Title:  Director, Solution Sales

Job Summary

Role Overview: The Keystone Solution Sales Director for APAC is responsible for leading and driving sales initiatives for Keystone solutions across the APAC region. This role involves developing strategic plans, managing key accounts, and ensuring the achievement of sales targets. The Director will work closely with various NetApp Sales teams to align sales strategies with business goals and market trends. They will also work closely with their Keystone Go To Market (GTM) leadership, the Keystone Business Unit, and NetApp Business Desk to manage customer proposals that generate Keystone revenue.

Keystone is a transformational business and sales organization. The ability to transform the existing and future Keystone Solution Sales Professionals (SSPs) from their existing roles through an Enablement function, and eventually into savvy New Logo Hunters is a critical aspect of this leadership role. This process involves key steps

1. 1. Training and Development: Providing SSPs with the necessary skills, knowledge, and leadership to identify and pursue new business opportunities.
   2. Mentorship and Coaching: Offering guidance and support to help SSPs adapt to their new roles. From current overlays to enablement leaders, and eventually to New Logo Hunters.
   3. Performance Metrics: Establishing clear goals and benchmarks to measure success in their new roles.
   4. Cultural Shift: Encouraging a mindset change within the organization to embrace new challenges and opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Sales Leadership: Lead the sales team in developing and executing sales strategies to achieve Keystone revenue and growth targets.
• Account Management: Collaborate with Sales leadership peers to manage top Keystone  accounts, build strong relationships with clients, and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement strategic sales plans that align with the company's vision and objectives.
• Market Analysis: Conduct market research to identify new opportunities and stay ahead of industry trends, especially those in the As a Service (XaaS) solution space.
• Team Development: Mentor and support the Keystone sales team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.
• Cultural Leadership:  Driving a mindset change to embrace new challenges and a focus on Sales Acquisition acumen.
• Performance Metrics: Monitor and analyze sales performance metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Channel / Partner Management:  GTM leadership across VARs and Systems Integrators community is essential.
• Training and Enablement (Keystone):
• Training and Development: Design and deliver training programs to enhance the knowledge of the broader NetApp sales teams re: How to Position, Price, and Process Keystone solutions.
• Resource Creation: Develop and maintain Keystone sales enablement materials such as playbooks, guides, and toolkits.
• Performance Metrics: Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of enablement initiatives.
• Collaboration: Work closely with Keystone GTM, marketing, and the product BU teams to ensure alignment and support for sales initiatives.

Essential Functions:

• Management Oversight: Provide oversight to both Keystone Solution Sales Professionals and peer NetApp District Managers within the region to address all pertinent issues related to Keystone sales strategy and goal attainment.
• Enablement of Keystone Sales Acumen across APAC. As described in Key Responsibilities. Leading the Keystone training effort across the broader APAC NetApp sales organization is key to success.
• Strategic Planning: Participate in strategic planning sessions with the sales management team on a quarterly and annual basis.
• Corporate Communication: Communicate corporate strategy to employees within your region.
• Activity Planning: Plan and direct activities including forecasts, marketing program development, relationship development, customer satisfaction, and collateral material development and distribution.
• Goal Setting: Establish short-term and long-term goals and quotas in line with corporate objectives.
• Resource Review: Review requests for additional resources to support sales strategy and latest programs.
• Opportunity Identification: Identify and qualify important enterprise sales opportunities at the management level.
• Management Plan Review: Regularly review management plans with District Managers.
• Coaching and Mentoring: Function as a coach, mentor, and educator to Sales Representatives within your region.
• Personnel Development: Select, develop, and evaluate personnel to ensure departmental goals are met.
• Responsibility for Results: Assume responsibility for results, including costs, methods, and staffing

Requirements

• Sales Experience: Experience as a Sales Representative and Manager with a history of exceeding assigned sales quotas in contiguous, multiple years.
• Sales Techniques: Experience with target account selling, solution selling, and/or consultative sales techniques. MEDDIC experience preferred.
• Sales Hunting Mentality. Sales hunting skills are essential for identifying and pursuing new business opportunities. Transforming the Keystone GTM team to focus on driving Net New Logos for NetApp is critical to the long-term success of the APAC Sales Director.
• Management Ability: A demonstrated ability to manage professional-level employees.
• Relationship Building: Strong relationship-building and negotiating skills.
• Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills, including presentation skills. Legal and executive documentation proficiency required.
• Collaborative Ability: Ability to collaborate with functional peers across Marketing, Sales Operations, Customer Support, System Engineering, and Product Development.
• Training Acumen: Ability to effectively design, deliver, and manage training programs to a broad sales audience.
• Technical Understanding: Strong understanding of storage technologies and services and competitive offerings in the marketplace.
• Technology Aptitude: An aptitude for understanding how technology products and solutions solve business problems, especially regarding As a Service (XaaS) models.
• Organizational Experience: Demonstrated experience working with Sales organizations and technical teams, as well as working through business processes controls a must.
• Budget Management: Prior experience with developing budgets and controlling costs.

Education and Experience

Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of experience as a people manager is required.
• A minimum of 8 years of technology services sales experience is required.
• Solution and/or As A Service (XaaS) sales experience is preferred.
• Leasing or Subscription sales experience is also preferred

• Education: A Bachelor of Science  or Arts Degree in Engineering or Computer Science; or equivalent experience is required. A Master of Science Degree in Engineering, or an MBA is preferred.