Sales Support Specialist

Responsible for supporting the commercial organization, including the day-to-day activities for the rail customer base. Provides a reliable and available point of contact for customer support and sales assistance. Drives the expansion of relationships with existing customers by directing and supporting collaborative sales efforts working across the business to manage customer expectations and needs while keeping the sales goals and initiatives top of mind.

Pride in the quality and accuracy of work, with attention to detail, is critical in this role.  Familiarity with CRM systems, sales software, and basic technical skills are necessary to manage the sales data, generate reports, and support the sales team with tools. Clear and effective communication, both verbal and written, is essential for interacting with the sales team, customers, and other departments.  The ability to work independently and within a team structure is also important. 

This role reports to the AVP of Strategy and Support:

#PR

You Will Be

• Supporting renewal activities by proactively managing the renewal waterfall and understanding the expectations of the customers.
• Work across internal groups to provide inputs for pricing RFPs, lead, capture, and highlight our approach and solution, and update internal stakeholders on RFP progress and solutioning before submitting an on-time response to our customer.
• Continuous communication with internal and external stakeholders service and continuous improvement efforts.
• Provide direct, and clear, communication to internal and external stakeholders in both written and verbal communications.
• Thorough understanding of our business, profitability, and drive initiatives to grow business and improve profitability with customer base.
• Positioning our services and products with our clients to grow our value and the customer experience.
• Understanding the competitive landscape of our business by understanding competitor strategy and seeking feedback from customers.
• Prepare for, and lead, weekly customer cadences reviewing our business with the customer and the customer’s business, upcoming procurement events, and champion commercial items.
• Assisting in the completion of both RFP and CRM processes in support of the sales team in delivering on sales process and increasing sales effectiveness.
• Creating opportunities in the CRM for use by the Sales and Account Management team.
• Validating closed opportunities in the CRM to support the sales team’s reporting accuracy.
• Handling complex CRM issues and working collaboratively across the business to resolve them through the sales process.
• Working on special projects as needs arise.
• Assisting the Sales and Account Management team with any inquiries.
• Report writing within the CRM system.
• Investigating issues being raised to the Business Intelligence (BI) Team and raising issues that include steps to reproduce and assist the BI Team resolution for any issues.
• Working with the BI Team to establish new dashboards and reports.
• Day-to-day activities include, but are not limited to:

• Assuring annual escalators in contracts are provided prior to rate expiration
• Following contract negotiations, review contracts to assure terms and rates are captured before execution
• Address and resolve billing discrepancies
• Prepare internal presentations for leadership review for renewals and RFPs
• Prepare leadership for customer QBR events including presentation with updates on operations, key initiatives, and commercial items to be reviewed and discussed.
• Documentation of all interactions to assure understanding and clarity from all parties.
• Tracking key customers and internal takeaways or KPIs from meetings, action items, and conversations to assure follow-up and completion.

You Will Bring

• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent combinations of education and experience.
• Rail or Intermodal experience preferred.
• 5+ years previous sales experience with some experience in sales operations / sales support
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with stakeholders at all levels
• Meticulous with strong attention to detail
• Effective organizational and project management skills, with experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Microsoft Office and associated CRM (Salesforce) software - ability at intermediate level.
• Preferred experience with rail or other similar industry
• This is a hybrid position in Omaha, NE.  Travel requirements for this role are minimal (less than 25%).