Business Representative

Key purpose:

To establish new business channels, call on and maintain relationships with existing customers, as well as take ownership of the area of responsibility in the East London region.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Achievement of Sales Budget (Revenue, Margin, Units)
• Support the implementation of the Stores strategy
• Canvassing and opening of new customer accounts based on their viability as future customers
• Assist with the credit application process
• Provide the customer with stands, P O S material, claims and rotation procedure training
• Assist with consignment stock process when required
• Update customer database by providing new information regarding new customers and/or updating existing information
• Monthly SBO meeting with Regional Manager to feedback status of new business
• Monitor monthly sales per customer using the Sales Management process
• Buying patterns and volumes (increasing/decreasing/stable number of units) and profitability of customers
• The setting up model stocks per customer i e unit mix required and sold
• Stock rotation in line with consignment stock/model stock levels
• The need for scrap recovery
• Customer satisfaction levels through joint visitations with Regional Manager
• Appropriate support in master and dynamic route planning in collaboration with warehouse staff and Value logistics
• Selling of concepts and ideas to customer such as the Strategy, routing schedule etc
• Appropriate links between internal and external customers eg Debtors, customer integration centre, warehousing and the customer)
• A set daily calling cycle
• Introduce new marketing and promotion ideas and assisting the customer in aligning its strategy with that of the Company (marketing strategy)
• Provide input into the sales budgeting process on an annual basis
• Daily extrapolation of sales information from the SAP system to assess actual units against target units and implement a plan of action if necessary
• Manage and monitor gross profit on a daily basis and implement action plan if necessary
• Provide regular presentations/training to customers on products and pricing to ensure that the customers are kept up to date with technical product changes
• Build customer relations by planning, controlling and updating delivery schedules, pricing, customer model stocks
• Ascertain whether correct pricing structures are in place at all times
• Host regular trade evenings and suitable entertainment in order to promote the product and grow/develop customer relations
• Initiate and monitor all promotional activity to develop and grow existing customer base and market share in consultation with the customer and Regional Manager
• Respond timeously to all queries raised by customers
• Follow up on all cases of dissatisfied customers and ensure that an action plan is implemented to resolve such cases to everyones satisfaction
• Build and maintain satisfactory working relationships with customer liaison, debtors, warehouse staff and value logistics (customer information centre)
• Ensure daily and weekly discussions take place with customer liaison (customer interface centre - CIC) and other aforementioned stakeholders to ensure that all customer queries are followed up and satisfactorily resolved
• Assist customer liaison department with maintaining customer base by updating customer information when necessary
• Provide monthly feedback to the Regional Manager on all activities relating to the customer
• Co- responsible with debtors for effective, timeous collection of outstanding debtors monies
• In collaboration with debtors ensure that all outstanding debtors are less than 45 days at all times
• Assist debtors staff in resolving customer queries
• Pro-actively manage customers with potentially high risk for the Company and liaise with debtors in respect of any action planning that needs to be done
• Responsible for ensuring that vehicles and other company equipment are maintained in accordance with company policy and procedure
• Reduce operational costs by optimizing company resources (cell phone, car etc) and curbing unnecessary expenses
• Monitor buying patterns of all customers to assist in the forecasting of stock requirements on a monthly basis
• Ensure proper planning and monitoring of consignment stock in line with stock movement
• Monitor stock rotations and replenish with new stock in need
• Assist the customer in managing their own stock levels and mix
• Liaise with warehouse on an ongoing basis to ensure optimal availability of stock in an effort to resolve any outstanding queries

Qualifications and experience:

• 3 year degree/diploma in Management / Marketing
• 2-3 years experience in a service / relationship management role
• Considerable Sales experience
• Valid drivers licence