The 1800 Flowers Gourmet Food brand division, consisting of iconic brands, such as Harry & David, Cheryl's Cookies, Wolferman's Bakery, The Popcorn Factory, Vital Choice, 1 800 Baskets, Simply Chocolate and our newest addition, Scharffen Berger Chocolates, is seeking a dynamic and results-driven Senior Director of Sales and Operations to lead our Corporate Gifting Team. This role is pivotal in driving the success of our corporate gifting division by overseeing the sales, data entry, and customer service teams. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with a proven track record in sales leadership, operational excellence, and lead generation.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership & Team Management:
- Lead, mentor, and inspire the sales, data entry, and customer service teams to achieve and exceed performance goals.
- Foster a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
- Understand and manage seasonal hiring needs for peak Holiday activity.
- Collaborate across the Enterprise with other sales teams to foster and build a collaborative go-to-market strategy
Sales Strategy & Execution:
- Develop and implement sales strategies to drive revenue growth in the corporate gifting sector (including outreach programs, CRM touch points, identifying conventions/conference presence, etc)
- Proactively generate and nurture new leads to expand the client base.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key corporate clients and middle market retained customers.
Operational Excellence:
- Streamline and optimize processes across data entry and customer service teams to ensure efficiency and accuracy.
- Monitor and analyze operational metrics to identify areas for improvement.
Customer Experience:
- Ensure exceptional customer service standards are met and exceeded.
- Address and resolve escalated customer concerns promptly and effectively.
- Proactively communicate, and visit, our key customers to better understand their gifting needs
Collaboration & Reporting:
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including marketing and product development, to align strategies and achieve business objectives.
- Prepare and present regular performance reports to senior leadership.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, or a related field (MBA preferred).
- 10+ years of experience in sales and operations leadership, preferably in the corporate gifting or retail industry.
- Proven ability to scale complex accounts, generate and close new business opportunities.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Assume 10%-20% travel
- Proficiency in CRM software (Salesforce, MS Dynamics) and data analysis tools.
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