Head of Business Growth at Signa Advisors (PTY) Ltd

MAIN JOB PURPOSE

The Head of Business Growth (HBG) will be responsible for the success of SAC’s Sales Department. This includes building customer relationships and successfully promoting our products and solutions. It also includes market positioning to accurately address the skills needs of various industries, an in-depth understanding of competitor offerings, driving innovative marketing activities to enable and maximize sales, building and managing sales team and delivering on personal business sales targets, while driving strategic level projects. All activities to be accurately reported and recorded for Exco insight. The HBG is required to proactively develop and establish new corporate business, maintain key relationships with existing and new customers, follow-up on leads and sell Signa Academy solutions to customers.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in Sales or equivalent
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office applications
• Advanced knowledge of business development, marketing strategies, and brand expansion
• Driver License with own/reliable transport
• Experience with lead qualification at all levels within organizations – managers, directors, executives.
• Track record in new business development/ growing business through new sales.
• Highly networked with ability to maintain and grow long lasting relationships.
• Proven track record of working with rapidly changing deadlines and having an ability to move in a fast-paced environment.
• A proven track record of managing Sales personnel.
• At least 10 years of experience successfully leading a sales initiative or project.
• Combination of private small business and corporate sales experience a plus
• At least 2 years’ experience within the Transformation/BBBEE industry selling learnerships.
• 5 – 8 years related experience in business development or sales

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties include the following:

Sales management

• Designing and implementing a strategic sales plan that expands the company’s customer base and ensure its strong presence.
• Build an effective professional sales team for Signa Academy
• Achieving growth and hitting sales targets by successfully managing and leading the sales team.
• Managing recruiting, objectives setting, coaching and performance monitoring of sales representatives
• Set goals for his/her team and produce monthly forecasting reports to see how well they are doing in achieving those targets and budgets based on what is happening with revenue streams so that everything runs smoothly from month to month.
• Identifies and sales and marketing strategies for specific Sales territories/channels for the business and execute on Sales plans.
• Ensure focused analysis of pipeline and lead data, ensuring delivery of and accessibility of reporting to and from the client facing stakeholders/ inclusive of sales teams, and
• Provide key business insights: typical reporting relating to Demand /lead Generation, Pipeline Forecast and Trends, Conversion Rates, Target Account, Market Segmentation, Win/Loss, Age
• Strategic level engagement on sales opportunities in support of the sales team
• Facilitate the development of the sales team to empower them with all the skills related to selling in a learning environment and meeting their personal targets.
• Review all sales proposals and ensure that profit margin and operational delivery viability is achieved.
• Motivating and driving the sales team
• Design, review and improve communication, responsiveness and associated monitoring /communication and engagement tools and tactics.
• Ensure presentation and proposal inputs are researched and informed.
• Quality and consistency of proposals and continuous development of the output

Marketing management

• Research of market information and provide market feedback to the company leadership regarding competitive offerings, prospect needs and inform/contribute to product generation/ and business development ideas.
• Perform competitor analysis toward obtaining an increased market share.
• Support to the product development team in formulating the right products to market.
• Establish an effective marketing team and managing the marketing team of SAC.
• Align marketing activities to leads generation.
• Marketing management to include accurate collateral to enable sales, social media posts to enable sales and build client loyalty, managing with the marketing team events which will open up sales opportunities (conferences, workshops etc)
• Managing a marketing budget for optimal exposure which ultimately results in a useful lead database.
• Liaise between SAC marketing and Signa Group’s marketing team to align marketing message.
• Keep abreast with and ensure sound understanding of the Transformation/B-BBEE as it influences the Learning Business’ Sales market and monitor the market

Sales

• Lead/Participate and contribute as required towards the development of client/sector solutions for Signa’s Learning business and networking strategies.
• Contribute to the identification and articulation of Signa’s unique selling propositions and differentiators and expression of competitive advantage.
• Deliver company sales targets  by driving team and individual sales target while also  focussing on strategic sales and high level clients.
• Develop, maintain and grow lead database Research organizations and individuals to find new opportunities.
• Drive the segmentation of leads and design appropriate strategies/messaging per category.
• Ensure the development of appropriate and commercially sound quotes, and ensure quality, professional and accurate proposals for each client requirement.
• Improve the quality of negotiations across the sales team ensuring individuals are more effective in converting leads to deals at every step-in sales process, so that close business deals are matched by excellent client engagement that promotes sustained revenue/retention.
• Ensure the closing win-loss ratios are recorded, analysed to inform improved/innovative strategies.

Relationship management

• Network and establish new contacts through various mediums.
• Build and promote strong, long-lasting customer relationships by partnering with them and understanding their needs.
• Develop superior customer service relationships with prospects.
• Source new partnering opportunities to advance goals and bring them forward to business leaders to ensure alignment.
• Provide baseline research within targeted accounts to identify key contacts and critical account information prior to prospecting call.
• Primary business contact for post-deal management including resolving contractual issues, managing, and negotiating any amendments and preparing post-deal reporting to the executive team.
• Working closely with other departments and develop winning relationships and finding opportunities to cross sell.
• Work closely with Client-Liaison ensuring alignment on business growth imperatives.
• Ensures the successful value-chain relationships and management of Business initiatives by ensuring effective Sales -Ops hand-offs Monitor and keep abreast of client expectations and experiences; and ensure collaboration through the internal value chain for effective communication and optimal feedback loop.
• Structure and frame winning handovers to the operations/implementation/ roll-out teams.
• Be a “brand ambassador” that represents the company’s brand and values, ethics and ethos.

Compliance and reporting

• Present sales, revenue and expenses reports and realistic forecasts to the management team.
• Actively drive an understanding of relevant legislation inclusive of but not limited to B-BBEE, Tax, Skill legislation and the various Charters/sector codes’; and maintain a sound understanding of SETA landscape.
• Devise lead qualification tactics, ranking system as well as funnel and push strategy to build a considered and meaningful sales pipeline comply to all company policies and procedures.
• Keep CRM updated daily, weekly and monthly.
• Provide weekly/monthly/quarterly activity report to management.
• Compile /collate daily, weekly and monthly reports on pipeline and status of each client.
• Attend weekly and monthly internal meetings to provide feedback and update on pipeline business.
• Record all negotiating with potential customers and the closing of sales deals.
• Ensure all administration relating to sales is completed and filed effectively within governance and policy framework and practices.
• Conduct monthly analysis of lead and sales figures.
• Ensure sales pipeline is regular, meaningful and reflects a reasonably reliable and healthy projection of revenue.

Leadership and management

• Manage sales personnel and collaborate with Client liaison towards ensuring coordinated -one company professional -team experiences for clients.
• Coordinate meetings to ensure relationships with internal and external stakeholders.  
• Set targets for Sales team/personnel Monitor, coordinate, analyse and forecast pipeline development/ new revenue progress against targets.
• Prepare analytical and performance reports as required for management and Executive reporting purposes.
• Ensure and recommend appropriate improvements for the efficient and effective administration of data and information relating to Client relationship management.
• Analyse client /partnership data/CRM information and recommend and advise movement/promotion to strategic.
• Ensure preparation, negotiation of and management of contracts related to Learning business clients and partners, ensuring compliance with strategic objectives, internal policies, procedures and regulatory obligations.
• Identify, monitor and manage risks related to the client SLA/expectation alignment.
• Inspire sales teams to implement effective client sales approaches and to achieve objectives and targets.
• Lead and coordinate the planning of deal approaches and pitches.
• Participate in and support the negotiation of terms and deal closing.
• Portray Signa and all team members in the best light.
• Design a skill development/training plan/learning matrix for sales personnel.
• Undertake training and mentoring and /or coaching for sales personnel to ensure ongoing skills development for the promotion, of improving communication, reporting, and quality engagement for customer experience that exceeds client/market expectation.

COMPETENCIES & SKILLS

• Excellent sales skills with a proven track record of sales success
• Excellent prospecting, networking, persuasion, negotiation and closing skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral (including presentations)
• High level of computer literacy/Microsoft, including word, excel spreadsheets, presentations, databases and the Internet Google mail and Microsoft outlook.
• Excellent project management and customer relations skills
• Highly numerate with strong ability in financial analysis, forecasting, project costing, and preparing and monitoring budgets.
• Excellent planning, organisational and administrative skills
• Excellent people management skills with a track record of successful team management
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with people at all levels in a wide range of organisations.
• Must have exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Situational and servant leadership
• Independent with the ability to monitor and manage potential conflicts of interest and maintain ethical standards.
• Strong telephone and prospecting (cold calling) skills
• Results-driven, highly motivated individual with determination, tenacity and drive
• Detail-oriented with the ability to multitask.
• Demonstrates strong organizational skills, the ability to meet deadlines, and the ability to solve problems.
• Excellent communication skills
• Is an extremely flexible and adaptable self-starter.
• Displays independent decision making and accountability.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Knowledge of BBBEE and SETA Skills development landscape and requirements
• The ability to handle pressure and meet deadlines.
• Have own reliable transport