Sales Manager

Purple Squirrel Advisors; Plymouth (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Purple Squirrel Advisors is seeking a Sales Manager to lead and develop a regional sales team dedicated to supporting manufacturers in Michigan. You will be responsible for sales strategy, pipeline management, and team performance while helping clients identify ways to improve operations and drive growth.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and over two years of sales leadership experience in an industrial environment. Proficiency in CRM tools and strong communication skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of sales leadership experience in a relevant field.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations.
• Proficient in CRM systems, preferably Salesforce.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a regional sales team serving manufacturers.
• Manage performance against revenue goals and client targets.
• Collaborate with Marketing to support the sales process.

Skills

Sales leadership

Communication skills

CRM systems (Salesforce)

Team development

Understanding of manufacturing operations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in technical or business discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Reporting to the Vice President of Business Development, the Sales Manager will oversee sales strategy, pipeline management, business development, and team performance while helping manufacturers identify opportunities to improve operations, adopt new technologies, develop talent, and accelerate growth. The Sales Manager will serve as both a coach and a strategic partner, ensuring the team delivers consultative solutions that create measurable value for clients while supporting our client's long-term growth objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, coach, and develop a regional sales team serving manufacturers across assigned Michigan territories in both training and consulting sales.
• Manage performance against revenue goals, new client targets, and other core KPIs, ensuring accountability and follow-through.
• Help the team build strategic target lists across current and prospective manufacturing clients to deepen relationships and pursue new opportunities.
• Improve sales processes, support strategic planning, and connect field activity to organizational goals and market priorities.
• Conduct regular one‑on‑ones, team meetings, and performance discussions to reinforce priorities, remove obstacles, and maintain momentum.
• Join client‑facing activities, including ride‑alongs, joint meetings, assessments, and proposal strategy sessions, to strengthen sales effectiveness and assess team capability.
• Collaborate with Marketing and other internal teams to support the sales process.
• Partner with state and federal funding sources to secure customer training assistance.
• Oversee compliance with IACET standards for CEUs and SHRM‑related activities.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in technical or business discipline, such as business administration, operations management, or engineering.
• 2+ years of sales leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial services, technical consulting, or a similar environment.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and credibility with plant managers, operations leaders, and other technical decision‑makers.
• Experience with CRM systems, including pipeline management, reporting, and data quality oversight, ideally in Salesforce.
• Excellent communication skills, including leading meetings, delivering candid feedback, and representing the organization professionally with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to travel locally and regionally 50–75% of the time.