General Sales Manager

GENERAL SALES MANAGER – RETAIL SALES & OPERATIONS - Start Date 11-01-2026

Stu's Home Improvement Outlet | Dubuque, Iowa

Compensation: $85,000–$150,000 annual earning potential, based on experience and performance

Relocation Assistance: Considered for exceptionally qualified candidates

Employment: Full-Time | On-Site Leadership

WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO MAINTAIN A STORE. WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO BUILD A BUSINESS.

Stu's Home Improvement Outlet is an established, independently owned retail outlet specializing in appliances, furniture, flooring, cabinets, home improvement products, and closeout merchandise.

We're searching for an exceptional, results-driven General Sales Manager who has the experience, energy, and leadership ability to take ownership of our Dubuque operation.

This is not a corporate management position where you simply follow established procedures, attend meetings, and report numbers.

We need someone who knows how to generate sales, recruit talent, develop high-performing teams, create excitement in the marketplace, and turn opportunities into revenue.

Our immediate objective is to build a consistently profitable retail operation, with significant growth opportunities beyond that.

The right individual will have the opportunity to grow into broader executive leadership as the company expands.

WHAT YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

1. BUILD AND LEAD A HIGH-PERFORMANCE SALES TEAM

• Recruit, interview, hire, train, and develop commission-driven sales professionals.
• Evaluate existing employees and make appropriate personnel recommendations.
• Establish individual sales quotas, closing expectations, and accountability systems.
• Lead daily sales meetings, training, coaching, and role-playing.
• Monitor customer interactions, lead follow-up, and CRM activity.
• Personally assist in closing difficult sales and demonstrate effective selling techniques.
• Create a culture where every customer matters and every opportunity is pursued.

2. DRIVE SALES, TRAFFIC, AND MARKETING

You must understand that sales growth starts with generating customers.

• Develop aggressive monthly marketing and promotional calendars.
• Coordinate Facebook advertising, Marketplace listings, video marketing, and social media campaigns.
• Plan major sales events, radio remotes, community promotions, and traffic-generating activities.
• Monitor marketing performance, advertising ROI, and lead conversion.
• Build systems to reactivate previous customers and follow up with new prospects.
• Work closely with ownership to capitalize on incoming truckloads, closeouts, and promotional inventory.

You do not have to personally produce every advertisement, but you must know how to lead, execute, and measure effective marketing.

3. OWN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION

• Take responsibility for the daily performance of the Dubuque store.
• Oversee staffing, scheduling, merchandising, inventory accuracy, pricing, and store presentation.
• Coordinate customer service, delivery communication, and issue resolution.
• Understand financing and lease-to-own sales programs.
• Manage payroll productivity, operating expenses, gross margins, and profitability.
• Restore and develop profitable online selling channels, including eBay.
• Build systems that allow the business to operate efficiently without constant owner involvement.

4. CREATE A CUSTOMER-FIRST CULTURE

We want customers to feel valued from the moment they enter the store until long after the sale.

You'll be responsible for improving the customer experience, coaching employees, resolving escalated issues, and developing processes that generate repeat business, referrals, and positive reviews.

WHO WE WANT

Our ideal candidate has demonstrated success in high-volume, high-ticket, commission-driven sales environments.

Relevant backgrounds include:

• Furniture and retail leadership
• Appliance and home improvement sales management
• Automotive General Sales Managers and Sales Managers
• High-volume specialty retail
• Commission-based sales organizations
• Other performance-driven sales leadership environments

Required qualifications:

• At least 5 years of successful sales management or comparable retail leadership experience.
• Proven ability to recruit, train, motivate, and hold salespeople accountable.
• Documented success increasing revenue and improving sales performance.
• Strong personal selling and closing skills.
• Experience managing budgets, payroll, margins, and business performance.
• Ability to work extended hours, evenings, and weekends when business needs require.
• Willingness to work on-site in Dubuque, Iowa.
• Strong communication, professionalism, and leadership presence.

Strongly preferred:

• Experience managing $3 million–$10 million annual revenue operations.
• Experience with Facebook advertising, lead generation, and retail promotions.
• Multi-location leadership or store turnaround experience.
• Experience building or rebuilding sales teams.
• Knowledge of CRM systems and financing programs.

THE FIRST 90 DAYS

We expect a leader who is ready to take action.

First 30 Days: Evaluate the team, identify immediate opportunities, establish accountability, review marketing, and develop an aggressive sales improvement plan.

Days 31–60: Implement recruiting and training improvements, execute marketing campaigns, improve conversion rates, and demonstrate measurable sales progress.

Days 61–90: Establish consistent sales processes, strengthen the leadership structure, improve operational performance, and demonstrate progress toward sustainable revenue and profitability goals.

COMPENSATION AND CAREER OPPORTUNITY

We offer a competitive base salary and significant performance-based earning potential.

Compensation will reflect demonstrated experience, qualifications, and measurable business results.

For the right individual, this is an opportunity to grow beyond a single-store management position into multi-location leadership as the company expands.

This is an opportunity to build something—not simply manage something.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your résumé along with a brief explanation of your most significant sales leadership accomplishments.

We are particularly interested in learning:

1. What was the largest monthly or annual sales volume you personally managed?
2. How many salespeople have you directly recruited, trained, and supervised?
3. What measurable revenue growth have you achieved in a previous leadership position?
4. What experience do you have generating customer traffic through marketing and promotions?
5. Describe a struggling sales team or business you helped turn around. What specific actions did you take, and what were the results?

Qualified candidates will participate in a structured interview and professional reference verification process.

Stu's Home Improvement Outlet is an Equal Opportunity Employer.