Account Director

Bethesda, MD, United States

Collage Group is seeking an Account Director to join our innovative and growing team in our mission to help organizations unleash the power of culture to drive brand growth. Are you an expert in consumer insights, market research and data analytics?  Do you have commercial experience driving retention and expansion for a SaaS platform in the consumer marketing space? This may be a great fit for you if you lead with an understanding of customer challenges and business issues (not product features), thrive on teaching prospective customers your unique perspective, and you're comfortable creating constructive tension and taking control of the sale.

LOCATION Prefer hybrid with 2 days / week in Bethesda, MD office (close to the Metro).  Will consider exceptional remote talent outside Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) area.  Up to 15-25% travel.

The role of Account Director will be responsible for establishing strong relationships and growing a portfolio of accounts consisting of some of the most iconic F500 consumer brands. Account Management is responsible for renewing up and cross-selling clients.  Account Directors develop deep understanding of customer challenges, market opportunities and organizational dynamics to orchestrate value delivery that drive commercial renewal, upsell and cross-sell.  This position sits at the center of Collage’s efforts to design and implement customized value plans for each client which fully leverage our cultural research & insights and SaaS data & analytics platform. Experience working with F1000 companies in the consumer insights, marketing or market research industry is strongly preferred. Work with Retail, Fashion & Apparel, or Alcohol Beverage brands a plus. Reporting to the VP, Customer Success, this is an individual-contributor, quota-carrying, commercial sales position.

At Collage, we are driven, curious people who love to learn, want to challenge the status quo and help to transform an industry, while helping humanity. You’ll find that our culture values diversity & inclusion and rewards entrepreneurial spirit and collaboration. We are looking for like-minded people who share our values and passion for success.

RESPONSIBILITIES (WHAT YOU WILL DO):

Achieve commercial targets for Gross Revenue Retention and Net Revenue Retention

Own commercial relationship with the accounts in your portfolio, working with our Customer Success team and Cultural Strategy Team to drive value to support renewal and expansion of our core research programs and data & analytics platform

Foster deep relationships with accounts as a trusted advisor and research partner by developing knowledge of their business priorities, core and growth customer segments, understanding of organizational dynamics and networking throughout insights, marketing and brand strategy

Drive expansion and account growth by identifying upsell and cross-sell opportunities that leverage the full range of Collage capabilities across research programs, data & analytics and consulting

Engage in sales dialogue, craft and deliver sales presentations and demos of our SaaS platform; and facilitate technical demos or calls with subject-matter-experts.

Take control of the sales process and artfully coach prospective customers to build consensus for Collage’s solutions in their organization. Assertive, but not aggressive, on everything from what you teach to negotiating price.

Partner closely with a Client Success Manager (CSM) to develop a Member Value Plan (MVP) and deliver the customer servicing strategy with each client, adapting appropriately to each client’s strategic objectives

Collaborate and coordinate with team members across Product, Research, Cultural Strategy, Sales, Customer Success and Custom Research to ensure client satisfaction and drive value that leads to commercial outcomes

Conduct and participate in regular strategic reviews with internal stakeholders to track progress,  share shifting client priorities, and develop action plans to drive value

Orchestrate the delivery of research, data and insight to clients one-on-one and in partnership with your CSM, the Research team and Cultural Strategy team

Continuously orchestrate solutions that drive value and gather value statements and stories from clients to aid in the renewal and to share best practices with team members

Understand and communicate research priorities and client feedback to the research and product teams to continuously improve products and services

Occasionally act as a representative of Collage Group at industry conferences and association meetings

Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of Collage Group’s buyer-personas, solution offerings, use cases, and research insight

Ensure accurate recording of client organization structure, strategic priorities, member value plans, meeting notes, and opportunities within Salesforce CRM and Customer Success systems

QUALIFICATIONS (WHAT YOU BRING TO COLLAGE):

Outstanding record of academic achievement; BA or BS degree required; Masters degree is a plus

Account Management Experience: Suggested minimum of 5+ years experience in account management, customer success, with full responsibility for commercial renewal and expansion, and a proven track record of delivering on account plans and achieving sales targets.

Industry Experience: Suggested minimum of 2+ years related work experience with consumer insights and data-focused organization or marketing-focused SaaS company

Consultative Sales Skills: Use business knowledge, your experience in the consumer insights industry, company training, and consultative selling skills to teach customers insight about their business and translate client requests into solutions linking back to Collage’s products and services

Exceptional Communication Skills: Ability to engage and communicate effectively with F1000 executives, and quickly establish rapport and credibility with clients

Client Success Ethic: Strong mindset of taking on client needs and desires as your own and advocating internally to leverage all resources in helping client’s be successful with their initiatives

Organizational Skills & Time Management: Outstanding process management skills and attention to detail.  Ability to prioritize time effectively to meet conflicting priorities and tight deadlines. Track record of successfully manage multiple clients simultaneously.

Enterprising Mindset: Willingness to work outside the strict job description parameters, acting as an entrepreneur, thinking creatively about solving problems. Must take initiative, follow-up and drive actions in order to meet challenging deadlines.

Strategic Thinker: Ability to contribute your own creative ideas to client and organizational challenges while working to a high standard established by the company.

Relationship Builder: Ability to influence others while maintaining strong relationships with both internal colleagues across functions and external clients

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