Careers

Sales | Sails and Boats

180 Sails | Evolution Sails Loft and J/Boats Dealer | Chicago or other major sailing markets

Do you talk about sail inventories at a dinner party until someone walks away? Have you ever tried to convince your friend he needs a bigger boat? Do you know exactly which boats in your harbor need new sails, and does it bother you? Do you win the regatta and the debrief at the bar afterward?

If any of that sounds like you, keep reading. If all of it does, skip straight to the bottom and email us.

Who We Are

We are 180 Sails, a growing Chicago sailing business. We are an Evolution Sails loft and a J/Boats dealer, which means our days include sailmaking, service, boat sales, and a healthy amount of test sailing for quality control purposes. Someone has to. Now we need someone who can sell as well as we sail.

The Role

You will sell both sides of the business: Evolution sails for racers and cruisers, and new and brokerage J/Boats. Your job is to find sailors who need something, figure out what will actually make their sailing better, and get them into it. Around here, the best sales tool is being right about what someone needs.

You will work closely with the owner and have real freedom in how you build your book. This is not a phone-bank job with a script. It is docks, yacht clubs, regattas, boat shows, and follow-up done well.

Location

Chicago is ideal. That is where the loft is, where the boats are, and where the owner will be standing on the dock asking how your week went. That said, we are open to the right person in another major sailing market. If you are already the person everyone at your harbor calls about sails and boats, tell us where that harbor is and we will talk about how it could work.

Core Responsibilities

• Sell sails, new boats, and brokerage listings
• Build relationships at yacht clubs, regattas, boat shows, and marinas
• Quote sails and boats, and follow up until there is an answer
• Walk customers through options and help them pick what actually fits
• Keep your pipeline updated in our CRM so no lead goes adrift
• Work with the loft and service teams so what you sell gets delivered right
• Represent us on the water. Sailing with customers is part of the job. Yes, really.

Who You Are

• A sailor. This is required. We can teach you to sell a sail; we cannot teach you to slow down every time you drive past a marina.
• A people person who follows up. This is the part where we buck the marine industry, so you’ll need to call people back.
• Comfortable asking for the order without being the person everyone avoids at the club.
• Honest. Selling someone the wrong boat means seeing them at the yacht club every weekend for the next decade.
• Organized enough to run your own pipeline without anyone chasing you.
• Comfortable in a small, entrepreneurial company where the job description is more of a starting point.

Sales experience is great. Deep sailing knowledge is great. Bring at least one and the desire to build the other. We are open to a proven salesperson who sails or a serious sailor ready to learn the craft of selling.

Pay

This is a commission-based role with earnings tied directly to what you sell. Expected first-year earnings are $40,000 to $60,000, and we’ll make sure you have money for the rum tent to get you started. If you are good at this, you will do well, and we will be thrilled to pay you.

To Apply

Send us a note telling us about yourself, the best thing you have ever sold, and your top speed on a sailboat. Proof required.

Please email Andy@180sails.com.