VP - Sales

The Vice President Sales will be responsible for the overall management and strategy of the sales and customer service organization for the Matthews Granite Division. This role is responsible for revenue growth as well as directing activity to ensure client satisfaction and profitability for the business. The sales force of the various companies has not been fully integrated yet. There are roughly 75 employees in the sales and customer service organization across all the divisions. The Vice President Sales will report to Roger Stonecipher, President, Matthews Granite. Roger reports to Steve Gackenbach, Group President of Matthews Memorialization division in Pittsburgh. The current head of Sales is Myra Woodall, who will be retiring at the end of 2023. Myra has over 30 years of experience leading the sales organization and has agreed to stay on board to ensure a smooth transition to the new leader. The new Vice President Sales should have a proven track record of leading large sales and customer service organizations, growing revenue, leading strategy development, developing people, systems, and infrastructure, managing by metrics, and integrating teams. Granite or memorialization experience is strongly desired.

• Develop and implement strategic sales plans to achieve company growth targets and objectives.

• Lead and manage the sales team, providing guidance, support, and coaching to maximize their performance.

• Establish sales goals and targets and monitor team progress to ensure they are achieved.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients and partners, identifying opportunities for new business and expansion.

• Collaborate with other departments, such as marketing and product development, to align sales strategies and ensure effective execution.

• Analyze market trends, competition, and customer needs to identify opportunities for growth and differentiation.

• Develop pricing strategies and negotiate contracts to maximize profitability while maintaining customer satisfaction.

• Monitor sales metrics and prepare regular reports for senior management, providing insights and recommendations for improvement.

• Stay updated with industry trends, best practices, and new technologies relevant to sales and incorporate them into the sales strategy.

Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and trade shows to promote brand awareness and establish strategic partnerships

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• Sales Expertise: Should have a deep understanding of the sales process, techniques, and best practices. Should be well-versed in various sales methodologies and have experience in closing deals themselves.

• Collaborative: There are many diverse stakeholders: the five separate granite units which have long-term, even multi-generation employees; the Granite leadership team; the 75-person sales organization; Matthews corporate / Matthews Memorialization leadership; roughly 3,000 customers that are mostly cemeteries, monument dealers, funeral homes, mortuaries, and civic organizations, including CEOs from large corporations; and the Elberton community which views Star, Everlasting, Eagle, and MGM as important. Listening, flexibility, not being heavy handed, and relationship building will be critical.

• Strategic Thinking: Should possess strategic thinking skills to develop and execute sales strategies that align with the overall business objectives. Need to be able to analyze market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions to drive revenue growth.

• Data Analysis: Need to be data-driven and have the ability to analyze sales data and metrics. They should be able to identify trends, assess performance, and make data-backed decisions to optimize sales strategies and drive results.

• Results Oriented: Possesses a bias to action with a practical sense. Has no problem rolling up sleeves and getting hands dirty when it's necessary.

• Culturally astute: The predominant number of workers are based in Elberton, GA. Virtually all these workers are from small towns in the neighboring area, if not Elberton. While the ideal candidate does not have to be from the southeast, an understanding and connection to this culture will be important.

• Managerial: Exemplary in managing, mentoring, delegating, and coaching a diverse and complex organization with many stakeholders. Should be able to inspire and motivate the team, set clear goals and expectations, and provide guidance and support. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential to build a cohesive and high-performing sales team.

• Adaptability: Needs to be adaptable and open to change as the sales landscape in dynamic. Should be comfortable with uncertainty, able to adjust strategies as needed, and encourage their team to embrace new approaches and technologies.

• Business Acumen: Should have a strong understanding of the business, including market dynamics, competition, and financial aspects. Needs the ability to align sales objectives with broader business goals and make strategic decisions that contribute to the organization's success.

• Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence is crucial for a sales leader to understand and manage their own emotions and empathize with others. This skill helps in building strong relationships, resolving conflicts, and effectively communicating with team members and clients.

* Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

• Minimum of 20 years work experience, progressing to a Sales leadership role managing an annual revenue stream of $50M -$250M and a staff of over 50. Track record of setting realistic, but aggressive sales goals and exceeding plan while adhering to budget. Track record of success in profitability growing the business.

• Experience in managing client relationships, both at the executive level and the local market level. Drive a sales and customer service organization focused on delighting customers and driving efficiency and process improvement. Ideally leading a field-based B2B sales group that successfully grew sales and acquired new customers, expanded into new geographic markets, and introduced new products through a value selling (not lowest price) approach.

• Both smaller and larger company experience. Although Matthews Granite operates mostly independent and needs to maintain an entrepreneurial / smaller company orientation, it will have resources and support from Matthews corporate to drive growth and build a world-class sales organization.

• Proven ability to develop high-level strategy. Then translate it into tactical execution plans and implement this across an organization.

• Involved in the consolidation of different organization groups, putting into place appropriate management systems and processes.

• Track record recruiting, retaining, and building teams and creating an engaged workforce.

• A Bachelor's degree is required, Master's degree preferred.