Territory Sales Manager - South East (Remote)

AFL Telecommunications•Columbia, SC

10d•Remote

About The Position

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 11,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity. Job Summary The Territory Sales Manager (TSM) is responsible for maximizing revenue and accelerating growth of targeted products within a defined territory. The TSM will build and sustain strong relationships at key accounts providing sales and sales support of AFL’s products in the enterprise market. Success in this role means consistently meeting or exceeding annual sales targets while strategically expanding market share across the assigned territory.

Requirements

2+ years of outside sales working experience.
Strong communication skills (oral & written)
Proficient computer systems skills (Power Point, Excel, Word)
Basic understanding of passive optical products and their placement in the enterprise market place along with experience with fusion splicing and testing fundamentals.
Demonstrate strong self-awareness and emotional intelligence, including the ability to regulate your emotions under pressure, maintain self-motivation, and reflect on performance to continually improve.
Exhibit the discipline and autonomy to excel in a fully remote setting, managing your daily priorities, staying driven without direct supervision, and seamlessly coordinating sales activities across home and customer sites.
Demonstrate strong technical proficiency, encompassing deep knowledge of product features, core systems integration, and relevant industry trends—enabling you to confidently explain solutions, address technical questions, and serve as a credible advisor to customers.
Resilient and persistent, tackling challenges head‑on and following through with prospects despite setbacks.
Exhibit relentless intellectual curiosity and a growth mindset, actively exploring all aspects of our products, their applications, and customer use cases—continuously learning and adapting through self-driven research, customer insights, and real-world experience.
Adapt quickly and solve problems, crafting tailored solutions in dynamic markets.
Excel at communication and listening, articulating our value proposition while truly understanding clients.
Positive Attitude: Maintains composure and enthusiasm under tight deadlines and challenges.
Collaborative: Strong ability to build relationships across business units and sales teams.
Organized: Excellent multitasking, prioritization, and time-management skills.

Nice To Haves

Possession of industry credentials or certifications (e.g., BICSI, FOA, or equivalent) is highly desirable, indicating specialized technical expertise in fiber and cabling systems and a commitment to professional development.
Familiarity with Salesforce CRM is a strong advantage, demonstrating comfort with lead and opportunity tracking, pipeline management, and basic report/dashboard utilization to support data-driven decision‑making.
Knowledgeable of customer segments and their distribution channels is highly valuable, showcasing a thorough understanding of how our products reach end users and enabling strategic alignment of sales tactics with partner networks. This is a plus, not required.

Responsibilities

Territory Development and Prospecting:
Identify and qualify new leads within the assigned territory - cold outreach, networking, and call/visit cadence planning to ensure consistent engagement across the area.
Conduct sales calls to implement account and/or target market strategies as developed with the Regional Sales Manager, and in support of AFL’s business objectives.
Learn and maintain a high level of knowledge regarding AFL’s products and their applications to effectively communicate with customers.
Act in a consultative role to the customer to ensure that they can easily order, install, and add value to their internal programs with our products.
Establish sources to provide information or competitive pricing, market activities, transaction usage and other information about the assigned account(s) or target markets.
Participate in national, regional, and local trade shows and/or conferences in accordance with the account or target market strategy.
Customer Relationship Management:
Serve as the primary contact for existing and potential customers - build rapport, address inquiries, and respond promptly.
Conduct on-site client meetings and presentations, directly managing interactions with customers to showcase products, address questions, and build strong, trust-based relationships.
Maintain sufficient knowledge of customer’s business to recognize and anticipate opportunities and be perceived by the customer as a problem solver.
Manage the flow of information and communications between AFL and customers in accordance with the account strategy, with the objective of improving customer relationships.
Sales Execution and Support:
Execute assigned sales activities in alignment with territory plans - taking ownership of outreach strategies, client presentations, and deal progression.
Track and manage sales pipeline using CRM tools - enter leads, update status, and ensure forecast and data accuracy to support integrated business planning.
Sales Reporting & Territory Planning:
Generate regular sales activity reports (weekly/monthly), including lead conversion metrics, pipeline growth, and call productivity.
Collaborate on territory planning - work with managers to align activities with targets and regional goals.
Manage all travel and expense costs within the budget.
Log and escalate customer issues via AFL’s system promptly, ensuring each concern is properly documented, tracked, and followed through to resolution within defined SLAs.
Market & Competitive Insights:
Gather local market intelligence: track competitor activity, customer needs, pricing trends, and opportunities for growth.
Provide customer feedback to internal teams (product, marketing) to inform positioning and feature enhancements.
Continuously enhance your sales proficiency and product expertise through structured training, hands-on experience (like demos or role-playing), systematic self-assessment, and active incorporation of feedback from customers and leadership.