The Outside Sales - Director of Partnerships at Just Right Reader is responsible for forming trusted relationships with district leaders, managing a sales pipeline, and meeting sales targets. This role involves understanding the literacy needs of school districts and employing a consultative sales approach to provide effective solutions. Additionally, the director must engage with regional organizations, attend local conferences, and maintain a robust understanding of funding sources and educational legislation to successfully grow their territory.

Candidates applying for the Outside Sales - Director of Partnerships position at Just Right Reader should have at least 3 years of experience in a leadership role within education, ideally with prior teaching or district leadership experience. A strong ownership mentality, exceptional organizational skills, and a passion for early literacy are crucial. Excellent written and verbal communication abilities will enhance your effectiveness in this impactful role.

As the Outside Sales - Director of Partnerships at Just Right Reader, you will play a critical role in enhancing literacy initiatives across Minnesota by developing relationships with school district leaders. Your consultative sales approach will help identify how Just Right Reader's innovative reading solutions can best support schools in their literacy efforts, ultimately making a difference in students' reading outcomes.

The primary expected outcomes for the Outside Sales - Director of Partnerships at Just Right Reader include meeting or exceeding sales targets related to classroom libraries and take-home decodable packs. Additionally, you will successfully grow your customer base by forming strategic partnerships, attending events, and advocating for literacy solutions tailored to diverse educational environments in Minnesota.

Employees at Just Right Reader can look forward to multiple benefits while working as the Outside Sales - Director of Partnerships. These include a meaningful opportunity to impact children's literacy outcomes, a fully remote working environment with access to an office in Dallas, a company expense card with a home office stipend, generous parental leave, and a childcare credit, reinforcing Just Right Reader's commitment to work-life balance.

When discussing your consultative sales experience, focus on specific instances where you identified and addressed client needs through tailored solutions. Highlight examples that demonstrate your ability to build relationships with school leaders, your understanding of educational challenges, and your strategies for effectively communicating the benefits of your offerings.

For this question, explain your methods for tracking leads, setting reminders for follow-ups, and assessing the health of your pipeline. You may also mention any sales technologies you've used, like CRM tools, and provide examples of how your organization skills have helped you meet or exceed your sales targets.

When answering this question, discuss your approach to market research, identifying key decision-makers within school districts, and employing local networking strategies. Include any experiences where you successfully tapped into local initiatives or leveraged the insights gained from events or conferences.

Express how your passion for literacy aligns with the mission of Just Right Reader. Share personal anecdotes or experiences that demonstrate your commitment to improving education and how this passion influences your approach to developing partnerships and driving sales.

Provide examples of situations where you worked alongside educators, sales professionals, or other roles to achieve common objectives. Explain how your collaborative mindset contributed to positive outcomes and how you helped create a shared understanding of goals.

Share the resources you rely on to stay informed, such as professional development, industry publications, or local educational conferences. Discuss how being informed helps you engage effectively with school leaders and tailor your solutions to meet their needs.

Highlight your approach to fostering relationships based on understanding and shared goals. Discuss the importance of active listening, demonstrating empathy, and providing timely follow-up to ensure that district leaders feel valued and understood.

This is your opportunity to showcase your achievements. Describe the sales target you exceeded, the strategies you implemented, and the outcome. Highlight your ability to adapt to challenges and seize opportunities while showcasing your sales acumen.

Walk the interviewer through your process for handling objections, emphasizing your ability to listen actively and respond thoughtfully. Discuss techniques you use to turn objections into opportunities, reinforcing your consultative sales style.

Explain how you leverage data to drive your sales approach, whether through analyzing trends, evaluating customer feedback, or using analytics tools. Provide examples of how data insight helped you fine-tune your sales tactics and achieve better results.