Sales Manager

Daniel R. Jeske ***.*****@*******.***

*** ******* ****** • Naperville, Il 60565 • 630-***-**** • linkedin.com/in/danjeske

PROFILE

Sales Management experience for large corporations, small & medium-sized companies plus start-ups. History of achieving sales and profit forecasts. Holds expertise in relationship-based selling plus understanding customer needs to develop and grow sales in B2B and B2C environments. Skilled coach and mentor. Strong negotiator able to satisfy customers while growing dollar profit. Excels at cross-functional leadership with all levels of customer and employer management. Achieves individual and team goals through a collaborative approach.

Sales and Profit Development Skills

Successful history of strong sales growth tied to relationship-based selling. Achieved sales and profit forecast 12 of last 14 years.

Leadership and Team Development Skills

Team leadership of independent and direct salespeople. Hired, trained, mentored, coached team of 150 associates plus 8 to 14 managers.

Goal Development and Execution Skills

Analytical skills to set priorities, determine needs and meet goals. Strong communication and influence skills to bring all departments of customer and company on-board. Successful national retail roll-outs for Walgreens, Safeway, Kroger, Fed-Ex Office, World Market and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Competent with many business software programs including SAP CRM and Cognos.

Selling Experience

Successful Account Manager in most retail channels including on-line, bookstore, specialty, grocery, mass, drug, and independents. Opened and executed contracts with over 100 regional and local chains including Sears, Whole Foods, Lund’s/Byerly’s, Sendik’s, Sunset, and Hy-Vee.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

JESKE SALES MANAGEMENT LLC, Naperville, IL 2017 - Present

Over 30 years of Sales Management experience in start-ups, privately owned companies and public corporations.

CEO

INC. 500 Company Founder affiliated with the SalesQB program. Pioneering Fractional Sales Management with systematic, repeatable plan to optimize Sales and Profits Goal. Strategic, consultative, disciplined approach to problem solving. Partner with small business owners to audit Sales & Marketing. Install Best Practices and drive aggressive Sales and Profit growth.

PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL LTD, MORTON GROVE, IL 2016 - 2017

Book and periodical publisher. PIL is a 50 year old, privately held publisher of books, stationery and magazines.

Creator of many brands including Consumer Guide, Brain Games and Collectible Auto.

Director of Sales

Report directly to owner and Publisher of Books, Stationery and Gifts. Responsible for Sales to National and Regional customers in all channels of distribution. $30 Million Net Sales (10 million units). Opened Wal-Mart.com, Jet.com and Bon-Ton; revamped Kohls.com. Coordinated Sales Team with Book and Magazine Editors plus Operations and Distribution Center management to ensure PIL's customer's needs for unique product and timely delivery.

PAPYRUS-RECYCLED GREETINGS, Chicago, IL 2009 – 2016

Specialty greeting card manufacturer of the PAPYRUS brand (high-styled, hand-made and imported) and RECYCLED brand (cutting edge humor on recycled paper), created through the purchase and merger of previously independent companies by American Greetings.

District Sales Manager

Report to Senior EVP of Sales and manage team of over 150 people including eight direct reports. Accountable for sales forecast achievement for 11 Midwest states (1,200 retail and wholesale accounts). Sales $14 Million in 2016 (over 7 million units).

American Greetings purchased and merged Recycled and Papyrus into their Carlton Division forming one organization. All personnel from the three organizations interviewed for placement in the new organization (1/3 the positions of total). Retained the Midwest Region with similar responsibilities to the Recycled position. Formed and trained new team comprised from the three previous organizations and added responsibility for three additional selling brands.

Achieved sales and profit forecast in six of seven years. Midwest Team won 2015 New Business Sales contest and achieved largest sales increase (+11.7%).

Successfully negotiated over 100 contracts. Most were five years in length plus six figure annual commitments between the company and customer. Largest over $2 million per year.

Coached and mentored three managers on team to promotions with larger responsibilities.

Successfully rolled out Bed Bath & Beyond, Safeway and Kroger chains for Midwest (over 400 stores).

RECYCLED PAPER GREETINGS, Chicago, IL 2003 – 2009

Third largest greeting card company; working with over 200 independent artists publishing cutting edge, humorous and trendy cards produced in the USA on 100% recycled paper and printed with environmentally soy-based ink.

Vice President/ General Manager

Led all Sales and Service activities for 11 Midwest states. Inherited under-producing veteran team due to rapid turnover at VP position (three in five years). Retrained and rebuilt team; achieved highest sales and profit in company by second year.

Total Net Sales volume grew from $6 Million to $11 Million in six years (6.3 million units).

Successfully rolled out over 500 Walgreens stores in four months. Hired and trained 50 additional employees. Developed team to build relationships with Walgreens store management and optimize sales reorders.

Opened several regional chain stores. Responsible for sales calls, contract negotiation, roll-out and ongoing sales for Sendik’s, Lund’s/Byerly’s, Sunset Foods and Doc’s Drugs.

Opened Hy-Vee at store level. Over two years built store count from 0 to 187 stores. Trained team members for sales calls, installations, building store manager relationships plus servicing for reorders.

Responsible for Wal-Mart test in 12 states. Involved in planning, analysis and execution; test results lead to national roll-out.

3 DAY BLINDS, Anaheim, CA 2000 – 2002

Manufacturer and retailer of window coverings. In-home designers plus retail showrooms sold and installed blinds, shutters plus other window coverings. Able to produce and deliver custom made products to consumers in three days.

District Manager

Responsible for 10 Showrooms and In-Home Designer Sales in the Pacific Northwest; 80 + employees.

Turned unprofitable District to 2nd most profitable in under two years.

Developed and implemented Sales Training and Customer Service Program for staff.

Successfully executed opening of 3 Day Blinds Store of the Future in Issaquah, WA.

GREETINGS TREND SHOPS, Seattle, WA 1986 – 2000

Retail chain of card & gift, furniture and accessories plus souvenir and seasonal stores in the greater Seattle area.

Owner and CEO

As an entrepreneur, responsible for creating, funding, opening and operating multi-rooftop, multi-concept retail company. Started with one location and grew to six stores employing over 80 people with Annual Sales volume over $5 Million.

Two major concepts were Greetings Trend Shops and Domus. Greetings Trend Shops carried avant-garde gifts, cards and stationery while Domus featured Contemporary and Scandinavian furniture, accessories and gifts plus pop-up seasonal and tourism shops.

INC Magazine selected Greetings Trend Shop as an INC 500 Company (Top 500 fastest growing companies in America).

MARSHALL FIELD & COMPANY, Chicago, IL 1976 – 1986

Premier department store serving Chicago, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Columbus, Houston, Seattle, Spokane and Portland metro markets.

Management Trainee to Divisional Merchandise Manager

Began in management training in suburban Oak Brook location. Promoted to Chicago Buying Office as Assistant Buyer, promoted to Seattle Division as Buyer and later as Divisional Merchandise Manager.

Divisional Merchandise Manager over electronics, stationery, greeting cards, Christmas shops, toys, books, and sporting goods.

Buyer responsibilities for floor covering including hand-made rugs, machine-made rugs, carpeting and workroom.

EDUCATION

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

BS Business Administration – Major: Marketing

American Greetings University - Core Leadership Training, 2015

American Greetings Leadership Forum, 2014; Leveraging Creativity and Innovation Workshop, 2011

Inside Out Coaching: Helping Others Achieve Performance Breakthroughs, 2013

Contact this candidate