Location:
Chicago, IL
Industry:
Manufacturing
Position Title:
Technical Sales Representative
Client Testimonial
“We had sent over a job description, and Amy was adamant that we take time for a longer intake. We finally said yes, and I’m glad we did. Amy took the time to really understand our business, and that made a huge difference in the search."
Challenge:
An advanced polymer manufacturer had grown successfully with the founder serving as the company’s primary salesperson.
The company developed highly durable polymer components designed to replace certain metal parts used in heavy industrial machinery and vehicles. In demanding applications, metal components could wear down from friction, vibration, moisture, chemicals, and continuous use.
The founder had been highly successful selling the product himself, and the company had reached the point where growth required a dedicated salesperson who could take over much of that responsibility.
The new representative needed enough technical curiosity to understand complex applications, enough credibility to work with engineers and maintenance teams, and enough commercial ability to build relationships the same way the founder had.
Solution:
We focused on candidates with experience selling technical products into heavy industrial environments.
The search included professionals from industrial components, bearings, seals, motion control, engineered plastics, specialty materials, machinery, maintenance products, and other categories where understanding the customer’s application was an important part of the sale.
Interviews focused heavily on technical discovery. We wanted to understand how candidates learned unfamiliar applications, asked questions about equipment performance, worked with engineers and operations teams, and translated technical problems into practical product recommendations.
The founder’s involvement was important throughout the process. The search required translating the instincts that had made him successful into a profile another salesperson could realistically replicate.
Outcome
- ▸ The company hired a dedicated technical salesperson who could begin taking over day-to-day sales responsibility from the founder while learning the product, applications, and customer relationships that had driven the company’s early growth.
