AREA SALES MANAGER, COMMERCIAL HORTICLTURE

AREA SALES MANAGER

EAST MIDLANDS,

Our client is an international supplier to the commercial horticultural sector. They now have a very rare position for Area Sales Manager, covering the East Midlands. with the odd contact within the south west.

The activities will be coordinated with the Sales Manager in line with the objectives and projected turnover as laid down in the regional sales plan. To this end, the Sales Account Manager visits current and prospective clients regularly, takes stock of client needs and possibilities in relation to the sale of all the company products, and offers the best possible solutions. In approaching clients, the emphasis should be on building a lasting relationship.

they expect the new Sales Account Manager to take on leadership and ownership in the transition from a more traditional portfolio sales towards our new solution-oriented sales approach. They don t expect their sales team to simply sell there available products to the customer, but provide the customer -in the broadest possible sense- with a solution that meets customer needs and demands (even if this product or service is not available in our portfolio)

The implementation of solution-based sales approach will also require a shift from a geographical market approach towards a more project-based approach. These projects will not only be cross-area/cross border, but also cross-functional. We expect sales teams to align with product management, product development, innovation department, customer service, marketing and other stake holders in finding the best possible product solution to meet the customer s needs and demands. The Sales Account Manager will participate in these projects.

Another important element in the companie new sales strategy is that we expect Sales Account Managers to take on more sales responsibility, by providing them with more authority to make business decisions (in particular price/margin authorisations) and to create a real environment for entrepeneurship. In this way the company wants to inspire and empower sales management to support their sales teams and monitor on the overall progress made, rather than being operationally involved in all details.

General responsibilities and tasks:

The Sales Account Manager:

• works according to the objectives and turnover targets as laid down in the regional sales plan;
• gives input on the yearly budget process;
• visits and supports existing and potential clients; both end-users and distributors
• takes note of client needs and sales possibilities;
• expertly provides the client with information about the entire Jiffy range;
• provides good after-sales support and service to the client;
• closely tracks market trends and developments among the competition;
• identifies sales possibilities and discusses these with the responsible Sales Manager;
• draws up quotations in collaboration with responsible Sales Manager on the basis of reliable price calculations and in line with market prices;
• provides the client with information concerning payment and delivery terms;
• plays an active role in acquiring and approaching prospective clients;
• visits trade shows/fairs, identifies product developments and establishes contacts;
• takes part in open days at clients or other companies with own stand;
• expands the client base and pool of contacts using creative and persuasive means;
• consults with the Regional Sales Manager on the state of affairs in the sales territory;
• ensures that agreements made are kept for the client and gets in touch in the event of any deviations;
• is responsible for keeping orderly records;
• corresponds correctly with Jiffy s clients;
• takes part in the sales meetings according to plan and makes a substantial contribution to these meetings.

Job requirements:

• Minimal 5 years sales experience;
• Industrial companies, production or sales companies, operating within or directly linked to the horticultural or agricultural industry;
• MS-Office 365 (Words Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Teams);
• Experienced with ERP and CRM software;
• Strong communication skills;
• Self-driven.