Sales Consultant – Architectural Acoustics

Ketchum & Walton Co.; Germantown (MD); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Healthcare

Bonus

Paid time off

401(k)

Job summary

Ketchum & Walton Co. is seeking a Sales Consultant (Architectural Acoustics) in Germantown, MD. The role drives results through proactive sales planning, market- segment focus, and strategic relationship management with key decision-makers.

You will lead with urgency, apply Sandler methods, and deliver compelling proposals while navigating fast-paced environments. Responsibilities include defining territory, forecasting, and budgeting, understanding acoustics applications, and coordinating with

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Proven ability to develop and execute sales plans across diverse market segments.
• Strong knowledge/willingness to learn industry products and applications, including technical drawing interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Documented Sales Plan (Sandler – Cookbook): define market segments and territory management, organize trade shows and events, forecast and budget annual sales volume, margins and product mix.
• Understand product applications for market segments and read architectural/mechanical drawings.
• Recognize client culture and roles of specifiers, influencers, and decision-makers; qualify customers to align with business goals.
• Build and maintain long-term client relationships; network with industry professionals to achieve ROI.
• Follow a proven sales process (Sandler) to prospect, qualify, present solutions, handle objections, negotiate, and close.
• Generate project-specific specifications and provide field guidance for installation and troubleshooting.
• Receive customer bid lists, coordinate with factories for quotes, compile proposals, and review scope with customers.
• Travel: 15-20%
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Sales planning

Relationship building

Negotiation

Communication

Prospecting

Project management

Education

High school diploma

Certifications in acoustics or sales

Tools

Microsoft Office

Bluebeam

Adobe

Job description

What we need:

The Sales Consultant (Architectural Acoustics) is results-driven and strategically aligned, requiring a proactive, competitive, and entrepreneurial-focused individual. It demands quick decision-making, innovation, and the ability to lead with confidence and urgency through change. Our ideal candidate is a self-motivated, goal-oriented leader who communicates effectively, adapts quickly, and thrives in a fast-paced environment. Enthusiasm, accountability, and high performance are key, with an emphasis on successful behaviors and process.

Key Responsibilities

• Documented Sales Plan (Sandler – Cookbook): Includes defining market segments such as Healthcare, Pharma, Industrial, Education, Government, Commercial, and Mission Critical. It covers territory management, organizing social events like trade shows, trade associations, lunch & learns, and personal entertainment. Sales activities including appointments, prospecting, site surveys, and entertainment are tracked diligently. The plan also requires accurate forecasting and budgeting of annual sales volume, margins, and product mix.
• Industry Knowledge: Involves understanding appropriate product applications for each market segment (e.g., Healthcare), familiarity with online search tools and media resources like trade journals and business periodicals, and awareness of competitors' products, pricing, lead times, and services. Additionally, it requires the ability to read and interpret architectural/mechanical drawings and commitment to continued personal development within the specialty area.
• Customer Knowledge: Entails recognizing behavioral characteristics and culture of clients (using tools like PI, or DISC), identifying and understanding the roles and influence of specifiers, influencers, and decision-makers, as well as understanding key performance drivers and success criteria by identifying and eliminating pain points. It also includes recognizing personal vulnerabilities within customer relationships and promptly mitigating risks, plus qualifying customers to ensure alignment with business goals.
• Relationship Skills: Focuses on building and maintaining long-term relationships, networking effectively with clients and industry professionals to achieve business goals and ROI, contributing productively in team environments, and continuously self-reflecting through customer feedback to improve service quality.
• Selling Skills: Centers on following a proven sales process (such as Sandler Sales Mastery) to improve results and shorten sales cycles. Key skills include prospecting and developing new business, setting meetings with clear upfront contracts, building rapport, employing strategic questioning to uncover customer needs, active listening and observation of verbal and non-verbal cues, presenting solutions that address those needs, using innovative sales tools (like manufacturer analytics, LCC, and multimedia presentations), matching solutions and pricing to ensure win‑win outcomes, providing well-written, detailed proposals, handling objections effectively, negotiating for positive results without selling on price alone, and securing customer commitment to proceed.
• Product Knowledge: Requires deep understanding of product features and benefits, proficient use of manufacturers’ sales tools, technical expertise to ensure correct application, ability to generate project‑or customer‑specific specifications, comprehensive knowledge of the filter, architectural industry and engineering principles, and capability to provide field guidance for installation and troubleshooting.
• Quoting: Involves receiving customer bid lists and organizing bids in a calendar, reviewing bid drawings and specifications to identify opportunities for represented products, coordinating with factories to obtain scopes and quotes, compiling proposals for bidding contractors, and following up with customers to assess potential low bidders and arrange scope reviews.
• Project Management: Includes verifying purchase orders against quotes, entering sales orders, setting up electronic job files, issuing material purchase orders, providing order status updates and expediting as needed, and managing project submittals documentation and closeout.
• Travel: 15‑20%
• Other duties as assigned

What you need:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Additional education or certifications in relevant fields are a plus.
• Proven ability to develop and execute sales plans across diverse market segments.
• Strong knowledge/willingness to learn industry products and applications, including technical drawing interpretation.
• A baseline understanding of acoustics (noise control, interior acoustics) is a plus.
• Excellent relationship-building skills with a deep understanding of customer needs and decision‑making processes.
• Proficient in a structured sales process (e.g., Sandler), with strong prospecting, qualifying, and closing abilities.
• Skilled negotiator with the ability to handle objections and secure customer commitments.
• Effective communicator, both written and verbal, with strong networking and teamwork capabilities. The ability to work and succeed as a team is paramount.
• Analytical mindset with experience managing bids, pricing, and competitive analysis.
• Detail‑oriented and organized in managing orders, documentation, and project turnover.
• Proficient in software including but not limited to: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams), Bluebeam, Adobe

Reports to: Director of SalesStatus: Full-Time, onsiteJob Class: ExemptAnnual Base Pay Range*: $75,000-$105,000*

Compensation Disclosure: The salary range provided reflects the expected compensation for this role at the time of posting. Placement within the range depends on several factors, including relevant experience, education, specialized skills, certifications, market conditions, and internal equity.

We are proud to be 100% employee‑owned (ESOP) and committed to investing in our people. Our team members enjoy an extensive benefits package, including:

• Annual contribution into ESOP account
• 100% employer‑paid healthcare premiums
• Biannual bonus opportunities
• Paid time off, holidays, and leaves
• 401(k) retirement plan
• And more!

Ketchum & Walton is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business need—regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

Please note: We are not engaging with recruiting agencies for this position and will not respond to agency inquiries

Position Location

• Germantown, Maryland