Sales Manager - Retailer Relations

MAD CAVE STUDIOS, INC. — RETAILER RELATIONS/SALES MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Mad Cave Studios, an independent graphic novel (comics) publisher founded in 2014 and dedicated to creating worldwide entertainment in the horror, sci-fi, action-adventure, crime, and fantasy space, is looking for a full-time Retail relations/sales manager to join our team.

The Retail Relations/Sales Manager position at Mad Cave is a dynamic and multi-faceted role with key responsibilities that span sales to the direct market, maintaining and developing vendor relationships, and working to formulate appropriate sales strategies in the direct market channel. The successful candidate will be:

• Self-motivated, yet able to work as part of a team.

• Excited about the Mad Cave brand, including its Young adult imprint, Maverick.

• And, most importantly, be able to translate that excitement into an ongoing sales strategy that results in a net increase in the sales of our comics and graphic novels.

Apart from the key responsibilities of conducting sales calls and emails, this position will report to the Director of Sales.

Primary responsibilities:

• Direct Market (Comic Retail Shops) sales

  • Research, develop, and execute a variety of sales programs including exclusive variants, discount incentives, and returnability.

  • Cultivate and maintain relationships with comic book store direct market retailers. Conduct regular calls and emails to retailers (approximately 500 a month) to retailers to assist them in placing aggressive, but appropriate, orders for our new and backlist titles.

  • Compile and maintain a list of retail partners, their purchasing preferences, and their preferred method and frequency of contact.

  • Compile and maintain a rotating list of retailers to send a monthly package of promotional materials and sample PDFs.

• Work with editorial to facilitate Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) and previews.

• Work with individuals and groups of retailers to craft custom promotional and sales opportunities.

• Work towards expanding Mad Cave’s market share in the North American direct market.

Other responsibilities:

• Analysis, Execution, Evaluation: Act as an adviser to the Director of Sales, Publisher, and VP of business development on ways to better manage sales and increase profitability.

• Set Goals: Work with the Director of Sales, Publisher, and VP of business development to set quarterly and yearly budgets, including goals for purchase orders based on comparative titles, and market trends.

• Event Planning Support: Work with our Director of Logistics to support in-store events and trade shows, including creator signings and appearances. Work as part of the team that determines company presence and attend industry trade shows and conventions.

• Conventions: Attend all major North American comic conventions. Travel is about 15% of the job.

• Other duties: As assigned.

Qualifications:

• Three to five years in a sales representative role; experience within the comic book industry is preferred.

• At least one year of prior management experience or demonstrated willingness and ability to learn management basics.

• Strong interpersonal skills.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Familiarity with data analysis and reporting.

• Hardworking, persistent, and dependable.

• Positive and enthusiastic.

• Willingness to travel for trade shows and conventions.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will possess:

• Bachelor’s degree; business and marketing majors preferred.

• An interest and empathic response to individual needs and points of view.

• A willingness to spend time and devote thought to analyzing attitudes, and their impact on emerging trends.

• A sense of justice or fair dealing in their interactions with retail partners.

• Respect for others’ unique personalities and experiences.

• Prior knowledge of the book and/or comic markets.

• Experience with MailChimp.

• Prior knowledge of Diamond Comic Distributors, comic book stores best practices, and the direct market.

Compensation and Benefits:

• $75,000.00 per year, or higher, based on qualifications and experience.

• Monthly payment schedule.

• Medical benefits.

Application Instructions:

Qualified applicants should send an email with the subject line “SALES MANAGER APPLICATION” that includes all of the following: a cover letter (copied in the body of the email), resume, and salary requirements to support@madcavestudios.com

Mad Cave is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.