This position is no longer open, but you are welcome to submit your information so that we have it on hand for future similar positions. Also, if you haven't already, please be sure to set up a notifier so you will be alerted when there are new positions that meet your criteria.

Opportunity Snapshot

You've got the experience under your belt that shows you are a strong sales person -- this is your opportunity to bring your talent to a creative, team-oriented environment where you will be representing a product you can feel good about.

At Teacher Created Materials (TCM) you will represent educational products designed to help children reach their potential in classrooms. Everyone on our team takes pride in knowing that our products make a real difference in the lives of teachers and children across the country. Plus, TCM publishes arguably the best educational products in the industry, and we enjoy strong name recognition and are in high demand by our clients: school districts.

As our Inside Sales Representative, you will join an inside sales team in our Huntington Beach headquarters. Your mission will be to develop and manage an assigned territory by: 1) identifying funding sources; and 2) building relationships with key decision-makers to drive revenue, profit and customer satisfaction.

Your Rewards

TCM is a growing company -- education continues to be one of the few "bright spots" in the current economic downturn -- and our supportive culture coupled with our growth provides for rewarding career opportunities for star performers. Other benefits include:

• Supportive sales environment -- while you will "own" your territory, you will receive plenty of support from your peers and the field sales team in our collaborative environment. We also have a sales support department for administrative support. Quick question for you - click here
  
  

  Sales: inside

  Within the last 5 years, what role did Sales: inside play in your job: Major component of my job all or most of the timeMajor component of my job occasionallyModerate component of my job all or most of the timeModerate component of my job occasionallyMinor component of my job all or most of the timeMinor component of my job occasionallyFormerly a major component of my jobFormerly a minor component of my jobFamiliarity, but never a component of my jobNo real familiarity Comment:

  (Your answer will automatically be saved when you submit your information on the right)
   
  
  
• Excellent compensation -- you will enjoy a solid base compensation, a comprehensive benefits package, and commissions based on your win rate.
• Untapped potential -- you will be taking over a territory with plenty of untapped potential; it just needs some creativity and determination to take it to a new level! Quick question for you - click here
  
  

  Sales: new business development, cold calling

  Within the last 5 years, what role did Sales: new business development, cold calling play in your job: Major component of my job all or most of the timeMajor component of my job occasionallyModerate component of my job all or most of the timeModerate component of my job occasionallyMinor component of my job all or most of the timeMinor component of my job occasionallyFormerly a major component of my jobFormerly a minor component of my jobFamiliarity, but never a component of my jobNo real familiarity Comment:

  (Your answer will automatically be saved when you submit your information on the right)
   
  
  
• Great company culture -- you'll join a creative and growing company that takes a positive, upbeat, team-oriented approach. Our President is committed to doing the right thing for our customers and we foster a non-political, casual environment that is extremely responsive to our teachers' and students' changing needs.
• No travel -- this is a 100% inside sales role and offers a nice change of pace for road warriors.

Our Requirements

Our most successful sales professionals not only have strong sales skills, but they also develop a solid understanding of the market, know how to communicate effectively with educators, and bring persistence and drive. In addition:

• A bachelor's degree is strongly preferred; however, we also will consider candidates with an equivalent combination of education and experience.Quick question for you - click here
  
  

  OPTIONAL: If you don't have inside sales experience, but have education industry experience, please tell us about your unique skillset and interest in pursuing a career in sales:

  (Your answer will automatically be saved when you submit your information on the right)
   
• Two to five years of consultative sales experience; we also will consider someone with industry experience and the right attitude who wants to transition out of the classroom and into sales.
• The agility and responsiveness to manage short-term sales, and the commitment and perseverance to successfully work through long-term sales cycles.
• A collaborative approach to working with other departments to achieve common goals.
• A demonstrated success in making cold calls and being able to effectively navigate an organization to talk with decision makers.
• Proven track record of being able to make high call volumes when needed, along with the ability to show substantial pipeline growth.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to make engaging and compelling presentations over the phone, and to build relationships.
• A demonstrated proactive work ethic, including the ability to prioritize and to achieve goals independently.
• Proficiency in MS Office suite.

Preferred but not required:

• Familiarity with the education industry.
• Some knowledge of Salesforce.com or similar contact-management software.Quick question for you - click here
  
  

  Salesforce.com or similar contact-management software

  Within the last 5 years, what role did Salesforce.com or similar contact-management software play in your job: Major component of my job all or most of the timeMajor component of my job occasionallyModerate component of my job all or most of the timeModerate component of my job occasionallyMinor component of my job all or most of the timeMinor component of my job occasionallyFormerly a major component of my jobFormerly a minor component of my jobFamiliarity, but never a component of my jobNo real familiarity Comment:

  (Your answer will automatically be saved when you submit your information on the right)
   
• Use of WebEx for doing online demos.
• Professional sales training.

More About Your Role

As you come on board, you'll focus on gaining product knowledge and coming up with a strategic plan for penetrating your territory, based on funding research.

Almost the first thing you will learn at TCM is that you can't learn everything. You will be representing a very sophisticated product line to a sophisticated client, and our product development department is continually introducing new, even more dynamic products. Instead, you'll view yourself as an "educated tour guide" for our myriad offerings, and become skilled at differentiating our products from others competing for the same budgets.

While some sales cycles are shorter, your key challenges will revolve around an extended sales cycle that can range from six to nine months; you'll have the tenacity and patience to bear with this longer sales cycle and drive win-win partnerships. You'll also need to be resourceful to figure out key funding sources and decision-makers to maximize your sales efforts. We'll provide plenty of information and hands-on support to help you in this effort.

Specifically, your responsibilities will be to:

• Develop a strategic plan for your territory, working with your manager to identify where best to focus your most valuable resource: your time.
• Gather the understanding of your districts' pressing educational challenges, and show how our products can solve their pain points.
• Lead compelling, engaging phone calls with key decision makers in order to build relationships and gain their support and commitment to various initiatives/programs.
• Coordinate among both internal and external customers, including solving issues that arise during execution in order to eliminate barriers.
• Develop customer call strategies to interact with gatekeepers and influencers of decision makers.
• Identify opportunities consistent with the objectives, priorities and strategies of assigned customers through discovery in order to prioritize potential focus area(s).
• Review with the customer how the recommended solutions are linked to the customer's needs to highlight Teacher Created Materials' commitment to providing relevant solutions.

Keys to Success

Success in our industry is built on solid, trust-based relationships, and your ability to build a rapport with the school districts will be your strongest asset. Other facets of success in this role include:

• Patience and perseverance -- you know that before you can build the relationship, you have to get through to the right contact. You'll need to be comfortable making dozens of cold calls a day in order to reach your contacts (who are often in the classroom, teaching); however, once you've made that critical first connection, you'll find these educators responsive and receptive to our products.
• Creativity -- sometimes it takes an "out of the box" idea to connect with a busy contact. We'll value the fresh ideas you bring to the table, and you'll have the benefit of hearing from your peers and the field sales team about what's working, and what isn't.
• Organized, structured approach -- our star performers (and highest earners) forecast and track their prospects and sales dollars meticulously, and at any given time know exactly where they are and what they need to do in order to meet their goals.
• Understanding and embracing our complete product portfolio -- knowing our products inside and out -- and learning about each new one that we introduce -- will ensure that you provide the most complete solution to your clients' evolving needs.

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

More About the Company

Teacher Created Materials is a publishing company, and everything we do comes from teachers and is created just for them. Our mission is to publish quality-research based, educational books and materials in all curricular areas for teachers and students at all grade and skill levels. TCM provides a broad spectrum of both quality resources and professional teacher training. While remaining grounded in sound educational practice, we maintain an educational vision and an open ear to educators and their changing needs.

When Teacher Created Materials was founded in 1977, it was started by two classroom teachers looking to share their ideas and passion with their colleagues. The seeds they planted have blossomed into the vibrant and dynamic publishing company we know today. Privately and family owned since its conception, TCM is still run by teachers for teachers, and that will never change.

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

---

Send a supplemental note directly to the recruiter for this position.