Regional Sales Lead

At Avanade, we believe in making a genuine human impact in everything we do. We transform businesses and help ourclients envision new paths forward; we uncover ways technology can improve the way we work and live; and provideopportunities 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 andcutting-edge Microsoft technology to deliverbusiness-critical technology capabilities to thousands of organisations around the world. Our deepexpertise and relentlesscommitment to client success is the reason we are Microsoft’s #1 global partner.We’re also driven by an innovative spiritand a growth mindset, and we value leaders who can bring the best out in our people and nurture their careers whileinspiring excellence for our clients and one another. 

Role Overview 
 
Avanade operates globally across geographic Regions; each Region has a community of sales professionals who are accountable for identifying, qualifying and developing business opportunities which connect the full breadth and depth of Avanade’s market-leading capabilities and solutions with the business and technology needs of our clients, seizing the market opportunity for Avanade.  

Our sales professionals are often the first point of contact for clients and bring critical market-facing and competitive insights into Avanade’s business to ensure that we collectively focus on high quality, differentiated, client-specific value propositions. Our Sales teams are accountable for owning and driving Avanade’s ambitious sales growth, bringing Avanade’s Integrated Go-to-Market (IGTM) approach to life for clients, within each of our Regions.  

Practices are where Avanade’s employees are ‘homed’. The Regional Sales Practice is where Avanade’s in-region selling professionals and sales-focused employees are homed. Working closely with the Global Practice Lead, the Regional Sales Practice works in alignment with Avanade's global strategic business and sales priorities, with anemphasis on creating and supporting an engaged community of expert, high-performance selling and sales-focused professionals who have access to ongoing skills, capability and career development. Having a dedicated, engaged Regional Sales Practice will foster a community of sales professionals who are highly motivated and capable to drive ambitious business growth while ensuring excellent client business outcomes, bringing the ‘voice of the customer’ into Avanade. 

TheBenelux Regional Sales Leadhas responsibility for leading our overall sales organisation and targets, including the salesteams and sellers forthe Benelux region (Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg), owning the local relationship with the regional Accenture Microsoft Business group SalesLead and the regional Microsoft executives. 

Benelux as a region isa very important part of Avanade’s European business withimpressive growth rates for both salesand revenues with favourable market conditions and astrong presence across all three geographic markets. 

The position is a member of theBenelux Leadership team and European Sales Leadership team and will have the influence andscope to ensure that Avanade is ideally positioned for successful growth over the long term. 

This role willprovide expert guidance, support and oversight to the regional sales activities and work towardsa high levelof consistency in the design,execution and efficiency of sales. The role requires a thought leader with a growth mindset,able to transform and develop the existing sales capabilities, positioning Avanade as an innovator for customers andthe ability to develop and grow long term, high value customer relationships at Executive level. 

Key to this will bea demonstrative understanding of our business, managedservices and the consulting eco-system. As asolutions basedbusiness wealso want to see a leader who has driven cross-solutionselling andexhibits an instinctiveapproach to client challenges thatculminates in solution orchestration for mid-market customers. 

TheBeneluxRegional SalesLead rolerequiresa track record in developing and growinghigh performance sales teams inlocalmarkets whilst working as part of a wider team;demonstrating and role modelling team player behaviours. 

A strategic outlook willassist the ideal profile in the navigation of a “new normal”, both for Avanadeand its client andpartner ecosystem. A strong orientation towards execution will also berequired,to lead Sales will be involved with keycustomers and big deals as Executive Sponsor or Deal strategist. A combination of hands-on strategic deal and clientrelationship experience, together with gravitas and impact, will drive continuous value for the organisation's top clients. Thisindividual will beentrepreneurial and results oriented and will contribute to the overall business. 

In summary: 

A highly credible commercial leader with a proventrack record in consulting-led growth, managed services, salesorigination and executive stakeholder management. This individual will accelerate growth across the Enterprise, Corporate and Medium Business markets in Benelux, strengthen Avanade's market position, and connect consulting, sales, solutioning and delivery into a single growth engine that delivers sustainable client and business outcomes. 

Key Responsibilities 

Sales Strategy & Planning  

• Responsible for regional planning, pipeline development, complex channel management, strategic deal shaping, bid management, and ongoing sales effectiveness program implementation, as well as the development and management of various sales reporting processes 

• Work in partnership with the local Client Group Leaders whoare responsible for the industry portfolio of clients 

• Build, manage, and orchestrate GTM and sales efforts with both regional MSFT and Accenture CF/AMBG 

• Articulate an inspiring sales vision and strategy for the region working with Client Group Leads and Integrated Go to Market Lead 

• Develop business growth plans including annual growth plans and sales target/quota plans 

• Work in partnership with the Region General Manager and Accenture/Microsoft leaders to agree on the sales territory to target (both direct and indirect) 

• Support the development of region growth plans across all Business Groups in partnership with Region BG Leads and translate into quota plans 

• Promote and drive best practices in business development and selling 

Drive Sales Performance 

• Manage and assess performance of regional practice members, in line with agreed plans and KPIs, working closely with Client Group Leadership 

• Operate as a sales leader and coach to drive a set of specific deals and mentor to pursuit teams across the region 

• Define and align region practice workforce needs and plans with Global and Area Sales Leadership, Regional Business Leadership      

• Pro-actively work with Client Account, and Line of Business/Play Leads toidentify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities that will drive sales and revenues and align on seller deployment 

• Foster a high-performance culture encompassing both the immediate sales team and the broader sales community 

Practice Leadership and Growth of the Region Sales Practice 

• Define, align (with Global, Area Sales Leaders, Global Practice Lead and Regional Business Leadership), implement, and evolve regional sales practice development strategy to ensure the region has market leading capabilities, in line with agreed Global, Area, Regional key KPIs for the Sales Practice community 

• Incorporate global/area practice priorities into regional practice priorities, cascade to region practice team members and provide feedback loop upwards to global   

• Work closely with the Regional Sales Practice Champions to advocate strongly for the Regional Sales Practice, building a thriving and engaged sales community 

Leverage GTM assets and resources 

• Ensure best practice leverage of GTM assets and resources across the Regional Sales Practice to support sales success 

• Provide feedback on specific selling and delivery needs/supportrequired in the region   

• Communicate practice-related trends and client feedback as input and contribution to global new/evolved assets and solutions 

People & Culture 

• Accountable for sales compensation planning and assessment for the region 

• Act as the functional lead for sales professionals and lead and drive the sales practice Work closely with Area and Regional Business Leadership to develop talent plan and align on hiring sales talent, to meet business and market growth projections and ensure a robust, future ready workforce 

• Integrate company I&D strategy tooptimize diverse community across the Regional Sales Practice, working closely with Regional TA and Area I&D team 

• Working closely with Area Sales Enablement, Global Sales Practice Lead and Regional Sales Practice Champion, execute practice-specific skill/capability development plan within the region to ensure regional practice practitioners have the skillsrequired to deliver sales growth and success inRegion 

• Work closely with Area Sales Enablement, Global Practice Lead and L&D team to ensure the right practice capabilities and capacity are available to meet regional needs and learn from other Regional Sales Practice Leads    

• Identify, communicate, and resolve challenges in the ongoing development of the skills and capabilities of the Regional Sales Practice, working closely with Global Practice Lead, Area Sales Leadership and Regional Leadership team 

• Leverage career development pathways to help region practitioners broaden their skills and experience, undertake new roles, and secure promotion 

• Foster the network connection to Avanade's Communities of Practice 

• Build Avanade's culture for growth within the sales team in the region, drive Avanade’s I&D agenda, promote wellbeing, and bring the EVP to life 

Key Performance Indicators 

1) Owned KPIs 

• Sales Targets 

• Pipeline Growth 

• Channel mix target 

• Type of work target (tracked today) 

• Cost of Sale 

• Sold CCI 

• Sales Mix (LOB, BG, SA) 

• Direct Sales Growth in the Microsoft Majors 

• % Growth in Accenture Penetration (Diamonds & Foundation) 

• % Growth in New Business 

• Headcount Management per agreed plans 

• Voluntary Attrition 

• Employee Engagement 

• Inclusion, Diversity & Wellbeing 

2) Shared KPIs 

• Sales growth in prioritized industries 

• Partner Sales Targets 

• Size and shape of Regional Sales Practice 

• Sales capability development 

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Preferred Skills, Behaviours andQualifications 

Competencies 

• Leads Others: Drives Vision & Purpose, Develops Talent  

• Transforms the Business:Demonstrates Strategic Mindset, Cultivates Innovation  

• Runs the Business: Plans & Aligns, Drives Results  

• Builds Our Culture: Client Focus,Instills Trust

Knowledge,Skills and Ability 

• Senior executive leadership, excellent communication skills, strong sales and sales leadershiptrack record, and the ability to influence executive stakeholders, internally and externally 

• Ability to build a thriving sales culture, drive employee engagement, strengthen inclusion and diversity, reduce attrition, attract andretain top talent in the sales practice 

• Market-focused with a growth mindset   

• Ability to collaborate effectively in a highly matrixed company to deliver sales results regionally 

• Track record in selling and closing large complex deals 

• Sales Leadership of senior sales professionals and sales coaching ability to support both sellers and deals. Ability to mentor pursuit teams 

• Capacity todemonstrate persistence and resilience when confronted with obstacles 

• Strategic deal and client relationship experience, gravitas, and impact to drive continuous value for the organizations’ top clients 

• Entrepreneurial approach to developing innovative ideas to stretch the organization  

• Expertise in working at CXO level on selling and influencing large-scale systems integration,consulting or outsourcing decisions 

• Possess an entrepreneurial mindset, a strong focus on achieving results, andexhibits a proactive approach that will contribute to the overall success of the business 

• Profoundexpertise in technology and solutions, along with a proventrack record of operating within intricate settings, collaborating with major partners like Microsoft and Accenture 

• Collaborative negotiating style capable of effecting change and driving results and experience working in a matrixed and fast paced, growing organization 

Education, Certificates and Experience 

• Education and/or experience in the relevant field/business 

• Likely has 10 + years’ experience in Sales such as Solutions Sales or Management Consulting, and relevant experience in a sales leadership role, ideally in Global technology consulting/professional services organizations. 

• Experience building or scaling a sales organization within a region, hitting financial targets, owning budgets, coaching shaping,developing and leading sales professionals 

• Deep experience in understanding complex matrixed organizations and developing successful collaboration plans across organizations to deliver business growth 

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