Director, Sales - SMB

Preferred Location:  Chicago; hybrid 2x week NIQ HQ 200 W. Jackson Must be in US at time of application to be considered About this job  NielsenIQ partners with the world's leading manufacturers, retailers, and brands to deliver market intelligence, industry insights, and strategic thought leadership. Our data and analytics help clients make critical business decisions, from pricing strategies and product innovation to assortment optimization and understanding what ultimately reaches shelves and digital marketplaces. As trusted advisors, our teams leverage deep category expertise and cutting-edge solutions to drive measurable business outcomes. As a Director, Sales , you will serve as a strategic consultant to clients, helping them uncover opportunities and solve complex business challenges through NielsenIQ's industry-leading data, analytics, and insights solutions. You will develop a deep understanding of client objectives, proactively identify growth opportunities, and demonstrate the value of NielsenIQ's offerings to drive long-term partnerships. This is a full-cycle sales role responsible for prospecting, lead generation, solution positioning, product demonstrations, proposal development, contract negotiation, and closing new business opportunities. The Director will build and maintain strong internal and external networks, collaborate cross-functionally across the organization, and leverage subject matter expertise to deliver exceptional client experiences while achieving ambitious revenue goals. The ideal candidate combines a hunter mentality with consultative selling skills and thrives in a dynamic, growth-oriented environment. Responsibilities  Self-starter to proactively prospect the marketplace to expand our client base and drive repeat purchases with occasional buyers  Lead discovery conversations to uncover pain points and align NielsenIQ solutions with client goals  Use a consultative selling approach to identify client business needs, qualify, probe, scope and sell in NielsenIQ services  Apply consultative selling techniques, actively listening and adapting to client feedback  Execute against sales initiatives: attend trade shows, perform cold-call lead generation, conduct marketing campaigns to identify potential clients, qualify and generate sales, and conduct solution demos  Own revenue targets and pipeline visibility. Conduct revenue forecasting on respective client base  Manage client relationship and sales efforts with recurring ad-hoc clients by promptly answering client questions regarding data quality, service offering and product delivery  Heavy usage of Microsoft Dynamics 365 (CRM) to keep track of sales activities, leads, and opportunities   A little bit about you  You enjoy fostering and growing customer relationships and working with syndicated data sets and analytic solutions across large matrixed organizations. You seek to educate your clients and internal various areas across the NielsenIQ product suite and are looking to create fully integrated solutions to solve your client’s most pressing business issues. You’re comfortable with learning, using, and presenting the benefits of the industry’s latest cloud-based technology and analytic solutions.  Bachelor’s Degree Required  7-10+ years of quota-carrying sales experience in Market Research, Consumer Insights, Analytics, Data, or SaaS organizations, with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets. Deep understanding of the FMCG/CPG ecosystem and experience partnering with manufacturers, brands, or retailers, preferred. Highly proficient in Microsoft Office software and Microsoft Dynamics 365 or similar CRM  Strategic sales and business development competency  Consultative selling within experience across data-driven solutions  Skilled & polished communicator, including client presentations  Strong logic, deductive reasoning, problem solving, and critical thinking skills  Able to maintain positive client relationships in complex situations & resolve client issues  Able to work collaboratively with internal & external teams  Strong sense of urgency and accountability to drive client and internal partner outcomes  US Benefits  Comprehensive healthcare plan (medical, Rx, dental, and vision). Flexible spending accounts and a Health Savings Account (including company contributions).  Life and AD&D insurance.  401(k) retirement plan including company matching contributions.  Disability insurance.  Tuition Reimbursement.  Discretionary paid time off program and 11 paid holidays.  Flexible working environment  Volunteer time off  LinkedIn Learning  Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP)  #LI-Hybrid This role has a market-competitive salary with an anticipated base compensation of the following range:  $117,250.00 - $130,000.00.   Actual salaries will vary depending on a candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and location.  This role is eligible for a sales-based incentive or performance-based bonus.  Other benefits include flexible working environment, comprehensive health insurance, industry-leading parental leave, life insurance, education support and more.   Our Benefits Flexible working environment Volunteer time off LinkedIn Learning Employee-Assistance-Program (EAP) NIQ may utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools at various stages of the recruitment process, including résumé screening, candidate assessments, interview scheduling, job matching, communication support, and certain administrative tasks that help streamline workflows. These tools are intended to improve efficiency and support fair and consistent evaluation based on job-related criteria. All use of AI is governed by NIQ’s principles of fairness, transparency, human oversight, and inclusion. Final hiring decisions are made exclusively by humans. NIQ regularly reviews its AI tools to help mitigate bias and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. If you have