Product Specialist: Mecer at Mustek Limited

Job Purpose:

• To provide administrative support to the Product Manager in terms of account management, orders, sales requests, training, marketing, client and Vendor liaison, etc.
• The person will be responsible for selling products, training and supporting the sales team and resellers with enquires, quotations and availability of stock.
• Product Specialist must be able to promote products and build a lasting relationship with Vendors, the internal sales team, as well as and existing customers. To assist the Product Manager with daily operations of the division. This will include all duties that the Product Manager deems fit to delegate.

Responsibilities:

Product Management Support

• Help with day to day sales and contribute to the bottom line.
• Provide accurate updated product content and ensure that the system/e-commerce is updated within a reasonable amount of time.
• Checking purchase orders against purchase confirmations to ensure no item missed off.
• Managing of open orders on venders and internal.
• Due Date Management
• Manage and order stock on back order as well as run rate or for certain deals.
• Complete competitive analysis monthly.
• Creating new product codes and managing consistent code structure.
• Assistance with compiling and distribution of pricelists; update pricelists and system information.
• Checking for errors on the pricelists before sending.
• Understand costings and shipping models and terminology, margin management.
• Cultivate knowledge and thorough understanding of Forex.
• Assist with tenders and quotes, ensuring that all prices are done correctly, and accurate information has been given.
• Provide solutions and resolve problems and issues in a reasonable amount of time.
• Apply logic in decision making

Customer Satisfaction

• Manage customer needs and ensure satisfaction is achieved.
• Maintain Vendor relationships, as well as negotiate contracts, prices and stock.
• Clear understanding of product life cycles and roadmaps and develop competitive advantages with sales as to maximise profitability.
• Work closely with key customers to develop product, sales strategies.
• Identify and fill product gaps thus improve customer experience and generating growth.
• Bridge the gap between Sales and Client by supplying product and information, prioritize activities based on maximising business and customer impact.
• Negotiate prices for deals and tenders; determines product pricing by utilising market research data; anticipating volume; costing special and customised orders.        
• Maintain and retain client relationships.
• Maximise product marketing communication, events and business objectives.    
• Vendor reports: to comply with submission of the required Vendor reports as stipulated in the various Vendor distribution agreement.
• Attend Vendor symposiums to remain abreast of technology.

Marketing

• Manage Demo items and Demo display areas.
• From time to time, it will be deemed the Product Assistant responsibility to travel to branches, conferences and symposiums.
• Brand specific and dependant on maturity of assistant.
• Assist with marketing flyers, events and incentives, as well as managing them. (Implement or support marketing campaigns).
• Assist with marketing ideas and initiatives.
• Attend events related to the product to network, learn, and market.

Stock Management

• Keep ETAs of incoming stock updated on the system by checking back-order reports and leasing with Vendors.
• Manage aged stock and come up with ideas and action on how to move.
• Manage current stock within budget stock days.
• Keep the lab updated on outstanding and required stock.
• Build and maintain relationships with local suppliers.

Training and Development

• Maintain and develop MS Office Excel skills and presentation skills.  
• Read and research products, technology and market trends to remain abreast of technology.
• Keep abreast with the latest technology and products by attending scheduled training.
• Introductory and consistent training to ensure that the entire Sales team and customers are kept abreast of Mustek’s product offering.

Qualifications and Experience

• Matric
• A tertiary qualification in marketing/sales would be advantageous
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in marketing and sales environment at a similar level

Skills and Knowledge:

• Sales and marketing principles and procedures
• Microsoft Office, Excel especially
• ICT industry knowledge
• Product specific knowledge
• Sales and marketing principles and procedures
• Verbal and non-verbal persuasion techniques and communication
• Clear understanding of Products [Technology/ Lifecycle and drivers]
• Knowledge of import and costing methodology
• Basic understanding of business and profitability
• Analysing of data and interpretation thereof
• Superior presentation skills
• Good problem solving/analytic skills
• Good relationship building skills
• Good general administration skills
• Good influencing/persuasion skills
• Strategy development skills
• Negotiation skills
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Good organisational skills
• Good people and customer management skills
• Superior networking skills
• Superior presentation/public speaking
• Good communication skills
• Good information processing skills
• Good creative skills/idea generation skills