Sales Account Manager

Bühler Group; Plymouth (MN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Bühler Group is seeking a Key Account Manager in Plymouth, Minnesota to oversee strategically important client accounts. This role involves building and maintaining strong, long-term relationships with key accounts, ensuring their success by understanding their needs, and collaborating internally to offer suitable solutions.

The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in capital equipment sales, strong communication abilities, and the capacity to manage and grow accounts effectively. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with SAP are essential.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of proven success in capital equipment sales.
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to manage accounts.
• Ability to communicate effectively and present to high-level executives.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain long-term partnerships with key accounts.
• Identify upselling and cross-selling opportunities.
• Lead strategic account planning processes with key customers.

Skills

Customer relationship management

Sales skills

Negotiation skills

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

SAP

AutoCAD

Job description

Key Account Manager (KAM) - Overview

The key account manager (KAM) is responsible for handling Buhler's strategically important client accounts. This person must build and maintain long‑term, mutually beneficial partnerships with such key accounts. S/he will be the main point of contact for all key account matters and is required to understand the client's needs and collaborate with other internal functions and business units to ensure that clients succeed in achieving their business objectives. The KAM is also expected to bring in and sell the full applicable Buhler portfolio for new business opportunities for their key accounts by cross‑selling and/or upselling products and services.

Key Responsibilities

• Understand key customers' long‑term business goals, associated pain points and identify suitable upselling and cross‑selling opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a solid and trusting relationship with key accounts.
• Lead the implementation and solution development efforts that best address customer needs, while coordinating the involvement of all necessary company personnel.
• Build relationships with key decision makers at customer organization and understand the internal organizational dynamics of key customers.
• Be responsible for revenue, order booking and P&L of the client business and grow the business.
• Lead a joint strategic account planning process with key customers that develops mutual performance objectives, financial targets, and critical milestones.
• Cultivate consulting relationships with customers, form relationships at multiple levels to provide good service, develop future business opportunities, and gain referrals.
• Conduct comprehensive account reviews at least quarterly with key customers.
• Be responsible for the development and achievement of sales through the direct sales channel.
• Write business plans for all current and opportunity tender business.
• Act as the key interface between the customer and all relevant divisions.
• Manages and maintains assigned accounts and key accounts, fostering customer relationships.
• Develop and establish new accounts.
• Serve as customer contact, collecting information and negotiating contracts.
• Communicate and participate in solving problems related to customer orders or concerns.
• Collect market data (customer and competition) that shows business needs within the territory.
• Continuously refresh/ update product knowledge.
• Develop main business sales strategy for accounts.
• Manage sales budget.
• Work and interact with engineering, quoting and accounting personnel.
• Prepare quotes as needed.
• Prepare SOM report and maintain CRM database.
• Prepare SWOT analysis as needed for MTP and budget planning.
• Attend and participate in tradeshows, exhibitions, and industry associations.
• Participate in continuous sales training.
• Complete trip reports and expense reports.
• Travel to customer sites for in‑person meetings.
• Attend internal and external virtual meetings with customers or Buhler internal discussions.
• Manage miscellaneous projects and complete various tasks as needed.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in business or equivalent.
• 8+ years proven success in capital equipment sales; or a combination of education and experience.
• Microsoft Office required; AutoCAD, Project Wise, D3 preferred; enterprise software such as SAP preferred.
• Highly driven, with passion for excellence in customer service and customer management with a confident assertive style.
• Strong relationship building, sales and negotiating skills.
• Sufficient technical knowledge of products to be sold.
• Strong presentation skills, written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, ability to build interpersonal relationships; demonstrated experience presenting to groups of vice presidents, directors, managers, clients, customers and/or channel partners.
• Previous large account management and selling experience in complex decision‑making situations, with a successful track record and the ability to navigate across our company and the customer in a trusted advisory/consultative approach and to establish credibility quickly with senior‑level executives.
• Demonstrates leadership as an effective role model for the department in tasks both internal and external to the company.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and relationship building skills to effectively work with a variety of people and personalities; able to communicate clearly and effectively in person and in writing internally and externally.
• Must be able to work under pressure.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and make decisions independently, effectively, and creatively within established company guidelines.
• Understands confidential nature of organizational and employee information and observes confidentiality.
• Works as a proactive team player with an ownership approach to work; understands the importance of supporting the company, its members and their customers.
• Strong organizational skills and an ability to plan, prioritize, coordinate, delegate, and manage work simultaneously.
• Ability to identify, evaluate, problem‑solve, and give direction regarding problem resolutions for individual and company issues.
• Maintains discipline, recommending and administering corrective action according to company policy and procedures.
• Advanced MS Office skills: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Present information, analysis, and ideas in writing in a clear and concise manner; speak clearly so that others can hear and understand what is being said.
• Speaks and understands English.
• Domestic and international travel 60% of time (may include long hours and non‑traditional work schedules).