Senior Field Solution Architect - Cisco Software
CDW

Job Info

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The Senior Field Solution Architect (FSA) role focuses on pre-sales solution design. This role is responsible for working with internal and external sales teams to plan and organize sales strategies. The incumbent analyzes the sales environment including customer expectations, competitive environment as well as the customer's technical environment and define actions to be performed in the sales cycle timeframe. The Senior FSA is a field-based technical presales role. They are expected to spend the majority of their time onsite at CDW customer locations in their local markets. The Senior FSA develops and maintains strategic relationships with Sales Management of the teams they support and seen as a trusted advisor to grow business. The Senior FSA is expected to be subject matter expert in multiple families of solutions. The incumbent in this role operates independently using standard approaches, existing tools, templates, and resources; shares knowledge and information that may benefit the team.

The Senior Field Solution Architect – Cisco Software role (aka Sr. Business Development Architect) is responsible for driving sales growth in Cisco Software sales with Subject Matter Expertise on Cisco Enterprise Agreements and lifecycle-based selling. This role focuses on Cisco EA ‘go to market’ development; enablement of the CDW sales and architecture teams; and EA opportunity engagement.

The incumbent primarily works with key partner resources and CDW sales teams to develop pipeline and facilitate sales using sales campaigns and partner programs to deliver the best solutions for the customers.  Additionally, this role directly engages with customers to evaluate and present on the value of the Cisco software buying programs and CDW Amplified Services/Customer Experience capabilities by providing guidance and thought leadership to maximize software procurement benefits.

 

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Technology Leadership: Is a passionate learner who demonstrates continuous learning by proactively expanding technical depth in products, solutions, and services. If pertinent, achieves certifications in advanced technologies for CDW's Partner Certification Requirements. 
• Operates with the perspective and insight that business needs, not just technology, establish the limits on what can be achieved. 
• Designs technical solutions using standard approaches, considering the customer’s infrastructure limitations and opportunities; analyzes, interprets, and presents assessment results. 
• Determines and defines services that complement and/or round out proposed hardware and software engagements, estimates required engineer effort. 
• Uses team tools, templates, resources, and processes for maximum efficiency, productivity, consistency, and high quality execution. 
• Provides feedback to technology leaders where opportunities exist to improve offerings, design, and delivery execution. 
• Conducts technology/solutions training for CDW audiences (e.g., Sales, Inside Solution Architects), using developed material. 
• Contributes to the team’s knowledge base and readily shares knowledge with other FSAs, Inside Solution Architects, and Sales. 
• Assists new team members by answering questions and sharing expertise on the tools of the job. 
• Assists new hires by answering questions and sharing information. 
• Sales: Follows up on implemented solutions and identifies new opportunities that complement the work that was completed. 
• Researches and reviews customer profile information; applies knowledge of the vertical to develop customer intimacy prior to sales calls and/or strategy sessions. 
• Assists customer in understanding their equipment maintenance contracts, upgrade needs, and renewals; analyses the most cost-effective approach for the customer (e.g., renew the contract or purchase new equipment and contract.) 
• Uses various tools to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership and/or Return on Investment and explains to customers and Sales the business value of a solution and its benefits. 
• Articulates to customers the Practice’s value proposition; articulates audience-centric version of the value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and uses it to generate additional revenue opportunities for CDW. 
• Guides (compares and contrasts) customers in their decision making within CDW Tier 1 Partners Technologies/Solutions (EMC vs. NetApp, EMC vs. IBM); influences, guides and partners with customers to develop their IT strategy. 
• Plans and executes events in territory by replicating plans from other successful events; secures funding to support CDW customer events; drives attendance to sponsored events. 
• Leads business-focused technology solution presentations at CDW, Customer, and Partner events and meetings in your territory. 
• Uses technology assessments and demos as a sales tool for furthering sales opportunities; identifies cross sell-and/or up-sell opportunities for an engagement, equips/assists FSAs and Sales to pursue it. 
• Collaborates with Partners, Inside Solution Architects (ISA) and Account Executives (AE) to drive mapped opportunities; fine tunes strategies and approaches to achieve greater sales results. 
• Operates in a regular cadence with multiple partners to educate, plan, and execute on joint strategies in collaboration with multiple stakeholders (ISA, AE, Sales Managers, Field Sales); understands partner alignment in geography and leads customer opportunity mapping exercises; coordinates on-site partner visits. 
• Develops a detailed and ambitious Territory Plan in collaboration with Partners, AEs, and ISAs and uses it to manage their business. 
• Understands profit margin and how to increase profitability; works cooperatively with field sales to ensure healthy profitability. Leverages and maximizes partner pricing, partner registration programs, incentive programs, and special pricing, to win business and ensure healthy profitability, provides input on pricing to Account Managers, Field Sales, FSAs, and Partners to increase margin and deal size and position CDW for future opportunities; negotiates pricing with Partners. 
• Produces marketing-type documents and materials (e.g., presentation) to customer in territory. 
• Sales Support: Responds to questions about partner registrations, associated registration issues, and customer engagement history. 
• Prioritizes time spent on opportunities based on potential return on investment. 
• Produces Bills of Materials, including product maintenance; writes Statements of Work (including work estimates), RFPs, RFIs, and proposal content. 
• Maintains pre-sales pipeline data, develops plans, and takes actions to move opportunities to closure. 

Other Responsibilities

Business Development

• Accelerate the CDW execution of Cisco software growth related activities by creating and executing sales enablement programs
• Partner with key CDW resources to develop best-in-industry GTM strategies and processes in the selling and transacting of Cisco software
• Lead partner buying program related ‘pilots’ and subsequent roll-outs to impacted resources
• Facilitate the collection and sharing of feedback on buying programs and related processes to ensure continuous improvement
• Work with sales management to identify specific behaviors, knowledge, and skill areas for focus and evaluation for development of the general Account Manager audience
• Partner with channel and vendor resources on program changes, as well as, remaining current on programs and incentives

Sales Support

• Advise account teams on strategies and positioning to specific customers based on experience, best practices and particular account situations
• Build and document standard methodologies, deal structures, and key customer insights
• Research and review customer profile information; apply knowledge of the vertical to develop customer intimacy prior to sales calls and/or strategy sessions
• Articulate CDW’s CX value proposition and provide an audience-centric version of the value proposition to customers, account managers, and partners and use it to generate additional revenue opportunities for CDW
• Develop and utilize financial tools showcasing to customers the return on investment and/or total costs of ownership
• Clearly explain relevant facts, effectively distinguish Cisco offerings from competitors
• Provide Cisco Enterprise Agreement pricing guidance and program assistance
• Present a well-prepared and compelling case to customers for purchase of Cisco software solutions
• Escalation resource for buying program related transaction issues for CDW resources
• Assist with Cisco EA True Forward process by researching customer scenarios to provide proper pricing and customer impact summaries as well as escalation support 

Education and/or Experience Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience 
• Four-year minimum technical pre-sales or technical architecting experience 

Required Qualifications

• Stay up to date on products, applications, technical service, market conditions, competitive activities, advertising, and promotional trends through the reading of pertinent literature, seminars, and online training
• Proven project management skills
• Proficient in Microsoft office applications
• Proven success and experience selling technologies solutions and services
• Knowledge and proven success of engaging and working with sales teams
• Ability to execute on territory goals and metrics
• Ability to adapt and change to the business needs of the practice and team coverage model
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills, including consulting skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong passion for learning and teaching others
• Motivated and self-starting
• Ability to think creatively and come up with proactive ideas that will increase sales
• Strong problem solving skills
• Must be able to communicate effectively and in a constructive manner with management, peers and coworkers
• Ability to understand, remember, and apply oral and/or written instructions or other information. Ability to organize thoughts and ideas into understandable terminology. Ability to multi-task, organize and prioritize. Ability to apply common sense in performing job. Ability to understand and follow basic instructions and guidelines. Ability to travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Obtain and maintain relevant industry standard certifications

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