The Client Strategist develops and executes large, strategic, business opportunities. The role will ensure that customer commercial, service and technical needs are fully supported and aligned to what Lumen can deliver and customer outcomes. They will own commercial terms, service and support coordination, the technical outcome and strategy, account planning and development for strategic and multi-product tower opportunities, interfacing directing with Sales, Success and Technical teams. The role will provide opportunity leadership to the goal of delivering maximum profitability and growth in line with company vision and values. The role objectives are to increase close ratios, reduce corrupt sales time and internal response cycles, develop consistent customer responses, improve solution fit and position the portfolio to deliver new sales and revenues. The functions focus over time will be to increase yield of the sales team across the region.

The Client Strategist will support identified deals and coach prospecting activity across all market segments.

• Accountable for the opportunity strategy, owns and drive the sales cycle this included but not limited to; opportunity planning (T&I’s), win themes, contact plan & closure plan.
• Project and Program management sales ownership of assigned opportunities. Focused on planning, developing, and executing complex opportunity sales strategy, presenting the solution/service in a manner that can easily be consumed by the customer and aligned to their business objectives. Ownership commercial offer strategy and negotiations while ensuring approved customer solutions can be delivered and supported.
• Communicates with customer C-level operational, commercial and technical staff on issues related to their business requirements and to build end to end solution proposition.
• Works as a team with Sales Account Managers, Customer Success, Sales Engineers, pre-sales Project Managers, Professional Services and Product Management, Proposal Writers, NOC/DNOC Staff, Operations, and third parties.
• Acts as the liaison for Product Management, Architecture, NOC/DNOC, Service Delivery, Offer Management Group, Operations to solve for customer requirements and develop deliverables solutions.
• Provides thought leadership to internal groups on technology and market trends in Complex multi-tower opportunities.
• Act as consultative, trusted advisor, balancing goals of quality, feasibility, cost-effectiveness for customers and profitability for CenturyLink. Clarifies ambiguous requirements with clients, ensuring the solution resolves underlying customer issues.
• Help develop and assimilate customer requirements, create solutions, assemble costs, and participate in business case analysis.
• When needed they will with the local teams (Sales and Customer Success) to generate net-new opportunities.

Minimum skills required to perform in this role:

• 5 years of relevant job experience with similar essential duties
• The ability to demonstrate translating customer drivers to differentiated value positioning
• Internal selling: fostering advocacy and buy-in
• Internal and external financial analysis and market acumen
• Project/Program management exposure and experience
• Service transition planning
• Contract negotiation skills

Preferred:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of applicable education and experience required; MBA or related graduate degree preferred.
• Demonstrated technical sales experience (at least 5 years) in telecommunications sales
• Strong skills in strategic planning, solution management and contract/service negotiations skills.
• Experience in consultative sales techniques and account planning including account profiling, account positioning strategy, customer needs analysis, sales opportunity development, service improvement planning, and long-range account management strategies.
• A record of accomplishment for consistently exceeding sales and revenue goals.
• Experience at being a strategic member of sales team who contributes significantly to growth and development of the business.
• High energy level and demonstrated drive to succeed.