Sales and Customer Service Specialist

Highwood USA is an entrepreneurial manufacturer serving the outdoor/backyard living markets with unique synthetic wood products.  The company has grown each year and continues to increase both its revenues and workforce.

Position Summary:  

A successful Sales and Customer Service Specialist enjoys the challenges of combining outstanding customer care with strategic sales by being an expert on our product offering, competition, pricing (competitive and industry), and value proposition.  The ideal candidate is highly motivated, impeccably organized, detailed oriented, and can excel in a fast-paced, team-based environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities included but not limited to the following:

• Follow up immediately on incoming leads from our website and other sources.

• Provide prospects with solutions that meet their needs based on providing suitable product applications and options.

• Provide samples, catalogs and other materials and information needed to facilitate the sale.

• Use sales experience and product knowledge to up-sell the customer appropriately.

• Use the refined scope of the customers’ needs to develop quotes, leads times, product availability and other details as needed.

• Proactively call existing and former customers to stay top of mind and uncover additional opportunities to build relationships and provide outdoor furniture solutions as appropriate.

• Maintain customer records and associated information in ERP system, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

• Maintain, track and monitor prospect and customer sales data within our CRM.

• Ensure the timely and accurate processing of sales orders. Collaborate with our operations team to ensure orders are placed in the production schedule to meet our customers’ expectations.

• Maintain effective communications with our customers related to shipments, pricing, order status and related information.

• Manage orders and customer satisfaction from point to point. Make changes to orders, initiate orders for replacements parts, proofing and correcting errors, monitor freight tracking etc.

• Field and resolve customer complaints, ensuring customers are satisfied. Collaborate with internal teams to drive awareness and solutions to avoid future issues.

• Prepare and send invoices to customers. Work with finance team to follow up on payments as needed.

• Provide Sales Data, Reporting as needed

• Aid in Competitive Market Research

• Complete any additional tasks or responsibilities assigned

Essential Functions    

• Strong sales skills, impeccable relationship skills and can create win/win environments for all parties

• Able to handle irate customers in a professional manner

• Strong decision-making skills and the ability to sustain multiple sales tasks simultaneously

• Passionate about engaging customers and soliciting feedback

• Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.  Effectively interact in a team environment with senior leadership, their peer group, and the ability to relate and understand situations from various customers’ perspectives

• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with customers, and coworkers.

• Have strong written and oral communication skills

• Able to provide a dynamic customer experience in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities

• Excellent project management and organization skills including ability to manage multiple, changing priorities in a team-oriented manufacturing environment

• Committed to making positive change, but remaining flexible and able to adapt to company growth and evolving responsibilities

• Strong written and oral communication skills with both internal and external customers

• Demonstrated people skills and ability to foster collaboration, accountability, and customer-centricity

• Capable of developing working relationships with a wide range of people

• Able to work within a team environment as well as independently

• Interested in company results

• Treat everyone with respect

• Willing and able to travel

• Commitment to working safely

• Willingness and ability to travel

• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily as well as the ability to handle situations by working as a team.

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience                                                   

Minimum requirement is an Associate degree (AA) or equivalent from a technical school in business or related field.  Additionally, a minimum of two years related experience in sales/customer service or equivalent combination of education and experience. Manufacturing experience a plus.

Language Skills                                                              

Able to comprehend and communicate in the English Language to perform the duties of this position.

Able comprehend instructions and general business material.  Able to write clear and concise business correspondence.  Able to clearly communicate with customers in person, via the telephone, and via e-mail and convey the intended meaning.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use his or her hands and fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Specific vision abilities required by this job include ability to accurately compare color and pattern of products to quality control standards. Frequent requirement for attention to detail; prolonged use of a computer terminal, telephones and other electronic equipment. The employee must be able to lift and /or move up to 50 pounds. 

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment (plant) is usually moderate to occasionally loud and PPE is required. Appropriate hearing protection while in the plant is required as noise levels within the facility meet OSHA requirements for hearing protection equipment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Inside Sales & Account Specialist typically work in an office environment although projects the may be involved with possibly will take them to non-standard workplaces.

Highwood provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by the law.   This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Highwood USA believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success. This job description is designed to outline the primary job scope, but it is our expectation that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our endeavors.

I acknowledge that I have read and understand the expectations and required skills as outlined in the above job description and confirm that I am capable of meeting all of the stated requirements.