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Opportunity Snapshot

Do you have what it takes to grow our Ohio/Kentucky territory to its full potential? As Industrial Sales Representative, you'll tackle the planning, management, and growth of your account base, while also marketing to our end users, creating increased demand and developing a solid grasp of your market so that you can determine the most effective plan of attack.

If you have outside sales experience, outstanding organization and people skills, and a firm dedication to achieving your goals, this is your opportunity to show off your skills and reap the many benefits that come with developing and executing a successful sales strategy for a leader like Makita. Quick question for you - click here

What you'll bring to the table

• At least 3 years experience in outside sales
• Background in industrial sales
• Knowledge of all phases of construction
• Superior communication and people skills
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Strong computer skills, including the Microsoft Office Suite of programs
• Entrepreneurial spirit and dedicated work ethic
• Ability to do some overnight travel

Your territory will include Cincinnati and Columbus, OH and Louisville and Lexington, KY. You will need to base yourself in or near one of these cities. Quick question for you - click here

What's In It For You?

Growth opportunity -- with plenty of room for expansion within, this territory offers an excellent opportunity to leverage your experience and showcase your abilities to build it out, while also positioning yourself for a variety of managerial roles and ongoing growth within the organization.

Pride -- visit any construction site, and you're sure to encounter a variety of Makita tools. Our quality and performance has earned us a strongly respected reputation within the contractor community, which has persistently grown over the past 85 years and is certain to endure for many years to come as we continue to lead the industry with the introduction of high quality, innovative tools.

Personal autonomy & flexibility -- while you'll benefit from the support of management and your peers, you'll also enjoy the liberty to set your own routine and provide your territory with the services you deem appropriate for reaching your sales goals.

Excellent benefits -- in addition to a competitive base and commission compensation structure, we offer the use of a company car, expense reimbursement, and an excellent benefits package that includes medical/dental/vision/life insurance, company-matched 401K and profit sharing, vacation time, and tuition reimbursement.

Who We Are

What began over 85 years ago as a manufacturer of electric motors has become a well respected leader in the power tool industry, headquartered in La Mirada, California, with an advanced manufacturing facility in Buford, Georgia, 26 factory service centers nationwide, and an extensive distribution network. Now, nearly 50 years after the introduction of our first electric tool, Makita offers a selection of over 350 superior, innovative tools. We have built a strong reputation based on outstanding quality and service excellence and continue to set the standard for quality, reliability and performance.

Believing that the motor is the heart of any power tool, we take great pride in our motor expertise. We spare no expense in producing the most powerful, efficient and best performing motors available for each tool, carefully selecting only the best quality raw materials, employing the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world, and using the most stringent manufacturing processes and quality control in the industry. To make certain that our quality standards are upheld, constant testing is performed during machining and assembly processes, including a final run-test under power before leaving the factory to ensure optimum performance.

Our success not only comes from producing #1 quality tools, but also from our unparalleled service. Our Customer Service Representatives, extensive Sales Team, and Product Specialists are dedicated to delivering complete customer satisfaction for our end users as well as our three distribution channels (Industrial/Commercial, hardware stores, and big box home improvement centers).

Your Role

After some initial training with your District Manager, a basic power tool course at our Buford facility, and a series of sales calls with our existing Sales Representatives, you'll take the reins and represent the entire Makita line to the 400-500 industrial accounts (mostly tool and electrical houses) that currently make up your territory. Working from your home office (which we'll arm with a fax machine and other supplies), you'll report to the District Manager and determine your own action plan. Quick question for you - click here You will:

• Increase sales volume by developing and selling company programs;
• Schedule, organize, and attend meetings, demos, tradeshows, and other events within your territory;
• Innovate new ideas for increasing sales;
• Provide feedback to your Regional Sales Manager concerning the total market place, as well as any competitive activities taking place;
• Interface with multiple departments and branches within Makita and your account base; and
• Maintain an accurate paper trail of your plans and initiatives.

Another unique and exciting piece of this role involves a new focus on our end users. Once you've gotten a handle on your account base, you'll reallocate about on half of your time to this front, travelling to large construction companies and job sites in order to develop partnerships with the people who actually use our tools. By educating these professionals and encouraging them to make requests to their local dealers, you can effectively create demand for our products and indirectly convince your accounts to increase their inventories, further assisting your sales goals.

Keys to Success

By your sixth month in this role, we'll look to you to have already begun establishing strong working relationships with your accounts and end users, and to be consistently reaching -- or exceeding -- your monthly target numbers, which are very reasonable. To develop goodwill and sustain these relationships, you'll need to maintain a highly professional image, remain knowledgeable on our products, and possess these key characteristics:

Brand advocacy -- the energy and trust you exude as you promote Makita products will play a large part in product sales within your territory. This follows from the old saying that successful salespeople truly believe in what they sell; consequently, we've worked hard to build a brand and product with which you can be proudly associated.

Expert people skills -- to build solid relationships with the various purchasing agents, managers, and end users, you'll employ exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to (a) convey the benefits of our products, (b) exhibit that you are a reliable and trustworthy business partner, (c) gain a better understanding of your market and its needs, (d) push more product onto the shelves, and (e) help your accounts sell that product more effectively.

Constant creativity -- you'll take the time to really understand your market and come up with customized, innovative solutions to increase both your own sales and the turnover of Makita products in your dealers' stores.

Efficiency through organization -- you'll aim to stay ahead of the competition by planning months in advance, remaining informed of upcoming promotions, and always knowing what you're up against. Simultaneously, you'll be caring for 400-500 accounts at a time, regularly preparing written call reports and territory reports, and handling a vast amount of email, faxes, and calls. In order to effectively manage these competing priorities and maintain the paper trail you'll require along the way, you'll need to remain extremely organized and pay close attention to detail.

Assertiveness and dedication -- we're looking for someone who is driven to succeed and persistent enough to make that happen. With the freedom to develop your own plan of action, you'll need to prove your ability to operate well independently and make the most of your time, quickly dismissing failure and working full days, sometimes even weekends, to effectively reach your market and develop your territory into a well-oiled machine.

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity for you, and you meet the required qualifications, we look forward to hearing from you!

We are an equal opportunity employer. EOE M/F/D/V

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