Sales Manager

Ground Builders is a premier landscaping company dedicated to redefining outdoor living. We pride ourselves on our commitment to quality, innovation, and exceptional customer service. We have a dedicated ten-year game plan to become a regional leader in the landscaping industry by building a scalable model with streamlined processes focused on enhancing our customers' experience.We have an exciting new opportunity for a high-performing Lead Designer to drive consistent sales results while leading, coaching, and developing our sales and design team. The Lead Designer is responsible for meeting personal and team goals related to revenue, close rate, gross profit, customer satisfaction, and the accuracy of designs, estimates, and project plans. This position plays a critical role in aligning Sales, Design, and Production to ensure projects are sold correctly and delivered on time and on budget.POSITION RESPONSIBILITIESSales Leadership & Accountability:Lead and develop a high-performing sales and design team while driving revenue and performance goals. Set clear expectations for activity, close rates, margins, and customer experience. Provide ongoing coaching in sales process, presentation skills, pricing, and closing techniques, and support hiring, onboarding, and trg of new team members.Marketing Strategy & Execution: Own and execute Ground Builders' marketing strategy to consistently generate qualified leads within defined target markets. Ensure marketing efforts align with annual revenue goals and sales capacity while coordinating internal and external resources, including agencies, vendors, and platforms. Oversee digital marketing performance across the website, SEO, paid advertising, email campaigns, and social media. Lead brand awareness initiatives, manage online reviews and reputation, track performance metrics such as lead volume, quality, cost, and conversion rates, and adjust tactics based on data, seasonality, and business needs.Sales Pipeline, Metrics & Forecasting: Own the health of the sales pipeline, forecasting accuracy, and reporting. Ensure consistent and accurate CRM usage across the sales team while tracking and reporting key sales and marketing KPIs, including leads, appointments, close rates, revenue, and gross profit. Identify performance gaps and implement coaching, process improvements, or marketing adjustments to drive results.Estimating, Pricing & Accuracy Oversight:Ensure estimating and pricing standards are followed consistently across the sales team. Review estimates and proposals for accuracy, completeness, and alignment with margin targets, ensuring scopes, assumptions, and deliverables are clearly defined before work is sold. Help minimize production issues by ensuring projects are sold correctly from the start.Cross-Department Collaboration: Work closely with Production and Project Management teams to ensure smooth transitions from sale to execution. Participate in pre-production meetings and scope reviews as needed, act as a problem-solver between Sales, Marketing, and Production, and ensure feedback from Production and Clients is incorporated into ongoing sales and marketing improvements.Customer Experience & Brand Stewardship: Set the standard for professionalism, responsiveness, and trust throughout the sales process. Ensure customer expectations are clearly defined, documented, and aligned with delivered work. Support resolution of customer concerns related to scope, pricing, or expectations, promote long-term client relationships and referrals, and help make the overall process fun, easy, and professional for both clients and team members.KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITYKNOWLEDGE: Consistent work history with a minimum of 5 years of experience in sales leadership, marketing management, or business development (construction or landscaping preferred). Prior experience leading, coaching, or mentoring sales teams.SKILLS: Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills. Proven track record of achieving or exceeding revenue and growth targets. Prior experience leading, coaching, or managing sales teams. Strong understanding of marketing channels, lead generation, and brand management. Ability to analyze data and use metrics to drive decisions. Solid understanding of construction or landscape project sales and estimating principles. Excellent communication, presentation, and leadership skills. Proficiency with CRM systems and marketing platforms. Ability to adapt to a dynamic environment and thrive under pressure through a commitment to excellence. Desire to be a key member of a growing, team-oriented company.ABILITY: This role is onsite and requires reporting to our office in Waterloo, NE. A valid driver's license and the ability to pass a felony/misdemeanor background and driving (Motor Vehicle Record) check. Evening or weekend commitments as needed for leadership, events, or client needs. Why Ground Builders?At Ground Builders, we believe great projects start with great people. This role offers the chance to lead from the front, build strong teams, and deliver high-quality landscapes within a culture that values craftsmanship and accountability. As a growing company, we are looking for ambitious individuals ready to elevate industry standards. We provide a dedicated environment for mentorship and skill-building, offering clear pathways for advancement as our team continues to scale.