Customer Service Sales

James L. Nelson

**** ***** **. #***, *********, OH. 45723

Telephone: 740-***-****

email: *********@*****.***

Career Summary

Extensive sales and management experience; adept in marketing, merchandising and organizational

analysis. Professional expertise includes leadership and training, human resource development, budgeting,

production, distribution, operations, sales, marketing and merchandising. Recognized for change initiatives,

strategic planning and performance.

Professional Experience

Ogden Newspapers 2003 - 2009

Parkersburg News and Sentinel Parkersburg, West Virginia

Director of Circulation

Responsible for the development of strategies, budgeting and implementation of day to day operations of circulation

division. Directed the execution of strategies by creating marketing plans, campaigns, and events and coordinating the

production of promotional materials. Management and training / personal development of sixteen full-time and ten

part-time employees. Supervision of an independent contractor distribution force and the divisions’ customer service

operation. Responsible for sales revenues of 3.0 million dollars and expense budget of 900K.

Reduced operation expenses from 1.1M to 800K over a four year period while maintaining revenues

Reorganized the departmental structure and implemented new policies increasing customer service

satisfaction levels, sales and marketing venues and reducing overall expenditures

Recognized for staff development/ sales growth and designated as a facilitator within the corporate district

sales manager semi-annual sales and marketing training program

United Dairy Farmers, Cincinnati, Ohio 2002 - 2003

Store Manager

Management of 20 hour convenience, dairy/ ice cream store with three full time, seven part-time employees and annual

retail and gasoline sales of $1.5 million

• Reduced quarterly inventory losses from $15,000 to $1,800

Thomson Newspapers / Gannet Newspapers 1997 - 2002

The Advocate Newark, Ohio

South Group Regional Director of Circulation 1998 - 2002

Responsible for daily operations of five circulation divisions, each consisting of up to ten full-time employees and

several part-time employees as well as 70 – 100 independent contractors. Directed the management of distribution,

customer service, accounts receivable and all retail / direct sales and marketing efforts. Prepared and implemented

annual sales and revenue budget(s) of 1.8 to 2.5 million dollars and appropriate expense budgets. Executed circulation

division policies and procedures plus staff developmental plans.

Reversed two year circulation loss trends and improved customer service ratios both daily and Sunday

Maintained year over year circulation growth and subsequent revenues and recognized as one of the

corporate top achievers in customer volume / readership gains both daily and Sunday

Implemented departmental procedures and policies and introduced new comprehensive division

training manual for all disciplines

The Middletown Journal Middletown, Ohio

Director of Circulation 1998 - 2000

Maintained circulation volumes through afternoon to morning edition conversion and implementation

of distribution facility operation with a year over year circulation sales performance increase

Served on corporate annual budget review team for the companies fifty-two daily newspapers

The Portsmouth Herald Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Director of Circulation 1997 - 1998

Increased daily year over year circulation 1.2% and Sunday y/y circulation by .95% while increasing

revenues 2.97%

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Knight-Ridder Newspapers, Inc. 1993 - 1997

The Post Tribune Gary, Indiana

Circulation Sales and Marketing Manager 1995 –

1997

Responsible for all sales programs including, but not limited to, direct, retail and mail campaigns. Development of

other multiple media campaigns including television, radio and outdoor advertising. Prepared strategic marketing plan;

developed and adapted organizational structure; directed developmental priorities of staffers, initiated marketing/sales

and service verification programs.

Conducted reorganization of the marketing division resulting in a 23% increase in direct sales

Planned, developed and implemented a conversion from an externally contracted telemarketing operation to

an in-house operation utilizing an eight station predictive-dialer system

Increased paid-at-point of kiosk and crew sale orders from zero to 35% of sales volumes

The Post Tribune Gary, Indiana

Home Delivery Manager 1993 –

1997

Managed all planning, budgeting and execution of home delivery activities. Responsible for the distribution, customer

service and field sales / marketing of daily product serving 81,000 Sunday households and the collection of over

$7 million in annual revenues. Management of twenty-two full and part-time staffers and responsible for over

200 independent contractors.

Streamlined and adjusted the organizational structure and developed performance standards for the home

delivery division resulting in a $180,000 annual reduction of expenses

Planned and implemented the conversion to multiple distribution center systems yielding improved

communication and improved supervision of contract distributor force, and resulting in an annual savings of

$62,000 in transportation expenses

Thomson Newspapers / Gannet Newspapers 1987 - 1993

The Advocate Newark, Ohio

Director of Circulation

Directed all home delivery and customer service activities; developed all sales and marketing programs; prepared

and implemented annual circulation revenue and expense budgets. Supervised a staff of eight full and part-time workers.

Increased combined circulation 11.9% and increased revenues 34% in five years

Launched an alternative delivery system with free distribution to 26,000 households

Developed a formal district sales manager training program utilized in the Eastern Division of Thomson

Newspapers

Harte-Hankes Newspapers 1984 - 1987

The AndersonIndependent-Mail Anderson, South Carolina

Assistant Circulation Director /Sales and Marketing 1985 - 1987

Circulation Manager 1984 - 1985

Knight-Ridder Newspapers, Inc. 1980 - 1984

The Lexington Herald-Leader Lexington, Kentucky

Zone Manager – City Zone 1982 - 1984

District Sales Manager – Retail Zone 1980 – 1982

Education and Professional Development

University of Kentucky

American Press Institute – Circulation Marketing Conference

American Press Institute – Circulation Executive Conference

Zenger Miller Leadership Training – Certified Facilitator

Xerox – Management Discussion Skills

President – Ohio Circulation Managers Association

Numerous professional workshops, courses and seminars in sales and marketing, customer service and general

management. Speaker and facilitator at professional and corporate seminars. Participant on corporate budgeting and

planning review teams for operational and budget analysis. Proficient with personal computers and related software such

as MSWord, Excel and PowerPoint.

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