We're a small distributor of specialized industrial instruments imported from England and used for fluid measurements. We sell to a wide variety of industrial and lab businesses across the US. I started this business 8 years ago as a spin-off from the previous distributor. I'm planning on retiring in the next few years and want to explore options. One of those options is to bring on board a part-time sales engineer who could buy out the business over time.
You would need to mostly work from our office (my house) initially but also need to work from home, and could eventually work more from home. Initially you would be in the office about 2-3 hrs/day for 3-4 days/wk, totaling about 10-12 hrs/wk. You'll need to have a fairly flexible schedule to accommodate my available time for training. You must live in the local area with a fairly short commute.
This is pretty technical. I have a BS and MS in Mech. Engineering, which is very helpful in this business, but somebody with a strong technical background who can learn quickly might be okay. The ideal person would have at least a BS in ME, strong engineering and sales experience, and solid experience running a small business with several employees.
I would expect an initial trial period of a month or two learning the products and our systems and procedures before we decide whether you might be able to take over the business at some point. I would expect you to come up to speed quickly, including learning basic skills like MS CRM mostly on your own time.
I have a firm customer service ethic, and believe strongly in ethical business and selling. I only want to work with someone who is in alignment with those principles.
Required Skills & Experience:
AS Engineering, preferably ME
4 years engineering job experience
2 years sales training and experience
Strong general computer skills
Strong knowledge of Windows
Strong Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel skills
Strong speaking and writing skills
Good phone skills and manners
Desired Skills & Experience:
BS Engineering, preferably ME
5+ years engineering job experience
3+ years sales training and experience
Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM experience or training
Microsoft OneNote experience or training
Small business management experience
All of our customers are remote, with many in the Midwest and East. There is very little face-to-face customer interaction. The business runs mostly on the web and through email, and requires fairly complex pricing and quoting. Platforms and tools we use:
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Office 365, mainly Word and Excel
Microsoft Dynamics CRM for customer database
Microsoft OneNote for notes and procedures
Google Ads for marketing
WordPress for website
QuickBooks for accounting
