Account Director – Cision US – Chicago, IL

Why Cision?

We are a powerhouse in the Public Relations software space with an over 100 year legacy. By investing in our brand and technologies, we are driving the change in our industry. We invest in our people through amazing training and management and by empowering you to drive your career.

Overview:

Responsible for the retention and profitable growth of revenue within assigned customer accounts. Serves as the focal point of client contact, marshaling other Cision resources (e.g., Product Specialists, sales leadership, executive management, billing, contracts, editorial, Customer Advocate Representatives, etc.) to ensure the client is well serviced and takes advantage of all appropriate products/solutions. Advises clients in the areas of message development, distribution, monitoring, and measurement. May be assigned specific account types (agencies vs. non-agencies, public vs. private), industries (entertainment & sports, government, etc.), or work across a variety of customer segments. Total of assigned accounts will be $2.5M to $5M in annualized revenue across the entire Cision service/product portfolio. 

Essential Functions:

• Analyzes customer assignment and develops a plan of action in conjunction with the Sales Director for how they will grow revenues and achieve their assigned quota through a mix of retention and expansion.
• Proactively and regularly calls on existing customers (at least quarterly) to monitor service/product usage, issues, opportunities, and competitive activity, ensuring a high rate of revenue retention (at least 85%) and product renewal.
• Builds strong and broad relationships with multiple points of contacts at each account (e.g., account executives, senior leadership, and support staff within agencies; investor relations; public relations; marketing; product management; the VP Sales; and the VP HR within non-agency accounts) based upon the ability to add value to their business.
• Expands existing business by positioning and selling the appropriate PRN product/service to address needs. Must sell across the full line of PRN products/services. Presents and sells structured payment deals when appropriate.
• Networks within local geography, account, or industry focus.
• Works collaboratively the New Business Director team to transition after a New Business Director secures a new account. Focus on retaining and expanding these new accounts.
• Onboard assigned new members that proactively reach out to the Member Service Center. Focus on retaining and expanding these new accounts.
• Fully satisfies the company’s and their manager’s expectations related to sales activity (e.g., calls per week, proposals per week, account reviews, etc.), behavior, reporting (sales activity, opportunity pipeline management, customer profiling, etc.), and administration.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree required
• At least three years of successful sales experience with demonstrated ability to exceed assigned quotas through retention and expansion and to meet sales activity and behavior expectations
• Proficient with sales force automation tools (ex. Siebel, Salesforce.com, Goldmine, etc.)
• Ability to travel to client sites daily, with the potential for 20% - 40% overnight travel
• Valid driver's license required
• Excellent networking, relationship building, communication, presentation, and persuasion skills
• Keen interest in business news
• Understanding of multimedia and social media

The Cision Story:

Cision is a leading global media intelligence company, serving the complete workflow of today’s communication professionals. Offering the industry’s most comprehensive PR, IR and social media software, rich analytics, content distribution, and influencer outreach, Cision enables clients to engage audiences, enhance campaigns and strengthen data-driven decision making. Cision solutions include PR Newswire, Gorkana, PRWeb, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and iContact brands. Headquartered in Chicago, Cision serves over 100,000 customers in 170 countries and 40 languages worldwide, and maintains offices in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Australia. For more information, visit www.cision.com or follow @Cision on Twitter.

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