Business Development Manager

About the Job : To achieve income and profitability objectives by driving growth in market share by strategically positioning the companies platform capabilities and selling its full suite of services to new and existing clients through consultative and solutions based selling techniques.

Education / Training :

1. BCom degree in Finance or Business.
2. Post-graduate degree is advantageous.
3. Recognised payment industry certification is advantageous.
4. National Payments System experience or knowledge is advantageous.

Work experience :

1. Minimum of 6 years sales experience as a "Hunter" with proven track record is a requirement.
2. Minimum 6 years payments industry experience is a requirement.
3. Business Development Management experience within the Payments Industry is advantageous.
4. Experience in payments and receipting management within a business environment is advantageous.
5. Experience in electronic payments and collections process enablement, automation or consulting within a business environment is advantageous.

Technical Behavioural Skills :

1. Business canvasing / hunting skills
2. Sales pipeline management
3. Sales forecasting skills
4. Negotiation and deal closure skills
5. Good Administration Skills
6. Planning and Organising skills
7. Time management Skills
8. Relationship building and Inter-personal Skills
9. Good problem solving and analytical skills
10. Good verbal communication and writing Skills
11. Articulation skills
12. Financial skills
13. Commercial and business acumen
14. Good Research Skills
15. Strategic Selling and Solutioning Skills
16. Good presentation skills
17. Computer literacy (High Proficiency) in - Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, Microsoft Outlook
18. Willing to travel (national and international)
19. Customer focussed and service orientated
20. Resilient in achieving results
21. Accurate and quality orientated
22. Assertive
23. Reliable
24. Positive, self-starter with strong self-management
25. Strong awareness of responsibility & accountability
26. Reliable and trustworthy
27. Curious and always willing to learn new skills
28. Able to manage and work under pressure
29. Highly energetic and enthusiastic
30. Persuasive and Influencing
31. Target and goal orientated
32. Emotionally intelligent with good social skills
33. Solutions orientated thinker
34. Strong collaborator & team player
35. Able to work independently without supervision
36. Intuitive, proactive and action orientated
37. Ethical and values centred
38. Unquestionable commitment & work ethic

Strategy Development and Execution :

1. Responsible for self-development and obtaining all the necessary knowledge and training needed to enable the effective pitching and positioning of the companies services to clients within its target market.
2. Proactively hunting for and canvassing (cold calling) new business to achieve financial targets and growth in market share objectives.
3. Proactively developing and managing target aligned sales pipelines through sales forecasting and pipeline management.
4. Keep pipelines, forecasting and activity status reporting up to date and provide monthly progress reporting to management.
5. Ensuring that there is sufficient coverage within sales pipelines to drive client enterprise solutioning and the achievement of target revenues across the company suite of services.
6. To drive sales through a process of consultative solutioning by first gaining a deep understanding of clients' business needs, processes, challenges and requirements and then offering and overseeing the implementation of tailored solutions through an enterprise enabling lens.
7. To gain experience in strategic selling techniques and apply these principles in driving account development strategies.
8. Remaining up to date with changes within the National Payment Systems and their applicability when providing solutions to clients.
9. Remaining up to date with the evolving solutions and providing input into the company's product enhancement roadmaps based on observed competitor offerings, insights from client need assessments or innovative ideas.
10. Works with and develops extended partnership/referrer networks that could assist the company in increasing market reach or warm leads generation.
11. Works closely with management and relevant support functions (product & support) in shaping viable commercial value propositions to support the achievement of strategic business objectives.
12. Develops, collects information, solicit inputs, drafts and prepares business proposals for clients.
13. Provides input in the development and implementation of new business development strategies.
14. Participates in and sometimes leads Business Development strategy sessions with relevant support functions focusing on financial gain, commercial development initiatives and customer satisfaction.
15. Contributes strategically by providing feedback to relevant management forums concerning innovation to enhance service or client value propositions and competitor activity.

Stakeholder Management :

1. Leads the development of strong relationships with key customers and maintains excellent working relationships.
2. Ensures that stakeholders are always well informed and establishes a free flow of information.
3. Liaises with potential business partners and negotiates business development contracts in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
4. Evaluates new business development fiscal impacts and liaises with relevant stakeholders to communicate business development decisions.
5. Presents reports and assist the line manager with final decision-making processes.
6. Ensures clients have been fully onboarded and services are billed with assistance from the relevant support areas.
7. Ensures that relationships are maintained and fulfils a strategic relationship role for key accounts.
8. Provides input relating to business development activities and strategies at relevant planning forums.

Project Management :

1. Works with relevant support functions to build a long-term project pipeline.
2. Ensures quick, accurate responses to pre-qualifications and tenders from customers.
3. Leverages pipeline data to identify ways to grow new and existing prospects.
4. In collaboration with relevant support functions, drives the development, maintenance and execution of professional sales presentation decks, business proposal packs, pricing templates and onboarding documentation to ensure a professional client experience.
5. Ensures that revenues are accounted for and that good relationships are maintained.
6. Reviews own performance data to monitor and measure productivity, goal progress and activity levels.
7. Ensures effective and efficient utilisation of resources in achieving plans and objectives.
8. Identifies problems, develops alternatives and recommends courses of action in consultation with line management, through analysis, interpretation and evaluation of issues.
9. Monitors corrective action processes and provides line management with corrective action reports.

Business Development, Reporting and General Management :

1. Compiles, analyses, forecasts and reports on short-, medium- and long-term business prospects and opportunities.
2. Develops proposals and feasibility studies on various potential projects.
3. Ensures that the correct project and departmental information is reported.
4. Ensures on-time and accurate submission of all required reports.
5. Ensures all evidence is collected and filed for auditing purposes and keep records of sales, revenue, invoices etc.
6. Provides feedback to line management regarding services provided to clients.
7. Ensures compliance with policies and practices.
8. Promote the company's products/services addressing or predicting clients' objectives.
9. Determines appropriate sales force planning and execution tactics.