(IT) Sales Manager- Large complex deals

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Must speak Afrikaans.

Experienced Sales Manager needed to manage large complex deals where the decision maker relies on key recommenders and influencers from within the organisation to advice and guide his decision.

These deals are large and there is more than one individual involved in the decision-making process. They need to manage the political landscape of the Buying Centre and therefore need political savvy to manage these large deals using the MCS (Managing Complex Sales) Deal Sheet to achieve the desired outcomes.

To achieve consistent growth in the Groups customer base and national sales figures by :

managing the activities of the sales team so that current activities are optimised and new business growth is achieved;
supervising, directing and assisting the decision making of the sales team so that they are motivated and trained for optimum performance and achieving/exceeding the sales targets; and, finally;
carrying out competitive negotiations at a senior level and contributing as a member of the management team to the ultimate success of the company as a whole and the achievement of its strategic objectives.

Build long-term client relationships and cultivating service opportunities by leveraging the company portfolio to deliver breakthrough results to clients within their industries.

Sales Management

The role of the Sales Manager requires four primary components: A Management System (hard skills), Cadences (hard skills), Ability to Hire Effectively (hard skill) and Coaching (soft skills):

Management System: People do what managers measure. Setting and measuring meaningful KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) appropriate to each individual direct report, structured to deliver against the Sales Managers own individual Sales Operating Plan. Implementing structured, meaningful and appropriate processes, systems and meeting plans.

Because of the diversity and extent of the Sales Managers job, it is not possible to be consistently effective without a formal management system to focus activities on the 20% that will deliver the required results. Without a management system, Sales Managers will not be masters of their own destiny and their success will depend on the effectiveness (unmanaged) of the individuals reporting to them.

Many Sales Managers under pressure from higher management, fall into the trap of being victims of circumstance and push (not coach) their subordinates for results. The professional Sales Manager understands the Cause = Effect equation and implements the discipline of pipeline sanitisation, Score Card processes, system, measurements and cadences to enable effective coaching for the results to be achieved consistently.

Cadences: Conducting appropriate (disciplined) reviews with each direct report. If you cant measure it, you cant manage it. It is the role of the Sales Manager to hold staff accountable for the achievement of the results. Without a formal review process in place, it is not possible for the Sales Manager to understand everyones game plan and will then be unable to provide the leadership and effective coaching required to achieve results through other people. The review process needs to cover at least the following:

To regularly sanitise the sales pipeline and resultant forecast and adjust as necessary
Review the Gap (target vs actual)
Determine if the pipeline is sufficient to cover the gap
If not, to jointly craft appropriate strategies to generate additional pipeline
To review the strategies to win each major deal
To review Account Plans (if/when appropriate)
To review and hold staff accountable for agreed actions

Hiring: Effective Sales Managers use Target Selection Interviewing (TSI) techniques against defined JDs and critical competencies to achieve at least 2/3rds good hires which have a profound effect on their revenue generation capability

Coaching: To provide a motivating environment for his/her staff. To manage, coach and lead as appropriate based on the outcomes of the reviews and field interaction with customers, colleges and stakeholders. Coaching is critical and vital, but only effective if applied against the above outcomes

With their primary function being the achievement of sales targets through other people, they must on an on-going basis, understand who their top high flyer performers are (typically 20% of their staff), then who makes up their vital core of average performers (typically 70%), and who their bottom 10% are (typically ineffective individuals). There are differences to how each of these 3 groups are managed. The relatively few highflyers will typically produce most of the Sales Managers target and therefore require special attention. The Vital 70% must be well looked after and future highfliers identified and developed. The bottom ineffective individuals must be managed up or out. If not managed up or out, these non-performers typically absorb 50% of a mangers time, with little or no return.
Maintain an extensive network of internal and external contacts to ensure that the company is optimally placed in its understanding of business, economic, political and commercial challenges and opportunities.
Manage the political landscape of the Buying Centre using the MCS (Managing Complex Sales) Deal Sheet for large deals to achieve the desired outcomes.
Lead relationship building initiatives with Principal Vendors including playing the lead role in negotiations with respect to pricing & procurement control.
Educate and keep the Sales team up to date on sales and business trends that affect the company.
Coach, support, mentor and challenge subordinates in the application of effective operations practices, provide advice and guidance on complex issues to minimise risk and ensure performance.
Provide the team with an empowering view of the companys mission, vision, values and the key strategic objectives so that these stakeholders are fully aware of the current as well as future opportunities and challenges.

Sales and operations management

Recommend and manage the P&L and budget for the relevant business unit within the company and monitor financial performance so that the business is aware of anticipated costs and revenues, areas of unsatisfactory performance and improvement opportunities and that the team focuses on delivering against P&L targets to meet the companys financial performance targets.
Lead demand-generating marketing and sales activities in the assigned market for the assigned solution.
Convert sales opportunities to wins and invoice. Track billing and survey customer satisfaction
Source and distribute relevant thought leadership and marketing material to customers.
Advise the Pricing and Decision Support function on the most appropriate solution Pricing Schedules to be applied during bid / proposal / quote development.
Manage all targeted company accounts customer relationships in collaboration with Pre-Sales and Service Delivery Management.
Collate detail on new business (pipeline, pending and actual new business) and present the progress and successes of performance against the Business Development objectives, targets, as well as against competitive benchmarks.
Attract new relationships with new customers by supporting collaborative sales efforts.
Collaborate with the group of Companies to leverage opportunities in our chosen industries.
Actively drive and follow through on qualified opportunities. Establish ongoing productive and professional relationships with key personnel in assigned new customer accounts; and provide continuous, accurate and consistent feedback to prospective customers.
Ensure an in-depth understanding of the business unit strategy, growth plan, value drivers (revenue and profit trends), and risks.
Direct and participate in acquisition and growth activities to support overall business objectives and plans. Build and maintain collaborative and cohesive relationships with the management team across the business.
Collaborate with executive and senior leadership across Business Units to initiate and integrate the design and development of new solutions to grow the business, or to terminate those that are no longer viable.
Play a consultative role in review and development of functional plans and budgets to ensure that plans are realistic and stretching but capitalise upon commercial/operational opportunities.
Identify and assess market opportunities and new ideas within the company and for collaboration with other business units.
Lead own team to make a professional assessment and present appropriate recommendations to the CEO and EXCO team.
Provide regular performance reports to the CEO and participate with the CEO and EXCO in business reviews.
On an ongoing basis, examine current operational processes to identify and implement potential operational improvements that will positively impact upon service, profitability and cost performance for the business unit.
Ensure the provision of subject matter expertise for operations management and provide counsel to the company and operations leadership on all related areas to facilitate the achievement of companys strategy.
Identify and facilitate sales and business growth opportunities and constantly keep the commercial goals on the operations leadership teams radar.
Provides active input into new business development strategies and how opportunities will impact revenue for the business units.
Drive collaboration across industries and service lines, including collaboration, performance, cross and upsell opportunities.

Staff Leadership and Management

Manage the effective achievement of the companys objectives through effective leadership and by setting of individual objectives, managing performance, developing and motivating team to maximise performance.
Build and manage a high performing team by providing leadership, role clarity, training and career development.
Ensure open communication channels with staff and implement change management interventions where necessary.
Provide definition of roles, responsibilities, individual goals and performance objectives for the team.
Set KPIs and provide regular performance feedback through a well-defined and implemented performance review program within the business unit.
Encourage knowledge transfer through development and implementation of a knowledge transfer plan and drive continuous improvement philosophy through the knowledge transfer plan.
Performance manage resources in accordance with financial management policy and legislation where necessary.
Promote an company centric and partnership approach to develop strong relationships with other working groups and ensure adherence to Group governance.

Governance, Risk and Business Continuity Management

Ensure that appropriate governance systems are in place and in line with future requirements, i.e. policies, procedures and reporting structures.
Continually assess the competitiveness of all operations programs and practices against the relevant comparable companies, industries and markets.
Stay up to date of new trends and innovations in operations.
Manage business risk, through continuous internal and external monitoring of business impact, as well as changes in stakeholder needs.
Lead and guide improvement projects that will increase profits or protect against risks in the function.
Establish and maintain the highest ethical standards in operations practices.
Ensure that the business unit is fully compliant with all company initiatives through conducting regular audits and taking corrective action.

External Parties and Relationship Management

Oversee relationship with service providers and ensure all the services are delivered properly, evaluate the performance of consultants and report any deviations to the relevant department for any corrective actions.
Manage relationships with operational Heads and other Group Executives and act as a trusted advisor.

Educational Qualifications:

Business Management degree or equivalent qualification
Management/Leadership program
MBA or equivalent qualification (Desirable)

Years of Experience:

At least 8 years progressive experience within a professional services business, including the demonstrated ability to manage, deliver and grow a professional services/solutions practice.
At least 8 years solutions sales experience with a documented successful track record in selling high end services, rich and complex IT solutions in the relevant industry.

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