Business Development Representative - Gastonia/ Shelby, NC

Opportunity Snapshot

In this role you will help pioneer a new vision for our organization, driving success on the leading edge of two initiatives that will propel us into the next decade: growing our online business and acquiring new customers. You'll leverage your creativity in partnering with customers to create custom online advertising solutions. These positions are referred to internally as "Hunters," and will be exclusively focused on acquiring new customers in our varied local markets.

You will prospect and sell to a huge untapped market of local businesses that traditionally focus their budgets on other advertising methods. To be a good fit for this opportunity you will have a high performance background in sales, whether you have one year of experience or five. We're looking for highly motivated, performance-oriented people who are accustomed to producing results. You'll need a demonstrated ability to carry out a high volume of cold calls, get through gatekeepers to decision makers, quickly match customer needs with our portfolio, and close the deal.

Freedom Interactive is a division of Freedom Communications, the nation's 12th largest media corporation headquartered in Irvine, CA. Freedom Interactive owns and operates web sites coast to coast, each offering up-to-the-minute breaking news stories, extensive local content, and trusted local news coverage on demand. The company's web sites are associated with various Freedom Communications media properties including over 100 newspapers and magazines, such as The Orange County Register in Orange County, CA, and The Gazette in Colorado Springs, CO, as well as eight leading broadcast television stations. What Else You'll Bring to the Table

The ideal candidate will be a savvy technology user and very familiar with the Internet. Experience selling advertising is highly preferred, although we will consider candidates who have been successful selling intangible, customized solutions in a short sales cycle. Experience selling online products is preferred but not required. In addition to the qualifications detailed above, you'll need: A track record of consistently meeting or exceeding goals in a high production sales environment.The ability to drive sales through networking and associations.Strong organizational skills and excellent follow through.A proven ability to be flexible and adaptable, including learning and applying new information quickly.Outstanding people skills and the ability to work with all position levels within sales and marketing.A professional demeanor and the ability to make effective, polished presentations to clients.What's in It for You


Support and autonomy -- a Regional Manager (to whom you will report) will help you develop a sales plan and set you up for success. In addition to one-on-one coaching, we'll host group conference calls so you can share insights and successes with your peers. At the same time, as long as you are achieving your goals, we'll give you the "elbow room" you need to be successful.

The best of both worlds -- you will enjoy the entrepreneurial energy of a new venture as well as the stability and resources of Freedom Communications, Inc, with revenues approaching $1 billion. We'll make sure you have the tools you need to succeed, such as SalesForce.com.

High impact -- in our dynamic and energetic sales program you'll channel your initiative, innovation, and competitive spirit to make an impact on our customers, our organization, and your own career.

Excellent compensation -- we offer a competitive base salary and generous incentive program, and we'll guarantee a minimum income for your first 90 days. In addition, our comprehensive benefits package includes medical and dental insurance, a 401(k) plan, a generous allotment of paid time off, and more. More About Your Role

We are building a nationwide team of Online Sales Consultants, including Regional Managers who will each oversee about five Consultants. In smaller markets we typically will have one Consultant and in larger markets two or even three. You can expect to spend a fair amount of time with your Regional Manager at first, although that will taper off as you gain momentum.

You will target market sectors with huge numbers of potential customers that typically do not advertise in our newspapers, but who are turning more and more (or should be) to online ads. This will include professionals and service providers such as attorneys, dentists, mortgage brokers, insurance agents, the entire spectrum of home service providers (electricians, plumbers, etc.), and others. While you will interact with sales teams at our newspapers, your focus will be on interactive, not print, ads. You'll offer solutions in three categories: Banner ads that may appear on the main site in your market as well as affiliated targeted sites; for example, a mortgage broker in Orange County, CA might place an ad on OCRegister.com as well as OCRrealEstateFinder.com. You also may procure video to run on banners.Search engine marketing solutions, including optimizing performance on organic searches and pay-per-click programs.Category sponsorships, such as sports, cooking, or home improvement.

This is a hunter role, no question about it. You will prospect and qualify leads, work your magic to get to the decision-makers, and probe for information. On the spot you'll match the customer's needs to our products, and then follow through to develop the proposal, close the deal, and finalize the details. The sales cycle tends to be short, generally taking only a few days. Just as important to in the process is the administrative aspect, such as reporting your activities, updating our databases, preparing work orders, and more. Keys to Success

As the media industry undergoes major changes, you will need to overcome some outdated thinking on the part of some customers. In many cases you will be targeting customers who have made a conscious decision NOT to invest in newspaper advertising, and you will need to make sure they understand you are offering something different. In addition, in order to be an outstanding Online Sales Consultant, you will: Possess strong initiative and self-motivation, and achieve your goals with minimal supervision.Bring a competitive spirit and goal orientation, including persistence in pursuing your objectives in spite of obstacles.Be confident and resilient in the face of challenges and disappointments.Maintain a high level of innovation and creativity and be willing to try new things and find new inspirations in unusual places.

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity for you, and you meet the minimum qualifications, we want to hear from you!

Freedom Communications is in the midst of an exciting period of growth and transformation. We continue to innovate by looking for new business opportunities through a mix of acquisitions and internal growth, developing our Interactive business, and pushing the envelope in online, on-air, and print media delivery.

IMPORTANT: HOW TO APPLY:

 We want you to be as selective as we are! For a detailed 'insider's view' of this position and to submit your resume online, please visit the following URL:

http://freedom.jobinfo.com/description.lasso?adid=15552

If the link does not work, simply copy the complete URL and paste it into your browser's address line.

 

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