Microsoft Microsoft Market Consultant 

United States, Ohio, Columbus 

737082616

As a Microsoft Market Consultant, you will serve as a friendly and insightful primary point of contact for our customers, Best Buy Retail Pros and management staff. You will be training and partnering with Best Buy’s in stores within an assigned District. You’ll also be responsible for inspecting what we expect and funneling feedback to corporate for overall improvement ideas, maintaining visual merchandising excellence to represent the Microsoft Brand while engaging customers through exciting and powerful product demonstrations and Retail Pro’s trainings. You will also manage the Microsoft business in the Windows Store within Best Buy and be accountable for driving performance at the store level.

Summary of essential job functions:

• Support Best Buy employees and customers discover, enable, and implement high value Microsoft technology solutions and services across a broad range of devices that meet their individual needs and exceed their expectations.
• Maintain expert level product knowledge in all Microsoft retail consumer products, devices, and services.
• Self-educate, share specialized knowledge, and expertly demonstrate and present the newest product and service offerings across all devices.
• Ability to coach and influence Best Buy store partners in driving positive business results to meet or exceed Performance Targets.
• Build collaborative internal and external partnerships in the development of the necessary tools and program offerings that will lead to long-term mutual partner outcomes.
• Maintain Microsoft merchandising standards in accordance with Microsoft brand guidelines.
• Provide store level insights to Channel, Sales, and Category teams influence marketing and sales programs and strategies.
• Transfer Microsoft evangelism of products through in-person group presentations, training events, and conference calls.
• Support and manage the Microsoft business for up to 5 stores: including aligning training and other store business needs
• A typical work week would run Tuesday-Saturday, with Sunday and Monday off.

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent AND 3+ years retail experience
  • OR Bachelor's Degree AND 1+ year(s) retail experience.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent AND 5+ years retail experience
  • OR Bachelor's Degree AND 3+ years leadership retail experience AND 1+ year(s) multi-unit experience.
• Remote multi-unit support and/or managerial experience
• Passion for and usage of Microsoft products and technology.
• Superior end to end customer service/people rapport building skills, both 1:1 and in a group environment
• Detail-oriented with solid written and verbal communication skills, problem-solving and presentation skills, and multi-tasking ability
• Teaching or training experience
• Prior experience selling technology or other consumer products
• Thrive in a fast paced, dynamic, public facing environment and ability to be flexible and adaptable to ever-changing business demands
• Team player and ability to get along with others.
• College degree and/or equivalent work experience.

Partner Store Market Consulting ATR-D - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $30.14 - $50.72 per hour. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $36.68 - $53.75 per hour.

Learn more about base pay ranges and pay equity:

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until January 30, 2025.

Data Analysis

• Monitors incoming data (e.g., individual unit sale contributions, store environment index, customer service net promoter scores, other key performance indicators (KPI)), and provides results to internal and external retail store contacts. Identifies trends in the data and makes targeted improvement plans that address sales performance gaps. Performs routine audits of sales performance, operations, and training via store visit report.

Collaboration

• Partners with internal and external teams to align and execute sales strategies, visual merchandising (e.g., placement, signage), and knowledge base. Probes retail staff and leadership (e.g., General Manager and District Manager) to better understand potential improvements for store performance and sales culture, and takes required actions to meet goals. Partners with internal peers and external stakeholders to ask/share best practices and review performance. Partners with staff within the coverage area to plan for the coming year.

Educate Staff

• Develops and facilitates onboarding and training sessions to instill a sales culture within and/or outside of retail store locations. Evaluates Microsoft Expert coachings and follows the rhythm of the contract between the retail partner and Microsoft. Engages in side-by-side selling (e.g., observing sales staff), coaching, and role playing with retail staff to improve sales interactions, provide better customer service, and increase unit sales. Ensures others can evangelize the Microsoft brand. Explains the performance metrics, the reasons behind the numbers, and coaches sales staff in stores and virtually as needed to boost unit sales. Develops and facilitates training on product knowledge at Microsoft locations. Analyzes business, partners with store leadership, and facilitates morning trainings on product knowledge for departments or stores.

Growth Mindset

• Asks for and integrates supervisory, peer, and partner feedback, seeks mentorship, shadows experienced staff, and provides/receives peer-to-peer accountability. Pursues up-to-date knowledge about Microsoft ecosystems and Windows store execution and the retailer’s sales culture and goals. Plans additional development time (e.g., development plan, stretch assignment) to improve performance. Networks by attending events and proactively reaches out to internal and external stakeholders.

Influencing Without Authority

• Adapts communication style for each sales and leadership level to align strategies, garner buy in, and increase sales. Establishing oneself as a creditable partner and subject matter expert, reviews performance outcomes (e.g., profitability, customer satisfaction), and helps instill new behaviors in retail sales staff and peers to drive accountability. Ensures a balance partner and Microsoft priorities.

Manage a Portfolio of Stores

• Partners with the retail leadership staff at the store and market levels daily to craft, understand, and execute the strategic plans for each store within a coverage area. Identifies trends in successfully performing stores and adjusts schedule to maintain growth and manage gaps of low-performing stores to increase revenue. Aligns Microsoft goals and execution strategies with those of the retailer’s leadership team. Prioritizes time between store locations both physically and virtually to ensure sales success across all locations. Consistently supports and openly communicates with retail store leadership partners and quickly responds to questions from retail partner.

Problem Solving

• Determines root causes of problems and devises solutions. Observes retail staff to understand how they could be positioning Microsoft better or selling more units, and builds strategies while providing feedback so staff can meet these goals. Reviews scorecards and ensures staff communications are ideal. Escalates and follows up on a variety merchandising and other issues to appropriate channels (e.g., Partner Store, Microsoft leaders) in alignment with the policy of the internal and external stakeholder.

Visual Merchandising

• Evaluates the merchandise setup in Partner stores and positions products accordingly to maximize impact and sales. Partners with Store Leadership to communicate visual standards and confirm visual placement. Leverages the Store Environment Index report and Microsoft Store Visit Report to cascade feedback to internal and external stakeholders. Reviews all Microsoft ecosystems and Windows store executions to ensure they meet brand standards.

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