Area Sales Manager

**Introduction**

Metropolitan is one of the oldest financial services brands in South Africa. With a 125-year legacy of serving the communities in which it operates, Metropolitan represents true empowerment in serving Africa's people through affordable financial solutions that create financial growth and security.

Metropolitan operates in South Africa, but the brand is also present in 12 African countries including, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Metropolitan provides financial wellness solutions that meet the needs of low-income clients, including funeral insurance, health, savings, hospital cash-back cover, retirement solutions and life insurance.

**Role Purpose**

Build, maintain and expand the Associations and Affinity Groups Channel to increase new business opportunities and support the delivery of an excellent individual and corporate client experience and the achievement of sales targets. Craft and deliver on the sales strategy to increase membership and drive key business outcomes.

**Requirements**:
**Qualifications**
- Grade 12 or equivalent qualification
- FAIS recognised qualification (minimum 120 credits)
- FAIS Key Individual Regulatory Exam Level 1
- FAIS Representative Regulatory Exam Level 5
- Degree in Commerce or Business Management (advantageous)
- Financial planning qualification (advantageous)

**Experience**
- 5-8 years’ relevant experience within a financial services and insurance sales
- environment (essential)
- 2-3 years' people management experience
- Leads management experience
- Business process optimization experience
- Client service experience
- Knowledge of the associations and affiliates channel for the market segment

**Duties & Responsibilities**

**Internal Process**
- Develop and implement tactics to develop and maximize new business
- Craft and implement the sales strategy to increase product uptake
- Keep abreast with trends, legislation, and best practices within the association and affiliation industry to contribute to optimizing the function.
- Setting revenue targets for the products and setting key performance indicators.
- Conduct industry benchmarking to inform quality standards and initiatives within the sales environment.
- Develop and oversee the implementation of quality assurance assessments, reporting processes, and policies in line with business, compliance, and client requirements.
- Establish metrics to monitor and report on the effectiveness of business processes and practices in areas of responsibility.
- Develop client retention strategies and frameworks that focus on engagements that encourage clients to retain their product(s).
- Analyse client retention trends and recommend enhancing products, service offerings or service delivery to the client based on feedback.
- Enhance system capability and usability to drive sales effectiveness and productivity.
- Provide support to marketing and sales campaigns to ensure optimal uptake and influence of these initiatives.
- Manage the selection and distribution of appropriate leads in line with campaign requirements within the agreed timeframes.
- Identify entrepreneurial opportunities, trends, threats, and environmental influences related to the region in every interaction and remain passionate, resilient, focused and organized.
- Recruit, select, and retain high quality Relationship Consultants in order to build the capability to meet current and future staffing needs in accordance with the manpower plan
- Induct, develop and support RCs to meet and exceed performance and productivity standards
- Manage and monitor activities of the RCs through burial society and Stokvel allocations to ensure that each RC has adequate and appropriate market access opportunities.
- Ensure efficient client service and administration processes are implemented, maintained and managed within the area of responsibility.
- Monitor and track province performance to ensure that RCs meet or exceed agreed productivity, production and quality targets

**Client Services**
- Enable client-centricity within area of responsibility.
- Contribute to sustaining a competitive edge through external networking, benchmarking, and representation on related forums.
- Manage a client service excellence culture that builds enduring relationships and allows the team to provide exceptional client service.
- Build and maintain relationships with clients and internal and external stakeholders.
- Deliver on service level agreements made with clients and internal and external stakeholders to ensure that client expectations are managed.
- Make recommendations to improve client service and fair treatment of clients within area of responsibility.
- Participate and contribute to a culture that builds rewarding relationships, facilitates feedback, and provides exceptional client service.

**People**
- Self-management and teamwork
- Create a positive work climate and culture to energize employees, give meaning to work, m