Inbound Sales Strategist (Influencer Maketing)

About The Shelf We are a full-service influencer marketing agency creating meaningful stories, experiences, and content by working with influencers who know how to spread the word about your brand. With our unique, professional, and longstanding influencer marketing expertise, we create the most genuine connections to deliver the results you deserve. We’re a team of more than 80 . We’re growing. We’re about as scattered as a team can be… East Coast, West Coast, the middle of the country… a bunch of us are in Canada, 1 in Ukraine, 1 in Russia… we like to keep our options open in terms of company retreat locations. About half of us are really funny. We’re currently working with some pretty amazing brands: Famous Footwear, UMG, Zenni Optical, KISS, Lenox, Sam’s Club, ROAR Organic, Nestlé, Honest Co., and Hershey just to name a few. About the role This isn't a traditional inbound seat where your job is to convert warm leads with a deck and a smile. You'll own qualified inbound revenue end-to-end, from first discovery call to signed agreement, by combining strong sales instincts with real influencer marketing expertise. You'll think alongside brand teams, diagnose their actual business problems, and build program recommendations grounded in what's worked across our campaigns, not hypotheticals. The right person feels like a mini Head of Sales and Strategist, embedded directly in the inbound funnel. What you'll do Inbound revenue, start to finish Lead discovery, strategy framing, proposal alignment, and close. Maintain deal momentum from first conversation to signed agreement. Program design, not just pitch decks Translate brand goals (retail launches, DTC awareness, conversion campaigns, retailer-specific activations, etc) into concrete influencer program recommendations: platform mix, creator tiers, content formats, measurement frameworks, and realistic timelines. You'll sound like someone who's built programs before, because you have. Campaign fluency and case study depth Draw on deep working knowledge of past campaigns, retail-specific programs (Walmart, Sam's Club, Amazon, etc.) , and real performance data to answer hard questions on the spot: "What would you do at this budget?" "Why this platform over that one?" "What's a realistic CPE for this format?" Thoughtful, insight-driven follow-ups Keep deals moving with follow-ups that add value, refined scope, new data points, relevant case parallels, not just "circling back." You control the process. Who Thrives Here This role is a strong fit if you've spent time inside influencer marketing as an account manager, brand partnerships, strategist, or program planner, and you've decided you want to be on the revenue side. You understand creator ecosystems, can speak fluently about platform dynamics (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, emerging channels) , and you've seen enough campaigns to know what separates a program that performs from one that just looks good on paper. You're energized by client conversations, comfortable leading strategic discussions with senior brand stakeholders, and you have the instincts to close mid-to-large deals with minimal oversight. You're also someone who looks for leverage using AI tools and modern workflows to sharpen your thinking Qualifications Sales skills Consultative, curiosity-led discovery Strong deal qualification and control Comfort closing without a script Executive-level communication Domain fluency Influencer program strategy & design Creator tiering and platform nuance Retail-specific activation experience Measurement trade-offs and benchmarks Working style High ownership, low need for oversight Bias toward action and outcomes Comfortable being measured on revenue Leverages AI tools for operating efficiency Background Prior influencer marketing agency or brand side Account management or strategy background Experience with retail-driven programs a plus Proven track record converting senior buyers Why this role If you've come up through the strategy or account management side of influencer marketing and you're ready to own revenue, this is the role where that transition makes sense. You'll work with ambitious brand teams, sell programs you can stand behind, and operate with real autonomy. You'll also influence how we sell, not just execute a playbook someone else built. If you’re a strategic, outgoing seller who enjoys problem-solving, values efficiency, and wants real responsibility, we’d love to talk.