1. Role Profile
The Storage Product Sales Specialist will be assigned to work with the Data Center team germany. As a lead business manager for storage, the successful candidate will work closely with Cisco’s customers and prospects in strategic opportunities as well as with Cisco’s OSM and channel partners. The role will be primarily focused in the following areas:
- Engaging in Strategic Data Center customers and opportunities, positioning Cisco’s USPs and strengths in the Data Center space and crating benefits for our customers with Cisco’s DC solutions
- Commercial sales activities in support of direct, OSM and channel partner storage file services opportunities
- Works closely together with EMC and EMC’s Business Partners
- Securing the architectural win for Cisco solutions
- Opportunity qualification and prioritization
- Developing and running storage programs, initiatives, sales training, campaigns and incentives
- Building and maintaining an opportunity pipeline, forecasting and deal tracking
- Delivering high level Cisco feature/benefit executive presentations and training internally, externally to partners, customers, prospects, analysts and press
- Driving and/or assisting with proposal production process from a commercial perspective
- Providing sales support to the ESO and mentoring
- Working with Cisco’s deals desk, sales order processing and customer service organization in pursuit of total customer satisfaction
- Assistance with marketing and events planning activities across EMEA
- Providing and effectively communicating feedback from the field in support of customer references and business needs to the corporate business unit and marketing organization
- Effectively utilizing Cisco’s resources and infrastructure to grow storage revenues
As a new solution component in Cisco’s product portfolio, resource in this area will be stretched. The successful candidate will need to support many account managers and sales opportunities both internally and externally. This will be requiring extensive travel.
2. Role Requirements
- 5-10 years experience in the information technology industry with a sales background in at least one of the following areas - storage, networking, computing, software
- Previous sales, product marketing or business development related roles are preferred as is education to degree level or equivalent
- 5+ years experience in the networking or storage industry with a proven track record of sales success
- An appreciation of three or more of the following areas from a selling experience perspective - competitive awareness would be a plus. Business drivers, customer challenges, industry trends and solution deployment that involve these technology areas should be understood:
- SAN, Fibre Channel
- Storage subsystems and technologies i.e. Filers, RAID Arrays, Tape Backup
- End-to-end Data Centre computing environments/technologies
- Conversant with an industry recognized sales methodology the candidate must be highly experienced in sales qualification, financial justification models, requirements definition, risk analysis and sales planning
- Good Knowledge of EMC germany and expiriences in working closely togther with EMC is preferred
- Appreciation of common business needs, challenges and terminology i.e. Opex, Capex, ROI, TCO and the ability to articulate how technology can address/impact these at an executive level. Industry vertical sector knowledge would be an advantage i.e. service providers, telecommunications, retail, finance, manufacturing etc.
- A good level of knowledge in Microsoft office applications is expected
- Excellent multi-level written and verbal communication skills to Cxx positions
- Good listening and negotiation capabilities as well as high quality presentation skills
- Well presented, articulate, conscientious, ethical, punctual and highly motivated the candidate must be able to take the initiative when working alone and also work effectively as part of a team
- The candidate must have a high desire to succeed as well as demonstrate leadership qualities and experience
- Fluent in English, additional languages are considered beneficial
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