Apparel Sales Representative - Northern Illinois

Varsity Spirit; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan with company matching

Paid holidays

Job summary

Varsity Spirit, a Varsity Brands company, is seeking a Fashion Sales Representative to grow territory sales across Northern Illinois, engaging coaches and athletes through consults and fittings. You will travel locally, build lasting relationships, and pursue revenue targets in a hybrid home-office setting.

The role emphasizes fashion expertise, customer experience, and the ability to work evenings and weekends as needed within a dynamic educational-market environment.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or related field preferred.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to forecast sales and manage territory effectively.

Responsibilities

• Plan and prospect for territory sales across Northern Illinois.
• Conduct consults and fittings with coaches and athletes.
• Meet and exceed territory sales goals.
• Travel to appointments within the territory and maintain client relationships.

Skills

Territory planning

Coaching and coaching readiness

Microsoft Office

Industry knowledge (cheer/dance)

Lead generation & forecasting

Communication & presentation

Travel readiness

Education

High school diploma or GED

Bachelor’s degree in marketing or related field (preferred)

Tools

CRM software

Job description

VARSITY SPIRIT, A VARSITY BRANDS COMPANY - THE DRIVING FORCE IN SPIRIT ACROSS CHEER, DANCE, BAND AND YEARBOOK For over 50 years, Varsity Spirit has been the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team, performing arts and yearbook. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000+ employees are dedicated to celebrating school spirit. A leader in apparel innovation, educational camps, clinics, competitions, and yearbook, Varsity Spirit impacts more than a million athletes each year.

VARSITY SPIRIT, A VARSITY BRANDS COMPANY - THE DRIVING FORCE IN SPIRIT ACROSS CHEER, DANCE, BAND AND YEARBOOK For over 50 years, Varsity Spirit has been the leading global source for all things spirit, including cheerleading, dance team, performing arts and yearbook. Focused on safety, entertainment and traditional school leadership, Varsity Spirit’s 5,000+ employees are dedicated to celebrating school spirit. A leader in apparel innovation, educational camps, clinics, competitions, and yearbook, Varsity Spirit impacts more than a million athletes each year.

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY

At Varsity Spirit, the safety and wellbeing of the young people we serve is of the utmost importance. Since our inception 50 years ago, we have been – and remain – steadfastly committed to doing our part to create a safe and positive environment for our participants’ physical, emotional, and social development, and promoting an environment free from abuse and misconduct. Varsity has a zero tolerance for abuse in its programs, events, and associated business activities. Varsity is committed to reporting all suspicions, allegations, and incidents of abuse in full accordance with local laws and reporting requirements. Learn more at Our Commitment to Safety - Varsity.com.

JOB TYPE: Full Time

LOCATION TYPE: This is an outside sales, hybrid position. Sales activity takes place across a home office, local schools, community events, and in-person meetings with clients.

TERRITORY DETAILS: Northern Illinois - McHenry, Winnebago, Lake, Jane and Boone counties

WORK HOURS: Hours vary based on customer needs. Evening and weekend work may be required.

PAY RATE: The base draw for this job is $40,000 plus the possibility of additional performance-based incentives. The base draw will vary based on criteria such as education, experience and qualifications of the applicant, location, internal equity, and alignment with the market.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS: Travel is primarily local to schools and organizations within the territory, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be required.

How You Will Make An Impact

A Varsity Spirit Fashion Sales Representative is passionate about fashion, enjoys working one-on-one with customers and thrives in a sales environment. Committed to creating memorable experiences for customers and transforming today’s brightest young people into tomorrow’s leaders, is a member of the largest, most influential manufacturing brand in the industry. SPIRIT – PASSION – INNOVATION – RESPECT – INTEGRITY - TRANSPARENCY

Explore the apparel and products our Sales Representatives sell.

What You Will Do

• Plan and prospect for territory sales
• Conduct consults and fittings with coaches and their athletes
• Meet & exceed assigned territory sales goals
• Provide honest and confident feedback about style and fit
• Seek fashion and product knowledge to build your expertise
• Maintain personal drive to seek professional growth
• Prospect power – build rapport
• Build lasting relationships with customers
• Travel to appointments within the territory
• Excel in a work from home environment
• Recruiting for summer camp brands

Qualifications

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines
• Ability to grasp new technology and understanding of Microsoft Suite
• Knowledge of cheer and dance industry
• Willingness to learn in-depth product construction, technicalities and pricing
• Cultivate an in-home office that is distraction-free
• Ensure reliable travel for regular face-to-face touch points
• Organization and follow through
• Personal Effectiveness/Credibility
• Ability to generate leads, forecast sales cycle, anticipate problems, and create effective solutions, with an aspiration to meet and exceed sales goals
• In depth learning & career advancement

Education/Experience:

• High school diploma or GED.
• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business education or related field preferred
• Industry Experience preferred
• Experience in an administrative support role for at least 2 years.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Prolonged periods of sitting, standing, bending, lifting, kneeling walking and driving will all occur on a regular basis. Must be able to lift 15-30 pounds.

The physical demands that are described as required are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job.

JOIN THE BEST TEAM IN SPORT & SPIRIT

At Varsity Brands, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to succeed and every educator wants to make a difference. It takes a team to make a real impact, and through our two divisions – BSN SPORTS and Varsity Spirit – and our network of 6,000+ employees and independent representatives, we are proud to partner with a wide range of educational institutions and club and professional sports to transform the student journey in SPORT and SPIRIT.

OUR VALUES

Service - We lead with heart. We champion community.

Passion - We love what we do. It fuels our purpose.

Integrity - We do what we promise. We own our actions and decisions.

Respect - We earn it by giving it. Because everyone deserves it.

Innovation - We never stop striving to be better. For ourselves and our community.

Transparency - We are committed to openness and honesty in everything we do.

Our Benefits

We are committed to putting you and your families first. For benefits eligible roles, we offer a variety of choices and costs as well as program enhancements that align with our responsibility to elevate the employee experience. Some of our offerings include:

• Comprehensive Health Care Benefits
• HSA Employer Contribution/ FSA Opportunities
• Wellbeing Program
• 401(k) plan with company matching
• Company paid Life, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability
• Generous My Time Off & Paid Holidays
• Varsity Brands Ownership Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Access to Financial Coaching and member-owned Credit Union
• St. Jude Partnership & Volunteer Opportunities
• Employee Perks including discounts on personal apparel and equipment!

Varsity Brands companies are equal opportunity employers. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran’s status, age or disability.