Darlington | Hybrid working, 3 days office / 2 days remote

Are you confident speaking to customers, motivated by targets and looking for a sales role where you can build a long-term career?

You don’t need previous media experience to join us. If you’ve worked in sales, insurance, a contact centre, retail or another target-driven environment, you could already have many of the skills we’re looking for. We’ll provide the training and support to help you develop the rest.

LOCALiQ is the marketing arm of Newsquest, home to well-known local titles including The Northern Echo and Darlington & Stockton Times. We help businesses across Darlington and County Durham connect with new customers through a combination of trusted local publications and digital marketing solutions, including paid social, display advertising, video and websites.
As a Sales Account Executive, you’ll work predominantly over the phone, building relationships with local businesses, understanding what they want to achieve and recommending advertising and marketing solutions that can help them grow.

This is a role with a strong focus on new business development, alongside managing and developing a smaller portfolio of existing customers.

You’ll receive structured training from day one, ongoing coaching and achievable targets that build as your experience grows. With uncapped commission and clear opportunities to progress within our sales team, it’s a great opportunity to develop a rewarding career in media sales.

• Make around 50 outbound calls per day, connecting with local business owners across a variety of sectors.
• Prospect and identify new business opportunities across Darlington and the surrounding area.
• Hold engaging sales conversations over the phone and via video, using effective questioning to understand each customer’s business, challenges and objectives.
• Recommend relevant print and digital advertising solutions based on individual client needs.
• Build strong relationships with both prospective and existing customers.
• Follow up on opportunities, overcome objections and confidently work towards closing sales.
• Manage your own sales pipeline and maintain accurate customer information within the CRM.
• Look after a portfolio of existing accounts, identifying opportunities to retain and grow their business.
• Work closely with internal campaign teams to ensure advertising campaigns are delivered effectively.
• Consistently work towards individual sales and revenue targets.

We’re looking for someone who is confident, resilient and commercially minded, with the drive to succeed in a fast-paced sales environment.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Previous experience within sales, telesales, insurance, contact centre, retail or another target-driven customer environment.
• Confidence making outbound calls and approaching prospective customers.
• A natural ability to build rapport and develop strong customer relationships.
• Good questioning and listening skills, with the ability to understand what a customer really needs.
• A positive and resilient approach to sales, with the confidence to handle objections and move on from a “no”.
• Strong communication skills and a professional telephone manner.
• The ability to manage multiple opportunities and keep an organised sales pipeline.
• A target-driven mindset and motivation to earn through commission.
• A proactive approach to generating new business and developing existing accounts.
• Previous media, advertising or B2B sales experience would be advantageous, but is not essential.

You’ll be supported from the moment you join, starting with a two-week induction covering our products, sales approach and live customer conversations.

Throughout your first 12 months, you’ll also receive 30 minutes of dedicated one-to-one coaching every week, alongside regular support and development from your Sales Manager.

Your targets will build gradually throughout your first year, giving you the opportunity to learn the role, develop your confidence and increase your earning potential.

The Sales Account Executive position can also be the first step in a longer-term career with us. You could progress into field-based Sales Account Management, meeting clients face to face, or develop towards a Sales Account Director position working with larger customers and campaigns.

With a £27,500 basic salary, realistic first-year OTE of £35,000 and uncapped commission, there’s plenty of opportunity to increase your earnings, with top performers in this role earning £50,000+ last year.

• Competitive salary + uncapped commission
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off
• Holiday buy scheme for extra flexibility
• Structured career progression & ongoing training
• Pension plan
• Employee Helpline counselling and advice
• Perks & discounts including:
  • Gym membership
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • Eye care
  • Retail discounts
• Team building days & annual volunteer charity day

Newsquest Media Group is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all community sections regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, ***, or sexual orientation. Our recruitment process will consist of various stages and activities. As part of our commitment to fairness to all applicants, we will take into account any adjustments that could help you.