Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager

Location: Field based covering the South West of the UK

Job type: Full-time, Permanent (37.5 hours per week, Monday-Friday)

Do you have proven sales experience and are looking for a new challenge

Would you like to play a key role in driving business growth in the foodservice sector

If so, we may have just the role for you.

Charles Saunders is a food and catering wholesale company, we're currently seeking a Full Time, Permanent, Field Based Business Development Manager to join our busy sales team to manage and develop a portfolio of accounts in the South West.

Benefits include:

• 20 days holiday + bank Holidays, increasing to 25 days with length of service
• Workplace Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance Scheme enrolment from day 1 of employment
• Income Protection Scheme enrolment from day 1 of employment
• Access to Employee Health Assured Program (EAP)
• Staff discount on company goods
• Free onsite car parking and covered bicycle rack
• Free annual eye test

We are one of the largest independent foodservice companies in the Southwest. We supply a full range of frozen, chilled, and ambient foods together with an extensive range of non-food catering products.

The role

The successful Business Development Manager will be responsible for managing their own accounts within a designated territory covering the South West, selling and promoting their clients broad range of food and catering related products to the foodservice industry. They will be heavily involved in up-selling within established clients along with a strong focus on developing new business.

Key responsibilities:

• To represent their client and their interests in a professional manner.
• To research, achieve and increase sales turnover and gross profit margins over same period of the previous year.
• To devise and deliver area business plan to maximise growth.
• To cold call potential customers to prospect for new business, gain and develop new accounts.
• To increase business within existing accounts.
• To maximise selling opportunities by analysis of customer menus, profiles, and needs.
• To prepare and deliver presentations to clients, negotiate terms and close sales.
• To complete in a timely manner all administration duties, weekly reports, journey plans, expense reports, and sales plans required by the Commercial Sales Manager.
• To contribute to collective team sales plans, company promotions and sales goals.
• To liaise with the credit department, minimise credit exposure and assist collecting outstanding debts where required.
• To maintain competitor awareness.
• To achieve set bonus targets.
• To attend and network at sales training events, corporate days, and trade shows.

Skills & Attributes

The Business Development Manager will be expected to have the following skills and attributes:

• A Full, UK Driving licence is essential for this role. The individual will be expected to be a safe driver, with minimum points on their licence.
• Previous background of working in sales is essential.
• Good geographical knowledge of the South West.
• Target driven with the ability to meet and exceed sales targets.
• Ability to identify and understand buyer needs and the sales processes.
• Ability to maximise selling opportunities through customer needs analysis, with the resilience to keep going.
• Ability to interpret and act on data to achieve customer solutions and drive fast turnaround.
• Have a grasp of profit management, negotiating skills and ability to organise and self-motivate.
• Excellent customer service, networking, and communication skills. Able to deal with difficult clients and customers with the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• A high degree of self-motivation and ambition with a desire to deliver results.
• Trusted character able and comfortable to work alone with minimum supervision.
• Good time management skills with an ability to manage own diary.
• Computer literate.
• Good level of numeracy and English literacy skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and focus, and good problem-solving skills.
• A friendly and approachable demeanour, strong interpersonal skills with an enthusiastic and flexible approach.
• Have a passion for food sales and knowledge of the catering industry is desirable.
• A positive attitude, a willingness to learn, and a desire to show initiative.

All applicants must provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK. We're an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination. Only successful applicants will receive a response.