Key Account Executive SLED (NC/SC)
Our world-class sales and sales support teams work directly with businesses of all sizes to offer products and services to meet our customers’ unique needs. We are committed to understanding our customers and use best-in-class sales tools and technology to find the best solutions. We’re constantly discovering new ways to reach our goals, taking time to develop our skills, and investing in our career growth, so we can enjoy lucrative opportunities and grow our careers both within and beyond sales.
As a Key Account Executive SLED at Staples, you’ll drive meaningful growth and profitability by connecting with large-scale clients in the government and education sectors. You’ll help shape the future of our business, using your expertise to build strong relationships and deliver tailored solutions that create lasting impact. This is a strategic selling position, expected to engage contacts remotely by phone, video, face to face, and utilizing digital tools. This role empowers you to collaborate, innovate, and lead, while you grow your career with a team committed to your development and success.
Work Location: This is a remote position with a regional focus. This position supports customers in North Carolina and South Carolina. While the role primarily supports working from home, the individual performing this role would live within or adjacent to this region.
What you’ll be doing
- Drive account growth and profitability for large customers by securing incremental and renewal commitments.
- Map and execute account growth strategies, leveraging prescribed sales tools to prioritize activities and document customer engagement.
- Collaborate with Outside Developers and category experts to penetrate accounts at site and end-user levels.
- Lead the Key Account selling team—including site development, CSM, sales engineers—to deliver on account growth plans.
- Engage with Economic Buying Influences (EBIs) and Technical Buying Influences (TBIs) to maximize sales opportunities across all product categories.
- Partner with Revenue Management to make discretionary pricing decisions and negotiate contracts.
- Analyze customer data and industry trends to create tailored solutions that align with customer vision and initiatives.
- Establish and maintain relationships with senior executives in customer organizations.
- Engage CSM for customer maintenance requests and ensure optimal customer experience.
- Integrate feedback from customers into sales approach and provide critical insights to leadership and support teams.
What you bring to the table
- Strong drive and desire to win, with an aversion to complacency.
- Resilience—viewing rejection as a learning opportunity and taking next-best actions.
- Ability to interface confidently with senior-level clients.
- Exceptional presentation and communication skills, both face-to-face and virtually.
- Advanced consultative selling, solutions selling, and negotiation skills.
- Ability to design strategic customer growth plans and collaborate with product category sales teams.
- Strong business, financial, operations, and technology acumen.
- Proven experience in managing programs or business development initiatives.
- Independent, self-motivated work style with minimal daily supervision.
- Adaptable to change and able to lead collaborative teams to deliver optimal customer solutions.
- Ability to analyze customer data, business and industry trends to create tailored solutions for customers based upon Staples value proposition
- Negotiating: Individual will oversee pricing negotiations for specific sales opportunities.
- Lead Team selling: Individual will be responsible for coordinating and executing account planning processes in conjunction with category experts and customer experience teams.
What’s needed- Basic Qualifications
- Minimum of 4+ years successful sales experience with government and education clients.
- Experience managing programs or business development.
- Solid knowledge of office supplies, including facility and breakroom, technology products, business furniture, print and promotional products.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office and other basic software tools.
What’s needed - Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Experience working with government and education cooperatives.
- Worked cross-functionally in a large, complex company.
- Prior account management and prospecting experience with Fortune 1000 accounts.
- Experience with business-to-business sales process.
- Prior responsibility to retain and grow accounts.
- Managed complex deal shaping from start to finish.
- Sold into large, complex deals involving multiple stakeholders.
We Offer
Inclusive culture with associate-led Business Resource Groups
Flexible PTO (22 days) and Holiday Schedule (7 observed paid holidays)
Online and Retail Discounts, Company Match 401(k), Physical and Mental Health Wellness programs, and more!
Base salary plus incentive opportunity