Behlen Jobs in Columbus, NE (NOW HIRING)

Location: Flexible

Travel: Approximately 50 to 70% travel required, including regular field visits with District Managers and customer meetings.

The Sales Manager serves as the "Head Coach" of the Behlen Building Systems sales organization. This role is responsible for developing high performing District Managers through coaching, accountability, training, and disciplined execution. The Sales Manager ensures that every District Manager has the skills, tools, and support needed to grow profitable sales while delivering an exceptional customer experience.

Unlike a traditional sales management role focused primarily on closing business, the Sales Manager's primary responsibility is developing people, strengthening sales processes, and creating a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

The Sales Manager partners closely with the Vice President of Sales to execute Behlen's commercial strategy while driving consistent performance across the sales organization.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Coaching & Performance Development

Develop District Managers into high performing sales professionals through structured coaching and ongoing development.

Responsibilities include:

• Travel with District Managers to assess and develop individual growth and effectiveness
• Coach and assist District Managers in developing and executing their Territory Development plans.
• Quarterly coaching calls to help organize and prioritize strategies and tactics.
• Provide techniques and tools to help organize and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of each DM.

Talent Development

Lead the recruitment, onboarding, and development of the sales organization.

Responsibilities include:

• Support recruiting and interviewing new District Managers.
• Expand DM’s skill set and personal development through training programs, seminars, and coaching.
• Create and facilitate structured training curriculum for all sales personnel including new hires.
• Develop the “next” sales lead by providing mentoring.

Sales Operations & Execution

Drive disciplined execution across the sales organization through data, systems, and process improvement.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensure CRM accuracy and compliance. 
• Cultivate accurate sales forecasts. 
• Develop and review KPI dashboards. 
• Drive the adoption of sales tools and technologies. 
• Partner with the Manager of Business Processes & Business Systems to improve sales processes and reporting. 

Performance Management

Create a culture of ownership through consistent performance management.

Daily

• Review quote activity to analyze time allocation and customer performance. 
• Quarterly reviews to improve territory performance and effectiveness. 
• Review win/loss opportunities and market intelligence.
• Ensure DMs are working effectively with Engineering and Estimating by emphasizing and adhering to minimum order/estimating requirements. 
• Present sales performance metrics to leadership. 

Customer Engagement

Support District Managers in developing strong customer relationships.

Responsibilities include:

• Participate in strategic customer visits. 
• Assist with key project pursuits. 
• Support builder relationship development. 
• Help resolve customer concerns before escalation. 
• Promote Behlen's commitment to exceptional customer service. 

Leadership Expectations

The Sales Manager will:

• Lead by example and build the expectation of excellence. 
• Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. 
• Develop people through coaching rather than managing through authority. 
• Build bridges between departments and knock down any barriers that exist. 
• Build trust throughout the sales organization. 
• Reinforce Behlen's core values and customer-first mindset. 

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in business, Marketing, Construction Management, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent industry experience. 
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive B2B sales experience. 
• Minimum of 3 years leading, coaching, or developing a sales team. 
• Experience in commercial construction, engineered building systems, industrial manufacturing, or related industries. 
• Proven success in developing sales professionals and improving team performance. 
• Strong analytical and financial acumen. 
• Experience using CRM systems and sales performance metrics. 
• Excellent communication, coaching, and leadership skills. 
• Ability to travel extensively. 

Preferred

• Experience within the pre-engineered metal building industry. 
• Knowledge of builders, contractors, and commercial construction sales. 
• Experience with sales process improvement and CRM implementation. 
• Familiarity with Power BI, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar CRM platforms. 
• Lean, continuous improvement, or operational excellence experience. 

Success in the First 12 Months

A successful Sales Manager will:

• Build strong relationships with every District Manager. 
• Implement a structured coaching cadence across the sales organization. 
• Establish measurable sales scorecards and accountability metrics. 
• Reduce onboarding time for new District Managers. 
• Improve pipeline discipline and forecast accuracy. 
• Increase quote conversion rates and builder engagement. 
• Improve collaboration between Sales, Estimating, Engineering, and Operations. 
• Create a culture where coaching, accountability, and continuous improvement become part of how Behlen wins in the marketplace.