Founding Sales Manager (Player-Coach) Zen Media

Optimum7; Tallahassee (FL); Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Zen Media and Optimum7 are seeking a Founding Sales Manager (Player-Coach) to lead and scale sales across both brands. This fully remote, EST-time role guides discovery, demos, negotiations and closing while building a high-performing team of closers and outbound SDRs.

You will shape messaging, manage pipeline, forecast revenue, and drive monthly retainers and upsells. Expect steady inbound leads, an established tech stack, and the opportunity to build the sales organization from the ground up.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of B2B sales experience, including at least 3 years in sales leadership.
• Experience hiring, training, coaching, and managing sales representatives.
• Strong expertise in outbound prospecting, consultative selling, negotiation, and pipeline development.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms, sales metrics, and forecasting.
• Ability to build scalable sales processes, playbooks, and performance standards.
• Strong analytic skills, commercial awareness and high-ownership mindset.

Responsibilities

• Own the full sales cycle from discovery to closing.
• Hire, train, and manage Sales Closers and outbound SDRs.
• Optimize messaging, follow-ups, pipeline management and forecasting.
• Own team revenue targets and drive retainers and upselling.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Account Management, GTM Engineering, and CEO.
• Track KPIs and report performance to leadership.

Skills

B2B sales leadership

Outbound prospecting

Negotiation

Sales forecasting

Sales strategy

CRM (Salesforce)

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Founding Sales Manager (Player-Coach)

Location: Florida, Remote (EST Time Zone) Company: Zen Media & Optimum7 Employment Type: Full-time

Zen Media is a B2B marketing and PR agency helping businesses grow through strategic content, media relations, and AI visibility. We help companies get cited when buyers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google's AI who to hire. Our clients range from B2B technology companies to local businesses, including law firms, cosmetic surgeons, and dental practices. This role supports both Zen Media and Optimum7, two growing brands focused on measurable business results. Our leadership team still handles most sales calls.

Responsibilities

• Hands-On Sales: Own the full sales cycle, from discovery and demos to negotiations and closing. Identify conversion bottlenecks and document what works.
• Team Building: Hire, train, and manage Sales Closers and outbound SDRs. Establish clear targets, coach through live calls, and manage performance.
• Sales Strategy: Optimize messaging, follow-ups, conversion rates, pipeline management, and forecasting across both brands.
• Revenue Growth: Own team revenue targets, convert initial projects into monthly retainers, and drive upselling and account expansion.
• Collaboration: Work with Marketing, Account Management, GTM Engineering, and the CEO to improve lead quality, sales execution, and revenue performance.
• Track KPIs, including show rates, close rates, sales cycle length, and revenue per representative, and provide regular performance updates to leadership.

Qualifications

7+ years of B2B sales experience, including at least 3 years in sales leadership.

• ~ Experience hiring, training, coaching, and managing sales representatives.
• ~ Strong expertise in outbound prospecting, consultative selling, negotiation, and pipeline development.
• ~ Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms, sales metrics, and forecasting.
• ~ Ability to build scalable sales processes, playbooks, and performance standards.
• ~ Strong analytic skills, commercial awareness and high-ownership mindset.
• ~ Agency, professional services, or technology sales experience is a plus.

Remote, full-time position aligned with U. Competitive base salary plus a performance-based bonus tied to team revenue.

Steady inbound lead flow and an established sales technology stack. The opportunity to build and shape the sales organization from the ground up.