- Salary
- $100k – $160k
- Location
- Le Sueur, MN
- Type
- Full-time
- Department
- Sales
- Seniority
- Entry
- Education
- Bachelor
- Source
- ApplicantPro
Description
The Position:
The Sales Associate is responsible for supporting sales growth and customer relationship management for plastic injection molding products and services. This role works closely with customers, engineering, tooling, production, and quality teams to identify opportunities, prepare quotations, and ensure successful project execution. The Sales Associate serves as a key point of contact for customers while promoting the company's injection molding and thermoforming capabilities, value-added services, and manufacturing solutions.
Key Responsibilities
- Generate leads and identify new business opportunities in target industries such as medical, automotive, consumer products, industrial equipment, electronics, and packaging.
- Capable of reviewing customer drawings, specifications, and product requirements.
- Coordinate with engineering and manufacturing teams to assess project feasibility and production costs.
- Follow up on quotations and convert opportunities into production orders.
- Maintain accurate customer records, sales activities, and forecasts within CRM systems.
- Assist with contract reviews, pricing negotiations, and customer agreements.
- Monitor market trends, customer needs, and competitor activities.
- Participate in trade shows, industry events, and networking opportunities.
Technical Responsibilities
- Understand plastic injection and thermoforming molding processes, tooling requirements, and manufacturing capabilities.
- Assist customers in selecting materials and molding solutions that meet performance and cost objectives.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to recommend cost-effective casting solutions.
- Evaluate casting feasibility, tooling requirements, and production capabilities.
Qualifications
Education & Education Experience
- Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, Marketing, or a related field preferred.
- Equivalent industry experience will be considered.
- 3-5 years of sales, customer service, account management, or manufacturing experience preferred.
- Experience in plastic injection molding, thermoforming, plastics manufacturing, tooling, or industrial sales is a plus.
Required Skills
- Strong interpersonal, relationship-building, and customer relationship management skills
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and negotiation skills
- Strong technical and consultative selling abilities
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and specifications
- Basic understanding of manufacturing processes and cost drivers
- Strong organizational, time-management, and multitasking skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
- Strong problem-solving skills with a customer-focused mindset
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Number of qualified leads generated
- Gross margin performance
- Sales revenue growth
- Quote-to-order conversion rate
- Customer retention and satisfaction
- On-time quote completion
- New customer acquisition
- Account growth and profitability
Preferred Industry Experience
- Plastic injection molding.
- Thermoforming
- Mold manufacturing and tooling.
- Plastic resins and materials.
- Contract manufacturing.