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Position: Vice President of Sales
Organization: "CLIENT" Health Plan
Location: Seattle, WA
Reporting Relationship
The Vice President of Sales reports to the President of "CLIENT" Health Plan. There are eight direct reports to this position, including the managers of Sales, Bid Response and Broker Relations.
Organization Information
"CLIENT" Health Plan is one of the largest health plans in Washington State. A not-for-profit company, "CLIENT" Health Plan has been providing health-care coverage to Washington residents since 1917. "CLIENT" Health Plan serves more than one million members, and works to return as much of the premium dollar to the community as possible in the form of health care benefits for members. "CLIENT" Health Plan distinguishes itself from competitors through the quality and integrity of its leadership and staff, through its excellent provider network, and by providing reputable customer service.
"CLIENT" Health Plan provides health care coverage in Clallam, Columbia, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Island, Whatcom, and Yakima counties. "CLIENT" also operates on an unbranded basis in Eastern Washington as Asuris Northwest Health.
"CLIENT" Health Plan offers a full line of traditional health insurance, PPO, point-of-service health products, Medicare supplements, dental, vision and life coverage, as well as administrative services for self-insured companies. Products are available for large and small employer groups, as well as for individuals. Commercial products account for 65 percent of "CLIENT'S" business.
Position Summary
The Vice President of Sales sets the vision and performance benchmarks for the sales team. The Vice President is responsible for all activities related to conceptualizing and implementing strategies, achieving sales and revenue targets, and successfully managing the sales division. Specific responsibilities include business development, account service and retention, staff performance and development, distribution arrangements, broker relations, and sales coordination.
Responsibilities include sales planning, aligning incentive compensation to goals, membership and profit goal setting, and driving key sales initiatives.
The Vice President leads sales management reporting (includes sales contact management and pipeline reporting), variance analysis, and action plan development for negative variances.
The ideal candidate is strategic, collaborative, and has a strong sales orientation. He or she will demonstrate seasoned management skills and integrity. The Vice President sets the strategic vision, builds critical internal and external relationships, and provides the team with the resources and systems to achieve sales goals.
Initial Priorities
- Evaluate capabilities of the sales force and invest in training. Build a strong sales environment by re-energizing and motivating the sales team to be visible, effective, and aggressive. Ensure that sales are made, and service is delivered, as a team.
- Establish rapport and trust in exchange for responsiveness with the Underwriting and Actuarial departments. Get traction in market place based on better price position and broker communication.
- Execute a plan to establish the sales team as credible, respectable, and responsive in the external market.
- Actively build relationships and credibility within the organization and in the broker community. Determine broker business partners based on their reputation and integrity in the industry.
- Create opportunities for "CLIENT" Health Plan management to be more visible in the marketplace.
Core Responsibilities
- Leads sales strategy for a $3.0B book of business. Establishes tactics and manages resources necessary to achieve yearly goals.
- Manages local product development initiatives in conjunction with larger "CLIENT" market initiatives. Captures the market for new products.
- Directs sales managers and staff in all key market segments, including individual, Medicare supplemental products, small and large group employer, sponsored national accounts through BlueCard programs, ASO and TPA.
- Implements retention and new business strategies.
- Identifies ways "CLIENT" Health Plan can build systems that meet consumers' increasingly sophisticated needs, especially web-based technology.
- Directs market analysis of local competition to ensure competitive advantage. Works collaboratively with underwriting leadership to ensure profitable growth.
- Leads broker relations and compensation strategies. Uses sales reporting to track, measure and analyze performance.
- In conjunction with Corporate Communications, ensures all sales communications are coordinated, support marketing and sales plan objectives, and are an effective expenditure of resources.
- Provides sales strategy input to advertising and public relations.
- Participates on "CLIENT" -wide senior product and market development teams to ensure consistency.
- Oversees the development and implementation of sales incentive compensation programs for all local business.
- Prepares presentations to management groups, leadership groups and the boards to explain the company's market position and initiatives.
Leadership
- Sets clear goals, manages the day-to-day direction of the sales team, and holds people accountable. Defines responsibilities and accountabilities for all sales staff.
- Recommends changes in the basic structure and organization of the sales group, ensuring the fulfillment of its assigned objectives and providing the flexibility to move swiftly in relation to problems and opportunities.
- Recruits and trains sales teams to "CLIENT" Health Plan levels of competency, performance and regulatory requirements. Designs and implements retention strategies to build the stability and performance of the sales teams.
- Introduces industry benchmarks, promotes the sharing of best practices and practices consistency. Demonstrates a consistent focus on achieving or surpassing results against all standards of excellence.
- Mentors, challenges, and empowers staff. Seeks out opportunities for employee development. Allows for appropriate autonomy of the sales team. Provides constructive feedback and holds staff accountable. Recognizes and rewards success.
- Serves on senior leadership team for "CLIENT" Health Plan.
- Advocates internally and externally for the sales force.
- Keeps a finger on the external market pulse and introduces ideas based on market activity.
Finance
- Meets or surpasses sales and retention goals. Assists in establishing short- and long-range sales and marketing objectives. Develops performance standards for measuring progress.
- Develops and manages price, sales and expense budgets and forecasts. Analyzes and develops recommendations to address variances of budget forecast versus actual performance.
Relationships
- Actively builds relationships and credibility within the organization and in the broker community. Determines broker business partners based on their reputation and integrity in the industry. Across the "CLIENT" organization, creates synergies and strong relationships with "CLIENT" partners.
- Visits brokers with sales team and facilitates negotiations when appropriate. Partners as appropriate with other functions to resolve issues and strengthen relationships.
- Forges a true partnership with underwriting based on a flexible, supportive relationship.
- Actively participates in industry groups and other community activities that assist "CLIENT" Health Plan in developing a favorable image in the community.
Planning
- Designs and implements a planning-based sales organization. Creates a sales performance focus based on careful analysis with clearly articulated plans, goals, and incentives.
- Analyzes industry, technical, economic and other relevant data to increase market share and competitive standing.
- Maintains awareness of competitors' strategies and tactics. Keeps current on new developments in the marketplace to identify problems, trends, solutions, and take steps to ensure that information critical to the success of "CLIENT" is communicated and acted upon.
Quality
- Provides a quality focus for the sales team.
- Contributes to, and supports, all organization quality initiatives by planning, communicating, and encouraging team contributions toward quality improvement efforts. Is accountable for providing a quality focus and continuous improvement for the sales team.
Key Attributes
- Is a highly motivated, results-oriented individual who focuses on building relationships and closing business deals.
- Demonstrates a strong performance orientation and skillful strategic thinking. Articulates vision, establishes clear expectations, and continuously measures performance.
- Holds others accountable.
- Promotes teamwork and collaboration between departments; is inclusive of peers and/or key stakeholders when making decisions that affect others.
- Has a proven customer focus and delivers on commitments to client groups.
- As a manager, mentors, develops and motivates staff. Delegates appropriately and provides opportunities for team to further train and develop their skills.
- Possesses unquestionable professional integrity and a candid, honest style which evokes credibility and inspires confidence.
- Understands the diverse needs of various stakeholders and is able to garner their support.
- Demonstrates an enthusiastic, highly organized, and self-directed approach to work. Has a propensity to action and instills this in the sales team and partners.
- Works well within a large, matrixed organization. Manages effectively through influence. Is adept at creating win-win situations. Demonstrates political savvy and maturity.
- Is articulate, poised, and persuasive. Possesses exceptional communication skills.
Candidate Qualifications
Education
- A degree in business, marketing, or a related discipline or equivalent combination of education and experience. Masters Degree is preferred.
Experience
- A minimum of ten years health care insurance sales experience
- A minimum of five years sales management experience
- Demonstrated success designing and implementing a sales plan
- Broad functional experience in areas of strategic planning, sales and marketing, business and market development.
- Demonstrates solid negotiation skills
- Significant experience working with brokers, or as a broker
- A reputation for effective relationships with executives, employers, brokers and staff
- Experience successfully partnering with underwriting and actuarial departments
- Effective communication skills with a diverse range of individuals, and strong writing and presentation abilities
- Demonstrated success working in a competitive environment.
- Thorough knowledge of computers and the software that supports the sales function; is comfortable with programs necessary to track and measure sales performance.
