Inside Sales Representative

Founded in 1925 and a leader in the production of Stainless Steels, Nickel Alloys and Titanium Long products, Valbruna is a private company with 2,700 employees and an annual output of approx. 250,000 tons of specialty steels. Production is primarily focused on Stainless Steels and Specialty Alloys, available in blooms and billets, ingots, round, square, flat, hexagonal and angle bars, wire rod, wire, reinforcement bars and threaded rods, with the expressed goal of satisfying the most sophisticated needs of the customer. To that end, Valbruna is constantly updating its production capabilities and experience.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

• Initiates, builds, and maintains customer relationships
• Compiles lists of prospective customers for use as sales leads, based on information from ad inquiries, trade shows, direct mail responses, card deck leads, aged leads, bingos, dealer resellers, business directories, Internet Web sites, and other sources.
• Handles inbound sales lead calls to convert calls into sales.
• Makes outbound lead follow up calls to potential and existing customers by telephone and e-mail to qualify leads and sell products and services.
• Overcomes technical and business objections of prospective customers.
• Determines the mark up for the material, in consideration of market conditions, competitor positions, market application, volume of order, packaging requirements, freight costs, and customer importance.
• Responsible for determining where to source customer orders.
• Determines whether to use floor-stock or mill production in consideration of factors such as: lead time expectations, product specifications and market applications. When production overlap exists between Italy and Fort Wayne mills, determines appropriate source based on these requirements.
• Responsible for determining customer delivery date in consideration of factors such as: level of stock in branch warehouses as well as the mills, specifications of the product, and logistics lead times.
• Responsible for investigating and recommending responses to customer complaints regarding material shipments and/or material claims. Recommendation may require mill review and/or negotiation with customer as well as consideration of the customer relationship.
• Responsible for determining if and how to respond to non-partner customer orders based on the following considerations: customer importance & relationship, quantity of available stock, lead time for replacement material, and current rate of sale to partner customers. At times, may decline a sales opportunity or offer a lesser quantity than customer initially wanted to purchase.
• Tracks stock levels.
• Coordinates customer training.
• Prepares reports on business transactions.
• Contract Management.
• Analyzes customer forecasts and develops stock and release programs for the benefit of the customer and Valbruna.
• Makes recommendations to Sales Manager on an effective and efficient program/contract to supply materials to the customer.
• Works with Outside Sales Representatives to keep account activities and literature up to date.
  

Required Skills/Abilities

• Strong interpersonal and communications skills. Able to effectively engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization; as well as the ability to negotiate with suppliers.
• Ability to analyze complex information and make sound decisions.
• Organizational skills and attention to detail are both critical for this position. Will be expected to complete assignments and tasks with both thoroughness and accuracy.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines and deal effectively with conflicting priorities.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a proactive approach.
• Ability to complete job responsibilities with minimal supervision.
• Ability to function effectively in a fast paced and, at times, stressful environment.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office.
  
  

Education And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in related field preferred.
• Three years of inside sales experience preferred.
• Metal industry experience preferred.