - Forthea

Forthea is an award-winning digital marketing agency that improves lead generation for clients by focusing on superior data analytics and creative executions that produce measurable results. Forthea's rock-solid commitment to core values and sustained business excellence has led to successful partnerships with a variety of B2B and B2C clients around the world. Forthea was founded in 2006 in Houston, where it maintains its U.S. corporate headquarters.

Forthea has been recognized as one of the best places to work in Houston, one of the fastest-growing companies in Houston, and one of the largest Houston-area advertising agencies. Forthea President Christopher Pappas has been recognized as one of Houston's top young business leaders.

The Director of Sales shall be tasked with leading and growing our sales team, and will work closely with senior management across the company.  You shall also be responsible for acquiring new clients and generating quarterly and annual department revenue quotas. You must be awesome at opening doors, and getting appointments from a cold start. You must be highly self-motivated, a terrific presenter and communicator, demonstrated sales manager, and an expert closer.

---Core Job Responsibilities---

• Create and implement both marketing and sales (M&S) plans.
• Improve M&S collateral and processes (e.g. sales presentations, case studies, proposals, reports, meeting standards, etc.).
• Lay the foundation for a future M&S team that you will help recruit, hire, train and grow.
• Independently prospect and qualify new business opportunities by identifying business goals and critical issues.
• Convert qualified prospects into new clients.
• Build rapport with executives at prospective client companies through discussion of sales, business, and technology issues.
• Follow-up on existing leads and cultivate new ones through effective marketing and business development strategies, such as cold-calling, networking in the community, and attending fairs, events, seminars, performances, etc. that present opportunities to promote our services and the company.                              
• Manage database for prospective targets, including consultants, prospects, current clients, etc.
• Prepare new business proposals and review with prospect, answering any questions they have; work with agency leadership and production departments to develop, if necessary.
• Continue to follow-up and work to close outstanding opportunities not closed during proposal review meeting.
• Provide post-sale support to the Accounts and Production teams, including making introductions, leading kickoff meetings, handing off requirements and addressing outstanding issues related to the sales, if they arise.
• Periodic meetings with Account Manager to review success status.
• Periodic meetings with Client to review overall progress, strategy, satisfaction and any new needs.
• Stay abreast of all current agency accounts for reference in new business presentations.
• Assist agency leadership with research, and information gathering.
• Create lead generation best practices and optimize processes and collateral.
• Able to travel locally and out of town as needed.

---Required Competencies---

• Conscientiousness – Strong sense of duty, responsibility and reliability.
• Initiative – Self-starter / "Hunter" attitude (persistence and regular follow-ups). Highly resourceful.
• Leadership –Respected influencer of others actions and opinions.
• Competitiveness – Not discouraged easily, and hates to lose.
• Modesty – Not ostentatious, or full of bravado.
• Measurement Orientation – Fixated on achieving goals and continuously measuring performance against goals.
• Curiosity – Strong hunger for knowledge and information. Continual self-development.
• Organization – Highly organized, and time efficient.

---Required Qualifications---

• Minimum Education: Bachelor's Degree from 4-year, accredited college
• Minimum Experience: 2-3+ years account executive/sales manager experience (preferably with an agency)
  • Proven track record of being able to build and manage a sales force.
  • Proven success in developing new business, writing client proposals and managing complex sales cycles from generating leads to closing deals.
  • Proven track record of penetrating and expanding large corporate accounts.
  • Proven track record of exceeding quotas and goals.
  • Experience in selling in a competitive environment.
  • Experience with a CRM application, such as Salesforce, ACT or NetSuite. Natural systems/process-driven proclivity.
• Minimum Computer Experience: Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

---Ideal/Icing Qualifications (Non-Required)---

• 4+ years direct sales experience (preferably with an agency).
• Any advertising sales and/or professional services sales experience (e.g. newspaper advertising, billboard / outdoor advertising, TV advertising, radio advertising, etc.)
• Strong executive-level/decision-maker contacts in enterprise and mid-market companies, in such verticals as: Real Estate (Builders, Developers, Contractors); Dealerships / Automotive; Hospitals / Surgery Centers; Legal / Law Firm Sales; Apartment Services Sales.
• Experience with digital marketing services such as SEO, PPC, Social Media, Email Marketing & Web Design.
• Experience using website analytics software (Omniture, Google Analytics, Google AdWords, etc) a plus.

**IMPORTANT: These Ideal/Icing qualifications are simply a "plus", but NOT AT ALL REQUIRED TO BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION.