Sales Associate - Mid-South

Illinois Tool Works; Tennessee; On-site; USD 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Illinois Tool Works in Tennessee is seeking a Sales Associate to gain hands-on experience across distributor branches, industrial accounts, and regional sales, developing the ability to manage a territory, channel, or industrial segment with ownership and field execution.

You will collaborate with sales teams to drive product adoption, deliver product and program training, conduct onsite demonstrations, generate qualified leads, and maintain disciplined CRM activity as you prepare for future

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; technical, sales, or industrial background preferred.
• Experience in sales, customer-facing roles, or technical support in industrial/manufacturing environments preferred.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to travel overnight up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Support top distributor branches by managing merchandising programs expediting orders, resolving issues, quoting, and onboarding new reps
• Deliver and co-lead product and program training (consumables, equipment, and new product introductions), reinforcing ITW’s value proposition to inside and outside sellers
• Conduct onsite demonstrations, support new product introductions, and assist sales managers with troubleshooting and identifying equipment and consumable opportunities
• Partner with Channel and Industrial Sales Managers to execute strategic initiatives, grow underdeveloped accounts, and generate new business through prospecting and industry engagement
• Generate and qualify leads while maintaining disciplined pipeline management, CRM documentation, and activity reporting to drive opportunity progression and closed/won results
• Build critical professional skills including executive presence, storytelling, negotiation, and conflict resolution

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship-building

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Job Description:

The Opportunity

The Sales Associate role offers hands-on experience across distributor branches, industrial accounts, and regional sales, building the skills to manage a territory, channel, or industrial segment. Success comes from ownership, field execution, and collaboration with sales and internal teams to drive product adoption and solve customer problems using hands-on skills, while preparing for a future role as a Channel or Industrial Sales Manager.

What You’ll Do

• Support top distributor branches by managing merchandising programs expediting orders, resolving issues, quoting, and onboarding new reps
• Deliver and co-lead product and program training (consumables, equipment, and new product introductions), reinforcing ITW’s value proposition to inside and outside sellers
• Conduct onsite demonstrations, support new product introductions, and assist sales managers with troubleshooting and identifying equipment and consumable opportunities
• Partner with Channel and Industrial Sales Managers to execute strategic initiatives, grow underdeveloped accounts, and generate new business through prospecting and industry engagement
• Generate and qualify leads while maintaining disciplined pipeline management, CRM documentation, and activity reporting to drive opportunity progression and closed/won results
• Build critical professional skills including executive presence, storytelling, negotiation, and conflict resolution

What Success Looks Like

• Demonstrated readiness to contribute to managing a territory, distributor channel, or industrial segment in partnership with the broader team.
• Strong engagement and positive feedback from distributors, end users, and regional teammates.
• Consistent generation and progression of qualified sales opportunities.
• Successful execution of sales programs and initiatives, including new product introductions and merchandising adoption
• Growth in technical knowledge, selling capability, and professional presence.
• Accurate, disciplined CRM tracking and pipeline management.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; technical, sales, or industrial background preferred.
• Experience in sales, customer-facing roles, or technical support in industrial/manufacturing environments preferred.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a field-based, developmental role.
• Comfortable presenting technical and commercial content to distributor teams and end users.
• Eagerness to learn, develop professionally, and progress into a full sales leadership or specialized industrial role.
• Willingness and ability to travel overnight up to 50% of the time.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential.

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

ITW is an equal opportunity employer. We value our colleagues’ unique perspectives, experiences and ideas and create workplaces where everyone can develop their careers and perform to their full potential.

As an equal employment opportunity employer, ITW is committed to equal employment opportunity and fair treatment for employees, beginning with the hiring process and continuing through all aspects of the employment relationship.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.