Sales Executive

Job Summary

Cogniance is changing the way early-stage companies turn great ideas into even greater products. The Cogniance model is quite simple:  when a company starts planning a new product or service, we help them get the product planned, built and deployed.  We scale up quickly, immediately adding resources to each stage of the process as needed:  prototyping, design, UI, engineering, test, and deployment.

We’re looking for a hard driving rising star with experience in the newest technologies, specifically Web 2.0 and Mobile, to build and scale the sales activities at Cogniance.  You have experience in high tech consulting and feel passionate about introducing the Cogniance model to companies in Silicon Valley and beyond, enlightening them about the many ways in which the Cogniance model is superior to the traditional costly, slow, and high-risk approach most startups still take. 

Working directly for the President, you will have the skill and inspiration to both closing deals immediately, as well as build the lasting foundation of a winning global sales organization. You are not afraid to think out of the box and find new ways of reaching our target group, like using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other Social Media Marketing tools.

Key Responsibilities

1.       Planning

• Responsible for providing an annual Sales Plan and quarterly updates, revisions and modifications to the Plan
• Responsible for the establishment of annual, quarterly, and monthly sales objectives in coordination with the Plan
• Responsible for coordinating the specific objectives of the Plan with all of the functional departments of Cogniance, most specifically with Service Delivery organization
• In coordination with the President, establishes both market and target client acquisition strategies for Cogniance
• Works with the president, the exec team and the board to build long term objectives and strategies for Cogniance

2.       Execution

• Owns the sales funnel, ensuring that enough leads are touched at the top and managed through each stage of the funnel to become deals and repeat customers
• Spends a significant portion of time in the field, developing and leveraging existing relationships through personal meetings, presentations, speaking engagements, business networking, telephone calls, personal emails, mailing campaigns, business forums, direct marketing, and/or other business or social outings.

• Identifies specific sales opportunities within existing and prospective clients.  Works with client's and Cogniance team to determine requirements and/or specifications, build client value proposition and shape the deal; using appropriate sales processes and tools, determine and recommend through the appropriate forums which opportunities to pursue and obtain funding and support.   Engages in activities focused at generating client awareness of Cogniance and/or demand for its services.
• Leads sales process; forms and leads the opportunity through the sales funnel, performing constant re-qualification of the opportunity while assuring adequate financial control of the spending. 
• Establishes and maintains qualified sales pipeline of a minimum of 2X annual sales target
• Manages the needs of Cogniance clients in order to meet company’s objectives
• Defines and manages monthly, quarterly and annual sales objectives for all of the sales personnel
• Expected to be knowledgeable of market and industry trends, competitors, and client strategies

3.       Reporting

• In coordination with the President, establishes key sales performance scorecard and metrics
• Owns weekly executive-level outreach meeting; reports on specific performance scorecard activities of the sales team

Compensation

• Competitive base salary
• Commissions and bonuses based on the achievement of the sales targets
• Significant stock options package

About Cogniance

Compared to the traditional model of staffing up and running a project internally, the Cogniance model offers considerably faster project start, much better value-for-money and much lower project and staffing risks. The most important parameter, however, is in the quality of the project or service we help our customers build.  Over the past years, Cogniance has built up an impeccable track record for helping customers build ground breaking, successful, leading-edge products.

Skills and Qualifications

• Experience selling high-tech consulting services, ideally consulting background
• Experience with Web 2.0 and Mobile technologies
• Experience working with / within Silicon Valley – type technology startups, including exposure to Venture Capitalists, startup founders, and funding processes
• Has developed and executed tactical sales plans including quotas and account objectives
• Nice to have:  experience managing both in-house, field sales personnel and account managers
• Strong Social Media marketing and outreach experience
• Highly organized with very effective time management skills
• Demonstrated CRM experience
• Strong negotiating skills
• Deep understanding of agile software development lifecycle
• Ability to guide others through complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, equally strong listening skills
• International expertise and perspective
• Team player