Regional Sales Manager at OUTsurance

Purpose and Overview of the role:

Our business product offering has grown significantly over the years which lead to the development of the face to face distribution channel. To facilitate this model the position for Regional Manager: Sales (Face to Face) has emerged. The incumbent of this newly created position will head up a team of OUTsurance Commercial Agents located in their designated region.

Minimum Requirements:

• RE and FAIS Qualifications
• Minimum 5 years’ experience as a key stakeholder in Commercial insurance Sales and Business Development
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a Sales Management role with emphasis on people management
• Strong flair for numbers and an ability to augment business rationale with supporting calculations
• Strong understanding of the Face to Face Distribution model
• Excellent people management skills, including a track record of successfully leading large sales teams

Competencies

• Self starter
• Influential, concise, rational and practical communicator
• Creative flair and innovative thinker
• Sound understanding of business
• Incredibly well spoken with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills
• Relationship management
• Strategy and project management skills
• The ability to manage multiple projects within tight deadlines
• Self-motivated team player, able to inspire colleague

The Regional General Manager: Face to Face Distribution must align themselves with the OUTsurance culture and values of Awesome Service, Passionate, Honest, Human, Dynamic and Recognition.

Responsibilities:

Targets and Business Management

• Facilitate achievement of set targets in the region and by driving sales performance at all times.
• Communication of agreed targets to OUTsurance Agents within the regions
• Report, to the advisors , changes in strategic direction, structures and operating models in order to ensure transparent communication and effective operation within the region
• Explain and agree targets with individual advisors , communicate to all levels and take accountability for the overall achievement of performance objectives in the business area in terms of employee satisfaction, customer experience, cost performance and return on investment
• Provide clear direction to team members on the OUTsurance Agents strategic plan and key focus areas and ensure their understanding and buy-in by explaining their expected contribution to achievement of business objectives
• Manage and drive the turnaround time in terms of targets to ensure a high sales performance within the region
• Manage the delivery of deviance reporting to the GM Sales monthly/as and when requested in order to provide recommendations and mitigating solution to deviances that have occurred (e.g. sales targets not met etc.)
• Review performance against balanced score card components as prescribed by the GM Sales , discuss gaps and agree action plans to close gaps
• Assist advisors, as necessary, by interacting with clients in order to facilitate sales and/or client concerns/complaints

Coaching

• Coaching all OUTsurance Agents within the region to promote a productive sales environment to ensure sales targets are reached
• Meet with advisors in the regional team on a regular basis in on a one on one basis to coach them on best practice sales processes
• Coach the advisors on issues and challenges they are experiencing in the region and provide guidance to them on resolving the issues by e.g. brainstorming around the issues / challenges or creating support network for the advisors to align to
• Coach advisors (one on one and / or in groups)on how to use the relevant OUTsurance Face to Face Distribution systems and advise them on diary management in order to upgrade their sales skills
• Coach advisors in instances where new projects, campaigns and products are launched into the regions and provide them with all relevant, updated information to enable them to produce sales
• Coach advisors on all compliance-related processes, procedures and documentation and monitor their adherence to the same

People Management

• Actively participate in the recruitment and selection process of all OUTsurance Agents by interviewing new team members including determining appropriate compensation levels per the relevant remuneration model for advisors
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the regional team of advisors by seeking and attracting advisors on an ongoing basis
• Create effective workforce plans and recruitment demand plans for own region to ensure that current and future business requirements can be met. Plans should be revised at least twice a year or as and when required
• Work with advisors in the team to achieve excellent business results through continuous people development and mentoring activities
• Conduct meaningful performance development discussions with advisors and ensure that agreed action plans are implemented
• Determine and analyse training and development needs for advisors. Ensure that identified training is budgeted for and executed
• Motivate advisors in allocated regions and ensure that their efforts are recognized
• Ensure that poor performance is addressed and that continued poor performance is dealt with in line with the company/department standards
• Approve leave requests for OUTsurance Agents and manage the leave planning for own team of OUTsurance Agents effectively
• Act as first level escalation point for all grievances raised by advisors in the region

Risk management

• Communicate processes, control requirements and risk management frameworks that impact the sales process in own region and provide documented support to ensure understanding and for reference by advisors
• Coach team members on all the processes and controls that they have to execute in their daily work and ensure that they understand the reasons for the controls and the consequences for failing to adhere to the prescribed processes
• Ensure that advisors in own region complete all required compliance exams and attestations within specified timeframes. Do not allow advisors to work until they have completed pre-requisite compliance training
• Ensure that all regulatory requirements are adhered to by facilitating knowledge acquisition by advisors. Provide information on all changes to policies, processes and procedures that are being planned and ensure that team members read circulars that are relevant to the area and answer questions they may have

Identify Business Opportunities

• Identify and manage the creation of new business opportunities for the region in order to expand the market size for OUTsurance Agents and support the advisors with new sales opportunities
• Identify new business offerings for the advisors in order to provide additional sales opportunities

Transformation:

• Ensure that all operations are in line with the company-wide’s transformation policies

Reporting Lines:

• The Regional Manager Sales: Face to Face Distribution report directly to the GM Sales: Face to Face Distribution and will work closely with the Executive Commercial Agents

Additional Information:

• In accordance with OUTsurance Insurance Company Ltd Employment Equity goals, preference will be given to individuals who meet the job requirements and are from the various designated groups.