Avaya - Academy Associate

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Job Title: Academy Associate Reporting To Regional Sales Leader

Alignment to Sales Compensation Position:

Role Summary: Shadows senior level professionals to learn about the entire Avaya sales cycle, internal systems, and process, how to interact with customers and partners, build relationships, and handle competitive objections. Responsible for actively developing key selling skills along with overall product and solution knowledge. In collaboration with an account lead and other assigned resources, assists the sales team with the selling of Avaya solutions in assigned accounts or territory. Assists with identifying new business opportunities within accounts and pursues them by engaging appropriate resources. Collaborates with account teams to assist in the creation of sales strategies and driving field-based activities with partners and customers. Engages in transactional activities including those involving business partners and Avaya services. Leverages internal specialists and within the channel to help drive demand. Supports the sales process end-to-end by utilizing the appropriate processes and tools. Work performed depends on others for instruction, guidance, and direction. Goals and objectives are assigned by an immediate supervisor. Must successfully achieve key milestones and complete relevant Avaya certifications within the first year of employment.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

1. Engage with mentor, coach and experienced account managers to learn how to present services and solutions following a value-based approach, focusing on understanding the customer's business issues.

2. Utilize sales methodology, process, and tools as directed to support the end-to-end sales process; provide administration of local area policies and procedures.

3. Gather and incorporate customer and market information to develop sales solutions; assist with the sale of Avaya products, solutions and services in assigned accounts or territory; drive field-based activities with partners and customers as advised.

4. Assist with deal closure and educating partners on how to close a deal, as advised.

5. Shadow senior level experts to learn how to interact with customers and partners, build relationships, and handle competitive objections.

6. Learn how to conduct account planning with both short and long-term focus to enhance the quality of the sales pipeline, accelerate and maximize revenue generation and improve the customer buying experience. Demonstrate by creating an actual account plan for a new or existing customer.

7. Demonstrate an understanding of Avaya's history, along with current strategy and future direction by delivering customer presentations.

8. Learn how to find growth opportunities at assigned existing customers. Implement learning to expand footprint within the customer base. Operate as a thought partner; suggest strategies and ideas help others expand opportunities into larger solutions.

9. Identify the marketplace and conduct market discovery to grow the addressable market.

10. Learn how to engage customers in order to explore their situations and needs. Actively practice probing for underlying issues by leveraging insights.

11. Respond to customer needs/requirements in a timely fashion, as directed.

12. Serve as the customer's advocate and contribute to maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. Ensure customers participate in CSAT activities as directed.

13. Drive customer and partner satisfaction by responding to issues and escalations in a timely manner as directed.

14. Articulate Avaya's entire portfolio of solution offerings and how they meet the needs of the customer, including differentiation versus competitors.

15. Actively participate on assigned account team(s) to create an account strategy.

16. Build strategic relationships with influencers within Avaya and within partners to drive new programs and incentives that maximize Avaya's benefits in new markets, verticals, and portfolios.

17. Maintain cross-functional visibility and credibility within Avaya and with partners.

18. Maintain a regular cadence for verbal and written communications with account team, including ad hoc calls and supporting quarterly executive briefings.

19. Provide coordination of support teams as assigned. Identify and prioritize critical resources consistent with sales and organizational goals.

20. Complete defined training plan, pass required credentials and certifications on target.

Role Requirements: The role requires a working knowledge of the following competencies:

- Demonstrates basic business acumen.

- Has foundational business knowledge and can understand basic financial statements; able to reference financial information when conducting customer/partner discussions.

- Comfortable prospecting and making cold calls to potential customers.

- Demonstrates effective listening and presentation skills; able to clearly and succinctly convey information and ideas to individuals in a way generate confidence, trust, and authenticity.

- Good written and verbal communication skills.

- Conveys a polished, professional presence.

- Understands the basics of negotiation, and is able to support negotiation activities.

- Understands the basics of developing consultative, influential, credibility-based relationships at all levels including business owners and executives.

- Savvy with technology and social media; enjoys learning and using new technologies and applications.

- Possesses a "Learner's mentality" and proactively seeks opportunities to build skills, gain new experiences and expand knowledge base.

- Shows inquisitiveness and eagerness to gain sales or business-related knowledge; seeks out others involved in a situation to learn their perspectives and applies information appropriately.

- Welcomes feedback on own performance; uses feedback constructively to improve knowledge, skills, and behaviors.

- Puts new knowledge, understanding, or skill to practical use on the job; furthers learning through trial and error.

- Acts as a team player, and follows the direction of senior team members; develops relationships and helps resolve conflicts.

- Does what he or she commits to doing; consistently meets obligations associated with serving customers (e.g., meeting deadlines, customer expectations, and quality deliverables). Takes responsibility for own mistakes and negative outcomes.

- Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information.

- Considers the impact of own actions on others.

- Champions decisions that have been agreed upon.

- Engages people - attends to the needs and feelings of others to develop effective customer partnerships and other work relationships; relates to people easily.

- Drives toward success with a - can-do- attitude- values achievement; proactively seeks business opportunities; looks for competitive advantages.

- Takes a creative approach - thinks unconventionally when faced with challenges; is open to new ideas.

- Sustains positive outlook - approaches sales challenges with the confidence of success; remains realistically optimistic when pursuing objectives.

- Accomplishes objectives and is able to plan and execute those objectives.

- Prioritizes own activities -- identifies both more critical and less critical activities; adjusts priorities and where time is spent, when appropriate.

- Allocates appropriate amounts of time for completing work; juggles multiple activities and commitments; avoids scheduling conflicts; develops timelines and milestones.

- Assesses competing priorities and identifies necessary resources to handle critical work demands.

- Willingness and ability to travel occasionally (~25%) to meet with customers, partners, or Avaya resources, potentially outside of home country.

Education: Bachelor's degree or relevant industry experience.

Experience: 0-3 years s experience.

HR team
Avaya