Director of Sales - Sporting Goods

"Some of my friends tell me that I have the best job in the world because I get to sell what I love: the best sport in the world. I’m living the dream, but it’s long hours and hard work. For every “yes,” I’ll get 50 prospects saying “no.” But it’s the single “yes” that gets me up every day. I’m a manager, a motivator and a mentor to my sales team. My clients are my partners; results data is always top of mind, and my reputation for delivering on what I promise is my life blood."

Salary Range:

$130,400 - $165,800

The Tip

If the most interesting thing about you is something you read in a textbook, you’re probably not a very interesting (or unique) person. Go live life and have stories to tell.

Priority Knowledge & Skills

Customer Relationship Management

Knowledge & ability to:

Apply principles of CRM
Manage a sales process
Compelling presentation & report writing
Develop & execute a distribution strategy
Leverage e-commerce
Develop & execute a merchandising strategy
Leverage co-operative marketing
Provide customer support
Develop & execute a pricing strategy

General Management

Knowledge & ability to:

Manage budgets
Manage projects
Negotiate contracts
Conduct competitive analysis
Conduct environmental scan
Leverage contextual knowledge
Analyze data & leverage business intelligence
Develop and manage forecasts
Manage business intelligence and analytics
Negotiate and manage contracts

Internal Supply Chain Management

Knowledge & ability to:

Collaborate with partners in product/service design
Manage inventory and warehousing
Manage order fulfillment
Manage transportation logistics
Design, establish and manage related contracts
Identify and develop strategic sourcing relationships
Establish strategic and tactical SCM plans and processes

Building Block Experiences

Education & Learning:

Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) with a minor in SCM
Diploma in finance via Coursera
Sales training from Mike Weinberg’s Sales Simplified course
Dale Carnegie relationship selling course

"I knew a university degree was integral to break into the business. Doing a minor in SCM helped me to understand some key financial principles that led me to a diploma in finance. In sales, I find I need to always push myself and my staff to learn something every day."

Employment Experiences:

Two sales internships for minor league teams
Customer service representative for a major league team
Account manager for a major league team
Director of sales & marketing for a minor league team
Director of sales for a major league team

"I found performance creates opportunities. The early stages were super hard work and I needed to persevere through rejection. I found most people didn’t have this driven resiliency, and because I did, I built a network and a reputation that have become my greatest assets."

Community Experiences:

Was in membership role for student club
Fundraising lead for local chapter of KidSport
Coach youth sports

"Volunteer activities introduced me to people outside of my industry and network. This created the ability to develop and expand my skills and give me proof I have them. My volunteer work has been an important foundation for building a sense of humility."

Contextual Experiences:

Have travelled to 18 countries

"Exposure to diverse cultures reinforced my humility because it showed me the world is big and what I know is so small."

Relationships:

Had a professional mentor in first job out of university
Play pickup hockey with people in my industry
Client networks and personal relationships

"Success in sales is about building strong relationships and networks. I recognize all relationships must be win-win. Sales can involve long hours (early mornings and late nights), so I need to have strong personal relationships who value this part of me."