Sales Manager – Promotional Products & Branded Merchandise
Job description
Most companies claim to have the best people. We say to them, "Keep dreaming." Our people are second to none. They set us apart with their entrepreneurial spirit and ambition. They come to us from the likes of Amazon, Microsoft, Nordstrom, Starbucks and the sports world, bringing energy, bold ideas and a willingness to dive into the unfamiliar. It's our people that make BDA the top global Merchandise Agency to work for.
Work Location:
- Candidates are required to live within a commutable distance of one of the following BDA offices: Woodinville, WA, Dunwoody, GA; Round Rock, TX; Austin, TX; Troy, MI; or New York, NY Indianapolis, IN
- The role offers a flexible onsite schedule of 4 days per week in office, with one day from home
About the Role
SwagUp, a BDA company, is looking for an experienced Sales Manager who thrives on developing people, optimizing performance, and driving growth. In this role, you’ll lead a team of 8–10 seasoned Account Managers dedicated to securing new business from sales‑qualified leads while strategically expanding relationships within our existing customer base. You’ll manage the day‑to‑day operations of the team—fielding questions, coaching your Account Managers, monitoring individual and team performance, and ensuring consistent execution across all sales activities. You will also be responsible for conducting recurring 1:1 meetings, quarterly performance assessments, and supporting the continued professional growth of each team member. This role reports directly to the Director of Sales and is ideal for someone who is both a strong people leader and deeply knowledgeable in the branded merchandise industry.
What You’ll Do
Team Leadership & Development:
- Lead, coach, and motivate a team of 8–10 experienced Account Managers to achieve revenue, activity, and pipeline targets.
- Conduct weekly 1:1s, quarterly performance reviews, and ongoing professional development coaching.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for day‑to‑day questions, client scenarios, and operational roadblocks.
- Foster a collaborative, high‑performance environment that emphasizes accountability and continuous improvement.
- Conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and performance improvement processes (PIPs) as needed.
- Recruit, interview, and onboard top talent to strengthen the account team.
- Recognize team achievements and foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.
Sales Performance & Strategy:
- Achieve and exceed annual sales targets while maintaining healthy margins.
- Monitor individual and team KPIs; identify trends, skill gaps, and opportunities that inform coaching and team priorities.
- Partner with the Director of Sales on forecasting, sales strategy, and long‑term business planning.
- Ensure Account Managers are effectively managing pipelines, qualifying leads, and expanding revenue within existing customer relationships.
- Support strategic deals, client conversations, and complex opportunities when needed.
- Actively network through industry events, leadership forums, and client engagements to identify and develop new business opportunities.
- Maintain a “hunter” mentality, balancing new business development with growth of existing accounts.
Operational Excellence:
- Ensure consistent use of sales tools including Salesforce, Microsoft Suite, Gong, Apollo, Front, etc.
- Maintain team readiness and adherence to process standards, communication expectations, and CRM hygiene.
- Identify and implement improvements that enhance efficiency, customer experience, and team performance.
- Ensure data hygiene guideline compliance. Manage all opportunities, tasks, and key performance indicators to prescribed guidelines through insights from Salesforce
- CRM, promo and program performance analysis, and proactive recommendations.
- Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Merchandising, Supplier Services, Technology, Sales Ops, Operations, and other departments to deliver seamless client experiences.
- Leverage client feedback (NPS and VOC insights) to continuously improve service delivery and product offerings.
- Ensure compliance with company policies, procedures, and brand standards.
Who You Are
- At least 3-5 years diversified experience in sales and sales operations.
- Minimum 1–2 years of management experience, preferably leading sales or account management teams.
- Demonstrated success in driving account growth, increasing sales, and meeting revenue/margin goals.
- Strong financial acumen with the ability to analyze budgets, margins, and profitability.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, including with C-suite executives.
- Strong coaching, communication, and leadership skills with a focus on developing talent.
- Highly organized, data‑driven, and comfortable making decisions based on performance analytics.
- Proficient in Salesforce, Microsoft Suite, Gong, Front, Apollo, or similar sales‑enablement tools.
- Able to thrive in an environment that values collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Self-motivated, thrives in a startup-like environment, and is comfortable working with a lot of autonomy and control over their position, but is also comfortable collaborating and partnering cross-functionally with other teams.
We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position is $100,000 to $115,000 base plus commission. If you are hired at BDA, your compensation will be determined based on factors that may include geographic location, skills, education, and experience. In addition to these factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any offer. In the spirit of pay transparency, the range listed is the full base salary range for the role and hiring at the top of the range would not be typical, in order to allow for future salary growth. The range listed is just one component of BDA’s total compensation and rewards programs, which includes: robust PTO; vacation, a paid volunteer day, holidays and summer Fridays, Benefits; medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance, 401k; tuition reimbursement, mental health and financial wellness programs and professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement. Certain revenue-generating positions may be eligible for incentive compensation.
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BDA is more than a workplace - it’s a family. For more than four decades we’ve promoted a vibrant and welcoming culture that not only accepts but demands you to be different. The quirky, the bold, the creative and the unique make up the foundation of a company that the most iconic brands in the world look to help tell their story through the power of merchandise.
BDA Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
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