.Drives the full sales cycle to both win and grow share of wallet in strategic accounts for Rackspace. Utilizes industry and strategic knowledge to acquire new customers and drive new footprint in large, complex, strategic, business changing deals. Develops deep relationships with strategic customers and prospects, gaining knowledge and understanding of industry challenges and long and short-term objectives in order to present viable IT solutions and create net promoters. Leverages an established network of references to win credibility. Navigates and manages a 6 - 24 month sales cycle to keep Rackspace focused on winning and growing the business relationship in a sustainable manner. Lives and demonstrates Rackspace's core values in the sales arena.**Key Responsibilities**:- Responsible for full sales cycle from lead to close.- Builds and owns account plans, including pursuit plan, timeline, deliverables, and goals, for named prospects and strategic accounts assigned to them.- Builds and owns integrated portfolio plan to prioritize activities targeted at prospects and customer base.- In partnership with regional sales manager, finalize named prospect list, providing input into additional strategic pursuits within territory that align with overall Rackspace competitive strategy.- Coordinate with Marketing and BDRs to select targeted marketing plays to run for sales plays.- Lead sales process for all Rackspace solutions, particularly large, complex, multi- cloud pursuits requiring cross functional collaboration.- Conduct targeted outbound prospecting within assigned accounts. Collaborates with sales support on outbounding efforts and lead generation activities.- Engage potential client to understand high-level needs and verify right fit for Rackspace solution and to qualify leads based on set framework.- Performs proactive assessments of how well Rackspace solutions meet the customer requirements and what customization would be required; presents the assessmentto customers as part of the sales process.- Lead efforts to create proposal for solution to prove value add. Provides customers with Rackspace product offering based on facts and an understanding of their current/future business needs and objectives.- Develops and delivers innovative strategies that benefit customers and/or clients.- Develops and nurtures relationships with key stakeholder to drive decisions that result in the close of the sale.- Leads the negotiation, closure, and documentation of customer contracts and renewals.- Recognized as an expert within Rackspace.- Proactively identifies and participates in the resolution of complex problems that impact the direction of the business- Identifies opportunities to create promoter Partners & Customers and works to identify new ways to leverage our product set in order to delight them.- Cultivates and maintains strong relationships with Support Teams, Account Managers and Sales Support Teams