VP of Sales - Salesforce and App Solutions

PURPOSE
Ascend Technologies is seeking a VP of Sales to grow our Salesforce and App Solutions practice and drive the profitability of our business. This role is responsible for achieving annual sales bookings and revenue goals, as well as growing and developing a sales team. This includes the ownership of tools, processes, and strategy necessary for the growth of the business.
The VP of Sales role is responsible for setting the strategic direction for Salesforce sales and marketing initiatives, and supporting the development of new service offerings.
This role is also responsible for leading the efforts to build a pipeline of well-defined new business sales opportunities relating to Ascend’s Salesforce Line of Business solutions. Understanding how to network, engage and drive business from the Salesforce Ecosystem is a significant focus of this role.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The VP of Sales has these primary areas of responsibility:

1. Sales Leadership and Goal Attainment

• Hire and Train SAS Sales Team: Develop a pipeline of sales expertise in alignment with long-term business goals, and hire/train new sales team members who consistently achieve their sales goals.
• Deliver Coaching and Professional Development: Ensure SAS sales team is provided strong leadership, coaching, performance feedback, and well-defined career advancement plans. Monitor job performance through direct observation and provide necessary coaching and motivation to maximize employee contribution and organizational performance.
• Achieve Sales Quota: Meet and exceed sales quotas, while accurately forecasting and managing sales pipeline.
• Generate New Business: Actively pursue new business opportunities via community networking, marketing efforts, and referral generation, as well as cross-selling within existing accounts.
• Develop Salesforce Relationship: Develop and foster strong relationships with the channel partners to drive opportunities and maintain alignment during and post sales cycles. Lead effort to ensure maintenance or growth of our Partner Status.

2. Customer Success

• Execute Sales Process: Support the sales team in effectively highlighting Ascend’s key differentiators throughout the defined sales process, with the ability to deliver executive level presentations both remote and in the boardroom.
• Lead Contract Negotiations: Support sales team as executive escalation point for contract negotiations with clients and partners, working to ensure a successful and profitable partnership.
• Collaborate with Peers/Partners: Team with business partners (i.e. Director of Delivery/Operations, Marketing, Sales Engineering) to deliver an excellent employee and customer experience. Ensure all processes, procedures, training, content, and insights are focused to ensure we exceed customer expectations.
• Provide Account Management Escalation: Serve as an escalation point for client issues, and champion excellent customer relationships. Responsible for partnering with Leadership, PMs, SDMs, and AEs on issue resolution.

3. Strategic Planning

• Develop Annual Plans: Build sales and marketing annual strategic plan to include initiatives that increase new sales revenue, improve sales effectiveness, and enhance customer experience.
• Support Creation of Service Offering: Support leadership in creation and maintenance of service catalog and pricing tools, in strategic alignment with customer/market demands.
• Achieve Department KPIs: Track to targets and report results to EVP Salesforce and App Solutions to include bookings, revenue, gross profit, etc. Analyze and report on trends, data, and insights that proactively drive results and guide performance improvement initiatives.

As the VP of Sales:

• You have experience in our field - You've grown a Salesforce practice before. You have extensive experience in the Salesforce ecosystem and have successfully navigated the sales and partnership landscape.
• You have leadership experience - You’ve led and grown a team of successful sales people. You realize your team is your greatest strength and you support their career development and advancement.
• You understand the importance of strategic thinking - You have significant leadership experience setting the strategy for growing a Salesforce practice. You're a strategic thinker and you see the big picture.
• You understand the importance of Client Success - You are confident and articulate, with the ability to build rapport with clients and translate technical materials to non-technical stakeholders when needed.
• You’re accountable - Your success is measured by KPIs and target attainment, and you have the acumen to identify and mitigate inefficiencies and deficiencies that impact group performance.

PREFERRED SKILLS, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or equivalent years of professional experience in a relevant field
• 15+ years of Salesforce and/or B2B sales experience (technology services preferred)
• 7+ years of experience in sales management, preferably with a geographically dispersed team
• In-depth understanding of the Salesforce ecosystem with strong AVP/RVP relationships
• Experience defining marketing and sales strategies
• Experience managing time, people and costs as if it were your own business, avoiding unnecessary waste using resources economically
• Possesses superior organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects with shifting deadlines
• Demonstrate a solid understanding of legal terminology

At Ascend Technologies we firmly believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not only fundamental values but also powerful drivers of innovation, growth, and success. We are committed to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered.
CORE VALUES
We are seeking highly motivated individuals who have the willingness and ability to demonstrate Ascend core values:

• Committed to Client Success: Our actions and our words always align with the best interest of the client.
• One Team: We work collaboratively to overcome challenges with humility and respect and do what it takes to find innovative solutions.
• Integrity: We are unquestionably committed to doing the right thing even when it is hard.
• Accountability: We hold ourselves and each other accountable for keeping our commitments to our clients, our communities, and one another.
• Transparency: We create open lines of communication with each other and our clients, fostering relationships founded on candor and trust.

Starting Salary Expectations: $150,000 + commission structure