Strategic Accounts Manager

As a Strategic Accounts Manager at UniFirst, your key responsibilities include developing and nurturing relationships with essential client personnel, conducting regular account reviews, ensuring customer satisfaction, and collaborating with internal teams to handle service and sales challenges. You'll also be pivotal in generating leads and managing contract renewals, all while traveling extensively to meet with clients.

To be a successful Strategic Accounts Manager at UniFirst, a college degree is preferred, along with 3 to 5+ years of successful sales or service experience. Strong communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills are essential, as is the ability to travel for customer visits 70-80% of the time. Being a proactive problem solver will also serve you well in this role.

A Strategic Accounts Manager at UniFirst contributes to business growth by cultivating robust client relationships, ensuring customer satisfaction, and identifying opportunities for upselling or cross-selling services. Their role is crucial for retaining customers, which helps increase revenue and enhances the overall client experience.

Essential skills for a Strategic Accounts Manager in Akron, OH, include excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, strong negotiation tactics, and solid problem-solving skills. Familiarity with sales processes and a keen understanding of customer service dynamics are also vital for success in this role.

The work culture for a Strategic Accounts Manager at UniFirst is collaborative and dynamic. You’ll be part of a team that values customer relationships and encourages open communication across departments. The environment promotes professional growth and provides ample opportunity to apply your sales expertise in a supportive setting.

When responding to this question, focus on your strategy for relationship-building, emphasizing active listening, regular check-ins, and personalized service. Highlight specific examples where you turned a prospective client into a loyal account through meaningful interactions.

For this question, discuss your conflict resolution strategies. Provide an example of a past experience where you successfully addressed a client’s concerns, demonstrating your problem-solving skills and patience while maintaining a positive relationship.

In your answer, detail specific techniques such as soliciting feedback, conducting satisfaction surveys, or having regular account reviews. Share a successful case where your efforts significantly improved customer satisfaction.

Explain your organizational skills, time management strategies, and the systems you use (e.g., CRM tools). Provide an example of how you effectively prioritized tasks to ensure all accounts received the attention they deserved.

Discuss key performance indicators important for account management, such as customer retention rates, upselling success, and revenue growth. Back up your response with examples of how you've used metrics to adjust strategies for better outcomes.

Address your methods for fostering teamwork, such as regular meetings, shared goals, and open communication channels. Highlight a specific instance where collaboration led to a successful project or improved customer experience.

Share a story that outlines your approach to contract renewals, including how you identified client needs and demonstrated value. This will show your ability to foster long-term relationships and drive business security.

Talk about your proactive approach, such as regular check-ins and industry research, to stay updated on client business environments. Illustrate how this information helps tailor your service to meet evolving needs.

Convey that the key lies in consistent communication and personalized service. Share insights or techniques you've employed successfully that have led to strong ongoing relationships with clients.

In your response, express your enthusiasm for the company’s values and mission, citing specific aspects of the role that excite you. Relate your past experiences to how they align with UniFirst's goals and how you hope to contribute.