Country Sales Leader, Netherlands
Country:
Netherlands
Cities:
Amsterdam
Area of expertise:
Sales
Job Description
At Avanade, we believe in making a genuine human impact in everything we do. We transform businesses and help our clients envision new paths forward; we uncover ways technology can improve the way we work and live; and provide opportunities for our people to leave the world better than we found it.
For more than two decades, we’ve tapped into the power of our people and cutting-edge Microsoft technology to deliver business-critical technology capabilities to thousands of organisations around the world. Our deep expertise and relentless commitment to client success is the reason we are Microsoft’s #1 global partner. We’re also driven by an innovative spirit and a growth mindset, and we value leaders who can bring the best out in our people and nurture their careers while inspiring excellence for our clients and one another.
Role Overview
This role is a member of the Netherlands Leadership team and leads our overall sales organisation and targets; including the sales teams and sellers for the Netherlands, together with owning the local relationship with the Accenture Microsoft Sales Lead and the local Microsoft executives. We want to grow Netherlands from a 100M business to a 200M business in the coming two years. The successful candidate will have the influence and scope to ensure that Avanade is ideally positioned for successful growth over the long term.
This role will provide expert guidance, support and oversight to sales activities, and work towards a high level of consistency in the design, execution, and efficiency of sales. The role requires a thought leader with a growth mindset able to transform and develop existing sales capabilities, positioning Avanade as an innovator for customers, and the ability to develop and grow long term, high value customer relationships at C-level.
This role will be instrumental in implementing the global sales transformation strategy, both in terms of informing strategic direction, but also taking the strategic priorities and implement them in the Netherlands and providing feedback on what is working/not working so that we can continue to evolve our sales execution at Avanade.
This role requires a track record in developing and growing high performance sales teams and working as part of a wider team; demonstrating and role modeling team player behaviors and being able to achieve high expectations and targets.
A strategic outlook will assist the ideal profile in the navigation of a “new normal”, both for Avanade and its client and partner ecosystem. A strong orientation towards execution will also be required; leading Sales by getting involved with key customers and deals as Executive Sponsor or Deal strategist. A combination of hands-on strategic deal and client relationship experience, together with gravitas and impact, will drive continuous value for the organisation’s top clients.
This individual will be entrepreneurial and results oriented and will contribute to the overall business.
Key Role Responsibilities
The Country Sales Leader is responsible for driving a high-performance culture. In this role, you will focus on country planning, pipeline development, complex channel management, strategic deal shaping, bid management and on-going sales effectiveness program implementation, as well as evolving and running the various sales reporting cadences. The Country Sales Leader will also be responsible for implementing the global sales transformation strategy in the Netherlands in alignment with the Area Sales strategy.
Balanced Scorecard Metrics for Sales
- Netherlands overall Sales, Revenue and Profit targets.
- Specific Solution / Industry focused sales targets.
- Diversity & Inclusion goals.
- Employee engagement and Retention.
- Market share and market growth.
- Individual seller performance and productivity.
Setting Strategy & Developing a Plan
- Create and articulate an inspiring vision for Netherlands Sales community.
- Develop business growth plans, including annual growth plans and sales target/quota plans.
- Set clear and challenging goals while committing the organisation to improved performance.
- Support account management and planning best practices.
- Create people development plans and career paths for sales team.
Executing for Results
- A balanced risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended consequences from decisions; someone who takes smart risks.
- A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in your approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organisation.
- A leader who is comfortable operating as a player/coach; driving a set of specific deals but also acting as a coach and mentor to pursuit teams across the region.
- A leader who understands what it means to build and execute on sales capability programs needed today, while also knowing how to position these programs as the building blocks for the capabilities needed tomorrow.
- The role requires a collaborative/negotiating style capable of effecting change and driving results and experience working in a matrixed and fast paced, growing organisation.
Leading Teams
- The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance.
- Managing and coaching teams in the Netherlands.
- Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership and engages others to the greater purpose for the organisation as a whole.
- Lead and drive the sales community and also act as the functional lead for sales professionals.
- Understanding of working across cultures and driving and influencing for results in a matrix organisation is important.
Key Opportunities and Challenges
As we are targeting to double our business in the next 2 years, the Country Sales Leader will lead an ambitious renewed strategy using a “Fewer & Deeper” approach. In this role, you will design and lead this strategy execution in coordination with the Country Manager and Client Group Industry Lead:
- Transform/confirm the client portfolio strategy.
- Activate an ambitious account strategy and multi-year roadmap.
- Build a strong strategic partnership with Avanade ecosystem (Accenture/Microsoft).
- Redeploy the Sales Team accordingly to the Client and Partnership strategy.
- Coach and upskill the team on sales strategy, sales lifecycle, pipeline management.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
The ideal candidate will have expertise working at CxO level, selling and influencing large-scale systems integration, consulting or outsourcing decisions. We are searching for a passionate, professional and impactful sales leader with technology and solutions depth, accustomed to working in a complex environment with large partners such as Microsoft and Accenture.
In particular, the preferred profile will have leadership experience, be outcome based and value driven. This will include developing the right team, achieving the envisioned cultural evolution, and bringing the transformational sponsorship needed to embed new ways of delivering value to clients across a complex landscape.
- 15 + years in the IT / SI industry with experience in Sales such as Solutions Sales or Management Consulting background.
- Executive level experience in growing large scale, profitable technology services business.
- CxO impact and the ability to develop and grow long term, high value customer relationships.
- Personal track record in selling and closing large complex deals.
- Sales Leadership of senior sales professionals.
- Sales coaching; can support sellers and deals and mentor to pursuit teams.
- Experience in complex channel and partner management.
- Visibility as an influencer on business relevant social media and in the country business press.
- Experience in assessing and managing the opportunity and risk associated with large scale complex services/consulting engagements.
- High degree of integrity, credibility, resilience and character.
- Experience in an international working environment.
- Ready to embrace and innovate in the “new normal”.
Critical Skills Needed to Complement the Team
- Strong knowledge of Microsoft Technology & Solutions.
- Large NL Enterprise Accounts.
- Executive Maturity.
- Strong network in Netherlands with C-level business and IT decision makers.
- Strong sales management experience. Manage large scale sales organisation. Ideally with a focus on new business + large deals.
- Professional proficiency in Dutch and English, both oral and written skills.
Top Behavioral Competencies
- Extensive experience and network in the Netherlands' market and in managing teams in the Netherlands.
- Dynamic team player who is engaging, builds team morale, and is not afraid to manage difficult situations.
- The ability to persevere in the face of challenges.
- Relentless commitment to higher standards.
- Self-reflective, with an attitude of continuous improvement and seeking input.
- Inclination to seek and analyse data from a variety of sources to support decisions.
- Entrepreneurial approach to developing innovative ideas to stretch the organisation.
- Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates the success of the team.
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About Avanade
Avanade is the leading provider of innovative digital, cloud and advisory services, industry solutions and design-led experiences across the Microsoft ecosystem. Every day, our 59,000 professionals in 26 countries make a genuine human impact for our clients, their employees and their customers.
We have been recognized as Microsoft’s Global SI Partner of the Year more than any other company. With the most Microsoft certifications (60,000+) and 18 (out of 18) Gold-level Microsoft competencies, we are uniquely positioned to help businesses grow and solve their toughest challenges.
We are a people first company, committed to providing an inclusive workplace where employees feel comfortable being their authentic selves. As a responsible business, we are building a sustainable world and helping people from underrepresented communities fulfil their potential.
Majority owned by Accenture, Avanade was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation. Learn more at www.avanade.com.
