Direct Sales Representative

Location: Buffalo, NY – Onsite

Employment Type: Full-Time

Travel: Approximately 50%

Work Authorization: U.S. Citizens (USC) and Green Card Holders only

Base Salary: $60,000

Variable/Commission: Up to $40,000

Target Compensation: $100,000

Note: Candidates with significantly higher salary expectations will not be considered.

We are seeking a Direct Sales Representative to manage and grow a key sales territory covering New York State and Ontario, Canada
.

This is a high-impact, field-based sales position suited for a technical sales professional who enjoys building customer relationships, developing new business, and providing application-specific solutions within industrial and manufacturing environments.

The successful candidate will work closely with customers, engineering teams, and internal stakeholders to understand manufacturing processes, identify opportunities, and recommend technically sophisticated solutions that deliver measurable value.

This is not an order-taking sales role. The ideal candidate will take a consultative approach—learning customer applications, understanding their manufacturing challenges, and partnering with technical teams to develop solutions that improve product performance, process efficiency, and cost-per-part economics.

The position is based at the company’s Buffalo, NY facility and requires approximately 50% travel throughout the assigned territory. Comprehensive training on products, applications, and internal processes will be provided.

• Manage and grow an existing customer base across New York State and Ontario, representing approximately $850K–$1M in annual revenue.
• Develop new business through proactive prospecting, cold outreach, networking, referrals, and industry events.
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with key decision-makers across purchasing, engineering, operations, and manufacturing.
• Conduct customer application reviews and process analyses to understand operational requirements and challenges.
• Recommend customized, application-specific solutions based on customer requirements.
• Partner with internal engineering and product development teams to develop appropriate product specifications and solutions.
• Communicate the performance and value of premium products, including:
• Cost-per-part savings
• Extended product life
• Improved process efficiency
• Reduced downtime
• Overall manufacturing cost improvements
• Effectively communicate value propositions and justify premium pricing against competing products.
• Maintain accurate customer, opportunity, pipeline, and sales activity information within CRM systems.
• Provide regular territory updates, forecasts, and market feedback to the Sales Manager.
• Monitor competitors, market trends, customer requirements, and industry developments.
• Provide field intelligence to internal teams to support product development and go-to-market strategies.
• Represent the organization at trade shows, customer events, industry associations, and other relevant industry activities.
• Travel approximately 50% throughout New York State and Ontario for customer visits, application reviews, prospecting, and new business development.
• Work independently while maintaining strong communication and collaboration with internal teams.

The successful candidate will work with customers across industrial and manufacturing sectors, including:

• Steel mills and metal processing facilities
• Automotive and transportation manufacturers
• Piston and engine component manufacturers
• Cutting tool manufacturers
• Precision grinding and metalworking operations
• Industrial manufacturing companies
• Other organizations requiring high-performance, application-specific abrasive or metalworking solutions

• 3–7 years…