Sales Representative

As the world's largest university press, Oxford University Press combines global reach with a deep understanding of local audiences. We are committed to publishing serious non-fiction and partnering with authors whose authority, insight, and originality illuminate the issues that shape public discourse. If you share that passion, you may be an ideal fit for us.

With a presence in more than 50 countries and millions of customers worldwide, OUP publishes books that inform debate, illuminate the past, and help shape the future. An idea championed at OUP can have truly global impact.

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Advancing Knowledge and Learning

Job Purpose

Our Institutional Sales Representatives work directly with librarians in academic institutions and public libraries to represent Oxford University Press. They are responsible for managing established accounts and for opening new accounts in order to meet or exceed sales targets for the assigned territory. They protect existing sales opportunities and create opportunities for sustainable sales growth. This role is responsible for new sales, upselling, and cross-selling of online products and journal collections to academic institutions using a variety of professional sales techniques.

The top responsibilities for this role are as follows:

- Work with your manager, sales colleagues, and sales leadership to prioritize account outreach and renewal opportunities to deliver sales growth

- Execute the regional sales plan to ensure sales growth, both long and short-term, and protect existing sales revenue

- Manage renewal negotiations with existing customers

- Provide price quotations for new customers, or up-selling new products or services to existing customers

Typical Activities

The Institutional Sales Representative’s typical duties and responsibilities are listed below, but of course individuals in this position may, from time-to-time, be assigned other duties as appropriate.

- Analyze territory, both in terms of existing and new business, to allocate time expenditure, call frequency, and customer visits to maximize productivity to achieve or exceed individual sales targets. Contribute collaboratively as a team member to the department and Academic division’s objectives.

- Maintain customer contacts, opportunities, and account activity information in Salesforce as required.

- Analyze territory, both in terms of existing and new business, to allocate time expenditure, call and meeting frequency, in order to protect renewal business and achieve or exceed campaign goals for new business.

- Work with journals collection subscribers to renew collections annually.

- Continually update knowledge of online products and journals to improve selling skills and maximize sales

- Participate fully in sales campaigns and initiatives outlined in the annual fiscal sales calendar, including active participation in training and reflection.

- Increase incremental sales within region, territory, or sector by maximizing cross-selling and up-selling opportunities.

- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with customers while gaining an understanding of their organizations and needs.

- Represent OUP at library conferences, on customer visits, and during direct customer sales calls.

- Prepare written presentations, reports, and price quotations as required to promote or protect sales within assigned territory or at the request of Institutional Sales management.

- Provide timely assistance to customers when their account requires help. May seek support from other departments when necessary or answer questions directly when appropriate.

Who you are

Success in this role requires:

- Excellent communication, organization, attention to detail, and Microsoft Office skills

- Excellent presentation skills, including providing training / demonstrations to large groups of people

- Ability to organize, prioritize, and be a self-starter to meet deadlines and goals

- Experience using data to drive priorities and activities, and strong numeracy skills for the preparation of quotations

- Highly motivated to become a top-notch sales producer, demonstrating initiative, diligence, and willingness to learn what that requires

- Able and willing to spend up to 20% of time traveling to library conferences, sales meetings, and on-campus site visits as required or needed.

- Ability to work efficiently and effectively in a virtual environment

- Bachelor’s degree

Especially desirable is:

- Experience in publishing industry, especially in library sales, and knowledge of scholarly communications environment

- Familiarity with OUP’s academic publishing

Territory

This position fills a vacancy for the Southeastern United States, although territories are always subject to change.

Work location

The successful candidate would be a hybrid employee based in the Cary, NC office (2 days a week mandatory).

Compensation

Salary, commission, and bonus-eligible