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Imagination Theater is hiring a Director of Sales and Marketing. Following is a job description and instructions for how to apply:
Director of Sales Job Description
The Organization
Imagination Theater is a 51-year-old non-profit, social issues based theater company that primarily works for schools in and around the Chicago area. Imagination Theater’s mission is to provide diverse audiences with original, dynamic, participatory, theatrical programming that enhances well-being and creates a more civil, safe society.
Each year, Imagination Theater performs for over 40,000 children, teenagers, and adults by providing assembly programs, residencies, and workshops. Programs are broken down by age group (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, high school, college, adults) and address a wide variety of social issues that audiences face such as bullying, sexual abuse prevention, conflict resolution, and diversity in the workplace to name just a few.
All of Imagination Theater programs are a combination of scripted scene work, improvisation, and theater exercises that get audience members to participate with IT professional actors on stage to role play possible solutions to sometimes difficult problems.
Position Summary
The Director of Sales reports directly to the Executive Director and is responsible for booking all IT programming, creating and executing contracts, ensuring that all signed documents are returned before performance dates, and follow up is made after performances with the client. The Director of Sales is responsible for creating the annual sales and marketing plan and presenting it to the Executive Director for review and approval. The Director of Sales will create and send monthly e-newsletters to all clients on the mailing list. They will also attend all marketing events and regularly update the Google calendars with current show bookings. The Director of Sales performance is measured in part by meeting monthly sales goals.Duties – Sales
- Regularly send emails and make cold calls to both new potential customers and repeat customer throughout the year to secure new performance bookings.
- Answer all client calls and designate appropriate handling for timely resolution.
- Check and answer all client emails sent either through the Imagination Theater website or directly to the Director of Sales and Marketing email and handle appropriately and timely.
- Maintain tracking of monthly and yearly sales goals with performance target to meet or exceed them.
- Maintain customer database (Salesforce).
- Create contracts and invoices to e-mail to clients and copy the Executive Director and the Bookkeeper on those e-mails.
- Assure that all contracts are signed and fully executed and method of payment is secured before sending out the cast to perform shows.
- Confirm with client all shows at least a week prior to the performance dates verifying performance sites along with reminders of any needs the actors will have at the time of their arrival.
- Follow up post performance with all clients via the phone as well as checking and filing customer evaluations.
Duties – Marketing:
- Responsible for the design, printing, and distribution of all marketing materials including, but not limited to yearly brochure mailings, monthly e-newsletters, and keeping any social networking sites up to date (i.e. Imagination Theater’s Facebook page).
- Assist with updates of website.
- Develop the annual Sales and Marketing Plan for approval by Executive Director.
- Work with Executive Director to set prices for all shows and residencies.
- Attend all marketing and showcase events.
- Attend performances when appropriate serving as the Imagination Theater’s point contact for the client.
Duties – Administrative/Meetings
- Regularly and timely update the Google Calendars as performances are booked.
- Attend all staff meetings and give updates to all sales and marketing related items along with recommendations for areas of improvement.
- Attend board meetings at the request of the board providing updates on year-to-date sales goal attainment as well as marketing plans for the upcoming year.
Qualifications and Skills
- Sales experience that required regularly meeting monthly target goals. Candidates with knowledge of navigating the school systems is a plus.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including formal presentations representing organization.
- Good networking skills and professional presence with experience in effectively representing organizations.
- Possesses a passion for mission of Imagination Theater.
- Previous Customer Relationship Management and/or marketing software database experience, Salesforce familiarity desirable.
- Familiarity with regular use of Microsoft suite of products, Google apps, Photoshop (or equivalent program), WordPress, and Salesforce.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Ability to plan, prioritize activities, and employ self-disciplined work ethic.
- Ability to persuade, negotiate, influence, and consult effectively at all levels through the phone, e-mail, and face-to-face with clients.
- Ability to develop, plan, and implement both short and long-range goals.
Requirements
This position will work both out of the IT office, but also remotely. Candidates should have a cell phone that they can use while off site. In addition, have a car for transportation to and from marketing events is a plus.
Compensation
This is a part-time position currently offered at 20 hours a week. However, as Imagination Theater continues to grow, this could turn into a full time salaried position and there is a lot of room for growth. Candidates will start at $16.00 an hour plus 7% commission for all shows, workshops, and residencies that are booked.
How to apply
Please provide a cover letter and resume to Steve Leaver, Executive Director at steve@imaginationtheater.org. Interviews will be held in December. The position is likely to start in January.
