Strategic Sales Consultant

Job Title 

Strategic Sales Consultant

Job Description

For more than 80 years, Kaplan has been a trailblazer in education and professional advancement. We are a global company at the intersection of education and technology, focused on collaboration, innovation, and creativity to deliver a best-in-class educational experience and make Kaplan a great place to work. The future of education is here and we are eager to work alongside those who want to make a positive impact and inspire change in the world around them.

The Strategic Sales Consultant (SSC) generates and  qualifies new business opportunities out of book to meet assigned new business and retention targets. The SSC must be able to communicate the breadth of products, solutions, and initiatives. The SSC will create and execute strategies, proactively targeting client segments, to generate new partnership opportunities as well as act as the first point of contact within sales for new inquiries generated from marketing activity and any calls which warrant sales engagement out of assigned territories. Additionally, the Strategic Sales Consultant will own a territory that will require creation and execution of business strategies to meet growth targets. 

The SSC is the decision maker in all matters of significance pre and post initial sale , including but not limited to, program development, product sale, pricing negotiation, contract development and execution, and growing the assigned business lines for the assigned territory and prospects. 
 

Primary Responsibilities

• Deliver on financial objectives, including goal attainment and expense management, and follow the Kaplan Sales Process to maximize growth potential.

• Use independent judgment and discretion to create and execute a sales plan and process to grow both exam-based business through outbound activities.

• Develop and execute strategic initiatives at the customer level, or within targeted prospecting segments to meet new business quota. 

• Conduct client facing activities, independently and effectively, to drive new partnerships and revenue growth across targeted prospect accounts, targeted segments, and assigned accounts, leading and communicating with client account teams as needed. 

• Work collaboratively and cross functionally with Kaplan North America’s resources to

• achieve financial results.

• Build, maintain, and grow key customer relationships within the assigned book of business, actively working to capture market share, and share of wallet within each account, with product expansion, new contract developments, and new contact relationships.

• Through research and interactions with clients, maintain an understanding of clients business model, goals, organizational structure, and competitive landscape.

• Maintain and be able to deliver a strong base of product knowledge across all product lines responsible for, as well as knowledge of Kaplan North America’s learning technologies, processes, and tools to help clients solve key business issues.

• Understanding of the competitive landscape within each product vertical and be able to speak to Kaplan North America’s differentiators. 

• Independently manage pipeline and activity to hit forecast and monthly quota expectations. 

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 40%. Travel may require an airplane and overnight stays.

• Other duties as assigned by management

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business, Marketing or related field     

• 2+ years sales experience in professional services, account management, or business to business (B2B) sales. 

• Sales/Marketing

• Proficient in using MS Office

• Prior experience using CRM solutions     

• Financial and business acumen.

• Well-developed probing and active listening skills, to be able to uncover and understand client issues, challenges and needs.

• Ability to manage and overcome client objections and concerns.

• Ability to persuade and communicate effectively over the phone and use technology to progress the sales cycle.             

• High energy and self-motivated and ability to work in a complex environment that frequently changes.

• The ability to work independently and self-sufficiently. 

• Problem solving focus.  

• Prior experience using Customer Relationship 

• Management (CRM) solutions.      

Preferred Qualifications

• Selling experien