Associate Inside Sales Manager

About Ace Retail Group

Ace Retail Group (ARG), is a division of Ace Hardware Corporation that owns and operates several Ace brands, including Westlake Ace, Great Lakes Ace, Buikema’s Ace, Outer Banks Ace, Dennis Company, and Breed & Company. ARG is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States and has two headquarters located in Lenexa, KS and Farmington Hills, MI. ARG’s origins date back over a century and operates over 250 neighborhood stores located throughout the United States.

Great people make ARG stand out in our industry, and we are looking for individuals who strive for personal and professional growth, and who want to work with a company founded on (and still led by) our solid Core Values of:
Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility and Teamwork.

Based in the Kansas City Metro, ARG is one of the largest hardware retailers in the United States. Our company has operated for more than 120 years and has a chain of over 250 neighborhood stores across seventeen states. Great people make ARG stand out in our industry. We’re looking for individuals who strive for professional growth and want to work with a company founded on solid core values.

Westlake Ace Hardware is seeking a talented, confident, and enthusiastic team member with a “make it happen” attitude. This is a B2B customer connected position with advancement opportunities within our Commercial business unit, which is the fastest growing division inside our company. With a goal of driving repeatable, sustainable and predictable sales, you will be responsible for direct sales and sales facilitation among mostly existing and some new Commercial customers.

The successful Associate Inside Sales Manager will use the telephone and the internet (email) to pursue distinct sales channels to an assigned group of our stores who do not currently have an outside sales presence.

• Direct sales:
  Utilizing data points to prospect (sales history, purchase patterns, customer segmentation, etc.).
• Store partnership and support:
  Field calls from store team members who have uncovered sales opportunities and help them bring business customers through to purchase.
• Use existing customer base as a launching point to engage known customers who shop at our retail stores but have no outside sales rep. Your goal is to create incremental sales by engaging these customers and building relationships.
• Apply consultative sales skills to connect customers with stores and their team members and vice versa.
• Communicate product selection and Commercial Division capabilities to prospective customers.
• Set up and maintain sales solutions for stores (e.g., website support, in‑store stocking, sales manager involvement).
• Source and locate products from our stable of vendors or partner with Commercial Fulfillment, Sourcing, and Operations Managers to order and maintain in‑stock of high‑demand items.
• Maintain strong communication with store staff regarding business customer purchasing habits and frequencies.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills; comfortable talking with internal and external customers in any setting.
• Understanding of retail operations, inventory management, and business fundamentals.
• Refined interpersonal skills to engage with others, solid negotiating and conflict resolution abilities.
• Ability to foster teamwork and collaboration.
• Motivation to inspire both internal and external stakeholders to perform enthusiastically.
• Comfortable with computers, telephones, email, various applications, technology, websites, and the internet.
• Excellent attention to detail and follow‑up.
• Proficient with PC applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to work independently and during flexible hours.

Sitting, standing, walking, talking. Must be able to lift and load up to 50 lbs.

$50,000 – $55,000 annually.