Head of Customer Advisory (Pre-Sales) at SAS

Summary

Directly manages a staff consisting of personnel within the Pre-Sales Support Job Families in order to provide sales consultation to SAS customers on our products, solutions and services portfolios. Drives the creation and implementation of sales initiatives across different industries (FSI, Telecommunications, Retail, Public Sector, Energy, Utilities, etc), optimal staffing for sales support execution and the establishment of best practices that drive SAS revenue.

Primary Responsibilities

• Hires, develops and retains pre-sales professionals with the necessary skills to drive our business forward.
• Covers South Africa as a territory across industries and aligns Pre-Sales efforts for territory sales & pipeline generation objectives
• Directly manages day to day activities of pre-sales staff and sales support activities.
• Determines utilization of staff and resources to achieve sales goals.
• Assigns areas of responsibility across team, including sales assignments, marketing support and product specialty.
• Responsible for consistent team-wide delivery of SAS technology, solution and services messages to customers in sales engagements.
• Provides overall leadership on initiatives and projects; coordinates with other Sales & Marketing & geographies to share best practices and approaches.
• Ensures adherence to sales plans and strategies.
• Assists and identifies key accounts, emerging technologies and initiative areas to determine strategies that maximize revenue.
• Makes decisions for team in support of regional goals and objectives; referring to upper management on major issues.
• Analyzes cost and effort of pre-sales support.
• Supports and reinforces best practices, with heavy emphasis on sales methodologies and consistency across the team.
• Works with sales management to fully qualify and manage the delivery of pre-sales Proof of Concept/Value engagements.
• Creates with customer a business case on SAS technology & solutions and calculates value for the customer
• Follows news/trends of SAS market to execute /fit SAS solutions and technology with business focus. (campaigns, sales initiatives…)
• Ensures pre-sales team participation in activities that provide a strong transition to post-sales process and customer adoption.
• Administers all company policy and practices for employees in their organization.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.
   

Additional Responsibilities

• Communicates corporate marketing strategies and procedures of assigned company software products or market segments to sales and technical sales support staff and third-party relationships.
• May recommend changes in strategy where and when appropriate.
• Work with Field Strategy and Support organization to assure accurate, consistent delivery of marketing message and product capability message.
• Provides consistent, ongoing input to Field Strategy and Support organization based on experiences and feedback from field sales engagements.
   

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Ability to work with and lead a team.
• Demonstrated understanding of hardware and software sales techniques and principles;
• Demonstrated knowledge of at least 3 industries (FSI should be one of them) or market segments;
• Knowledge of corporate/government software and hardware acquisition cycles and buying influences preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and oral communication skills; demonstrated leadership skills.
• Ability to work and learn independently;
• Ability to travel.
• Knowledge of sales methodologies and practices.
• Knowledge of company’s marketing concepts.

Complexity

Works on issues of diverse scope where analysis of situation or data requires evaluation of a variety of factors, including an understanding of current business trends. Follows processes and operational policies in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions. Acts as advisor to subordinates to meet schedules and/or resolve problems. Develops and administers schedules, performance requirements. May have budget responsibilities.

Education

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Business, Computer Science, or quantitative field.

Experience

• Typically requires ten years of experience in technical sales, marketing, or support. Six years of experience selling, supporting, or using applications with SAS or similar technologies. Three years’ experience in a leadership role.