External Sales Consultant

**About the External Sales Consultant - Industrial Automation role**

We are looking for an experienced **Sales Consultant**for our Industrial Automation Division based in **Pinetown, KZN.** This role works closely with customers to grow and promote the sale of Rubicon products including, but not limited to, generating new business opportunities, qualifying leads, developing long-term customer relationships, implementing strategic plans, and managing assigned customer accounts.

**Sales Consultants Responsibilities**:

- Integrate and align sales plans for assigned customers
- Prepare action plans for effective search of sales leads and prospects within assigned sales regions
- Develop profitable and sustainable sales growth through engagement with current and potential customers within the assigned sales region
- Perform B2B sales activities
- Strive to meet and exceed sales goals as assigned by the Division Head of Industrial Automation
- Schedule regular, in-person customer meetings (set targets to be met),
- Establish and maintain productive, long term professional relationships with decision-makers at customer organizations and create action plans for follow-up; Key accounts could require monthly/weekly visits
- Close and grow sales through professional communication and interaction with current and potential customers and provide exemplary customer service throughout the sales cycle
- Collect and maintain information on the accounts, organization, budget, and preferences of current and potential customers; Be well versed in the customer's problems and goals
- Manage and interpret customer requirements - speaking with clients to understand, anticipate, and meet their needs.
- Maintain high customer satisfaction ratings that meet company standards
- Support customers with technical advice
- Create and maintain account plans for assigned customers and value opportunities
- Communicate sales or service opportunities and customer concerns or suggestions
- Identify, investigate, track and resolve customer concerns or complaints, identify trends, implement solutions, and recommend a course of action on how to alleviate these in the future
- Coordinate sales team to provide exemplary service to customers and work closely with other company departments to prevent and resolve issues in project designs, stores, or logistics
- Research sources for developing prospective customers for information to determine their potential
- Expand market awareness of our products and our industry experience by communicating features and benefits of our products and services effectively
- Maintain records of customer communications and contact information as required through the relevant internal platforms (e.g. GeoRep; NetSuite)
- Prepare Quotes
- Attend and participate in trade shows, conferences, and other marketing events
- Maintain awareness of pertinent client information, payment performance; communicate and client information that may affect company decisions to appropriate departments as needed
- Communicate market requirements and market data with sales teams and managers

The goal is to facilitate sales and ongoing sales relationships to drive sustainable growth.

**_Role requirements are:_**

**_Essential:_**
- At Minimum a Matric/NQF4 equivalent essential
- Engineering Qualification is highly advantageous
- Proven track record of 3-5 yrs as an External Sales Consultant in the relevant sector
- Effective verbal and written communication skills
- Own vehicle and valid driver's licence **required**

**_Preferred_**_:_
- Engineering technical background an advantage