Senior Business Development Specialist

Visual Comfort & Co.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work-Life Balance

Training & Development

Paid Time Off

Holidays

Competitive compensation

Auto allowance

Health benefits

Life insurance

401(k) retirement

Job summary

Visual Comfort & Co. in Chicago is seeking a results-driven sales professional to expand our residential builders, interior designers, architects, and contractors client base across lighting and systems products.

Reporting to the Regional Director of Sales, you will lead the full sales cycle, cultivate relationships, and exceed annual sales objectives through strategic prospecting, face-to-face calls, and effective solution development.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of sales experience in a consultative environment.
• 3+ years in custom home building products, interior design, luxury lighting.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Proven track record of cultivating relationships and achieving sales goals.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and changing priorities.
• Superior communication and presentation skills.
• Passion for design and construction markets.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills.
• Independent, proactive and self-motivated.
• Able to work independently and in teams; strong client service.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of the sales process and coordinate with marketing and operations.
• Conduct 16 face-to-face sales calls per week to target customers.
• Clearly communicate Visual Comfort’s value proposition to clients.
• Network with architects, builders and designers through trade associations.
• Retain and grow existing customers to ensure continued sales growth.
• Manage a priority-based schedule in the CRM for existing and target customers.
• Develop deep knowledge of Visual Comfort’s product offerings and service values.
• Analyze data to drive informed business decisions.

Skills

Sales experience

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Independent

Teamwork

Microsoft Office

Task management

Customer service

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM/ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Who we are:

Visual Comfort & Co. is the premier resource for decorative and architectural lighting, ceiling fans, system controls and automated shading solutions from the most influential designers in the world. We are proud to offer a market-leading range of premium products across categories, styles and price points, remaining committed to beautiful design and, above all, a world-class customer experience.

As our organization continues its global expansion, we are seeking driven professionals with a proven track record of delivering exceptional client service and consistently meeting sales objectives across both lighting and systems product categories. This position focuses on finding new customers and expanding relationships with current ones, driving major sales growth. Key targets include residential builders, interior designers, architects, home technology integrators, and electrical contractors. Reporting to the Regional Director of Sales, this role works within a team to support customer acquisition, growth, and retention.

Visual Comfort Offers:

• Work-Life Balance: This role meets customers primarily Monday through Friday
• Training & Development: A comprehensive and structured training program, complemented by ongoing education and opportunities for career advancement.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation accrual and paid time off policies.
• Holidays: 7 paid holidays per year, in addition to 2 floating holidays.
• Compensation: Competitive base plus monthly uncapped variable commission and quarterly bonus
• Auto Allowance: Tax-free, competitive auto allowance plus mileage reimbursement.
• Health Benefits: Visual Comfort covers the majority of employee medical premiums, and offers competitive vision and dental coverage available starting the first day of the month following your start date.
• Insurance: Company-provided life insurance and short-term disability coverage.
• Retirement: 401(k) plan with company matching up to 4%, available beginning the first of the month following your hire date.

How success is defined:

• Lead all aspects of the sales process, while leveraging other sales, marketing and operational resources to assist in solution development or implementation.
• Ability to access existing and new target customers; conducting 16 face-to-face sales calls per week
• Capable of clearly communicating Visual Comfort’s value proposition to positively influence customers
• Network with architects, builders and designers through involvement in trade associations
• Adept at managing existing customers to ensure retention and continued sales growth.
• Uses proprietary CRM to manage a priority-based schedule with existing and target customers
• Develop a strong knowledge of Visual Comfort’s product offering, service value propositions, and operating systems
• Capable of analyzing and interpreting data to drive decision making

What you will bring:

• 5+ years of sales experience in consultative sales environment
• 3+ years experience in custom home building products, interior design, luxury home furnishings and/or lighting industry required
• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) required
• Proven track record of cultivating relationships and achieving sales goals
• Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and changing priorities
• Superior communication, presentation and organization skills
• Passion for design and construction markets
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills
• Independent, proactive and self-motivated person who will offer exceptional service to our customers
• Ability to achieve results both independently and through others by fostering a spirit of teamwork and cooperation
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
• Experienced with CRM/ERP systems for client management and project tracking.
• Ability to understand and adapt to complex distribution channels
• Able to quickly develop rapport and credibility
• Consistently represents Visual Comfort’s brand values and commitment to service.

Compensation Range: $80,000 - $85,000 plus monthly uncapped variable compensation.

Compensation varies on individual factors, including skill set, relevant experience, and work location. Competitive base plus monthly uncapped variable commission

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