Christopher Johnson
Toronto,Canada
Summary
Results-driven Sales Leader with over five years of experience in revenue growth, strategic network expansion, and market development. Skilled in departmental leadership, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration, with a strong track record of advancing sales initiatives in competitive, fast-paced environments. Proven ability to engage diverse markets, adapt to consumer demands, and lead teams toward achieving ambitious targets.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Sales Director
Gonez Media (GMI)
Toronto, ON
02.2023 - Current
- Launched and led both outbound and inbound acquisition strategies, driving over $1M in revenue in GMI's first year after acquiring a new publication, with a very nimble team.
- Grew the GMI's enterprise customers by 9 with the addition of 5 strategic accounts under my sales strategies.
- Established and optimized sales tools and reports, creating a playbook that standardized best practices for long-term success.
- Established and maintained relationships with key customers to identify new business opportunities.
- Conducted market research to identify industry trends, pricing strategies and competitive landscape.
- Developed new products and services in response to client needs and market demands.
- Directed all aspects of the sales cycle from initial contact through successful closure of deals.
- Managed financial forecasting for future sales activity based on historical performance metrics.
- Implemented best practices for lead generation initiatives including cold-calling campaigns.
- Organized trade shows, conferences and other events geared towards increasing brand awareness.
- Coached and mentored team members to build sales and negotiation skills.
Sales Manager, Acquisition
Hootsuite
Toronto, Canada
04.2022 - 02.2023
- Pioneered the FlyWheel Team at Hootsuite as a proof of concept to demonstrate that self-serve customers, if prospected effectively, could be converted into commercial accounts and grow into enterprise clients.
- Successfully proved the FlyWheel concept, leading to its integration into the outbound team as a core part of Hootsuite's outbound strategy.
- Collaborated with the system admin team to create KPIs and identifiers to spot high-potential commercial accounts within the self-serve customer base.
- Led comprehensive sales training for a team of eight new sales reps, focusing on prospecting, discovery calls, and closing techniques, and established a best-practices playbook.
- Launched revenue-generating initiatives to drive team performance and growth.
- Developed and implemented customer retention, account management, and customer success strategies to enhance client satisfaction and loyalty.
Enterprise Account Executive
Hootsuite
Toronto, Canada
08.2021 - 04.2022
- Sold exclusively to clients with over $1 billion in annual revenue, including strategic accounts at the state and national levels in the public sector.
- Closed the largest deals of the year, including significant accounts with Santander Bank and Epic Games.
- Achieved quarterly and annual quotas consistently through targeted strategies and effective execution.
- Led outbound lead generation efforts in collaboration with a BDR, including cold calling and email outreach.
- Nurtured inbound leads, growing them into substantial accounts and strengthening client relationships.
- Conducted onsite and offsite demonstrations, performing product demos at conferences, client meetings, seminars, and industry events.
- Identified and pursued new customer opportunities through in-depth research on industry trends and competitive landscapes.
- Collaborated with finance, operations, legal, and marketing teams to align strategies and identify new growth opportunities.
- Assessed customer needs through consultative engagement, advising on solutions that best fit their objectives.
- Drove sales growth through a structured, strategic approach to customer meetings and relationship building.
Senior Account Executive
Hootsuite
Toronto, ON
03.2019 - 08.2021
- Engaged in strategic deals with enterprise customers, demonstrating how Hootsuite could help them achieve key business objectives.
- Delivered value presentations to reinforce Hootsuite’s impact during post-demo discussions.
- Consistently exceeded sales goals by employing consultative selling techniques and effectively communicating Hootsuite’s programs and services to generate interest.
- Negotiated and closed high-value deals independently with minimal oversight.
- Elevated team performance through strategic planning and coaching focused on prospecting, sales techniques, and value-driven presentations.
- Guided team members in adopting new strategies to increase deal sizes and access decision-makers.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Communications, Minor Film Studies
York University
Toronto06.2015
Skills
- Value Selling Framework Training
- IAB Digital Media Sales Certified
- Salesforce, HubSpot
- Google Ads, Google Analytics
- Meta and TikTok Ads
- SalesLoft, Outreach
- Gong, Otter
- Google, Microsoft, Canva, Adobe
- Negotiation expertise
- Key account development, Account-based marketing
- Presentations and public speaking
- Networking and relationship-building
- Sales leadership and training
Timeline
Sales Director
Gonez Media (GMI)
02.2023 - Current
Sales Manager, Acquisition
Hootsuite
04.2022 - 02.2023
Enterprise Account Executive
Hootsuite
08.2021 - 04.2022
Senior Account Executive
Hootsuite
03.2019 - 08.2021
Bachelor of Arts - Communications, Minor Film Studies
York University