Key Account Manager Jobs in Illinois

This position is a minimum of 4 days in the office at our Lincolnshire, IL location with flexibility for remote work on Fridays.

Staples is business to business. You’re what binds us together.

Quill is a valuable part of the Staples family of brands. Since 1956, Quill has held its position as a leader in office supplies.

Acquired by Staples in 1998, Quill delivers the essential services, solutions, and award-winning customer support to help our customers – and our people – thrive. When you partner with Quill, as a customer or as an associate, every workday is more rewarding.

From paper, ink & toner, to technology and custom print, we deliver the right products at the right value, plus an unmatched assortment of over 900 instant rewards available with every order.

In this role, you will grow sales and profitability by driving purchases across all categories of products through developing relationships with Quill's largest, highly valued customer base. You will be responsible for the sales results of an assigned book of business within the national territory. Customers will be large, complex accounts. As a Key Account Manager, you are responsible for teaming with category experts where necessary to grow accounts and better serve our customers. This includes leveraging internal partners and specialists to help drive spend in all the categories that Quill has to offer.

What you’ll be doing:

• Responsible for sales results for an assigned book of accounts with large sales and potential.
• Acquire new business and grow sales as well as manage the current customer base.
• Map accounts and identify core and specialty category opportunities.
• Create and maintain a solid understanding of accounts, build strategic growth plans, and identify new growth opportunities.
• Utilize enablement tools regularly to keep customer data updated, manage a healthy pipeline, and advance opportunities.
• Leverage sales methodologies to retain and grow the customer base.
• Negotiate purchasing agreements with customers that potentially spend $2 million annually. Collaborate with finance throughout the process.
• Visit select customers nationally each year as well as customer conferences and trade shows.
• Interact with high-level decision makers and educate customers on Quill’s programs.
• Collaborate with sales operations manager on custom procurement platforms.
• Share sales expertise and lead sales strategy meetings and business reviews.
• Meet or exceed productivity metrics and goals.

What you bring to the table:

• Experience and proven track record of managing customer programs.
• Ability to interface at customer’s most senior levels.
• Strong ability to develop and deliver presentations.
• Consultative selling, solutions selling, insight selling, and negotiation skills.
• Strong business, finance, operations, and technology acumen.
• Ability to analyze customer data, business, and industry trends to create tailored solutions.
• Ability to function independently with minimal daily supervision.
• Track record of exceeding sales quotas.
• Experience with business-to-business sales processes.
• Creative and cognitive thinking ability.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adjust priorities based on activity

What’s needed- Basic Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED.
• 3+ years of prior experience in account management or business development.
• Availability to travel (up to 4x per year).

What’s needed- Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficient computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Prior experience working with large complex accounts.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.

We Offer:

• Hourly pay plus incentive opportunity, based on performance - variable bonus target of approximately $25,800 annually, if all goals and targets are successfully met
• Inclusive culture with associate-led Business Resource Groups.
• Flexible PTO (22 days) and Holiday Schedule (7 observed paid holidays).

• Online and Retail Discounts, Company Match 401(k), Physical and Mental Health Wellness programs, and more perks and benefits.

The salary range represents the expected compensation for this role at the time of posting. The specific base pay may be influenced by a variety of factors to include the candidate's experience, skill set, education, business considerations, geography, and internal equity. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements.