Business Development Specialist

SUMMARY:
Business Development Specialist

POSITION INFO:

Job Overview

To differentiate the company’s products, develop and promote the company as a distinctive provider of core logistics solutions in chosen markets, supporting the group’s marketing and sales vision and increase sales by signing on new customers and managing accounts.

Key Performance Areas

Develop and Source new customers and accounts

• Working closely with the Sales and Marketing Manager to identify strategic customers and accounts
• Target new customers and accounts, and market the logistics solutions and basket of services/ products to grow the company’s customer base and market share and increase sales
• Prospecting, cold calling and promoting of the company’s solutions/products and services in key market segments and customer groups to grow the company’s customer base and market share
• Developing sales into newly identified market segments as guided and outlined by the business strategic plan and guidance from Sales and Marketing Manager
• Selling the company’s services and solutions, converting new customers to the company’s services and solutions and converting quotes into orders, increasing sales and exceeding budget targets

Ensure achievement of Sales Growth and Profitability

• Differentiate the company’s products from competitive offerings
• Manage and implement promotion and pricing strategies
• Strategically position the company as a premium service and price provider to take advantage of long-term lucrative contracts
• Provide active support and guidance to ensure continuous operations
• Exceed business development and sales growth targets

Direct Marketing & Sales

• Periodically attend shows and exhibitions and promote the company’s products and services
• Do research and cold calling on prospective customers and geographical regions, promoting the company’s business, services, solutions and successes

Key Customer Retention & Growth

• Forge constructive relationships, taking cognizance of culture and context to build strong and close customer interaction
• Promote open channels of communication, with direct links to customers
• Monitor, manage and ensure high levels of customer satisfaction levels – measurable through customer satisfaction surveys, customer complaints and customer compliments
• Institute customer corrective and preventative actions where surveys, customer complaints, customer compliments and customer communication indicating required improvement
• Monitor and manage customer sales and proactively manage deviations
• Closely engage and work with the company’s operations team, keep track of customer shipments and provide frequent, updates to customers

Marketing & Communication Strategy

• Support and help execute the company’s e-commerce strategies and programs
• Manage and ensure customers are provided with information on shipments/order progress
• Maintain the company’s brand to always reflect the company values; the service/product quality, integrity and value

Administration

Log CRM related information on the freight management system which will be used to identify, manage and secure new business i.e.:

• Contact information
• Opportunities
• Shipment information
• Solutions presented to clients
• Minutes of meetings

Qualifications and Experience

• Preferably a Diploma / Degree in Marketing / Logistics
• 3-5 years’ experience in the freight forwarding and customs clearing industry (Applicants without freight forwarding and customs clearing experience will not be considered)
• Experience in domestic and international logistics
• Proven track in Business Development and Marketing role or similar

Person Profile

• Customer focused
• Conceptualisation of customer logistics solutions
• Assertiveness (interactions with different disciplines, cultures and organisation levels)
• Deadline driven
• Decisive
• Must be self-driven and goal orientated
• Ethical and trustworthy
• Must be able to understand and explain quotes (third party charges, mandatory charges, company charges, etc.) and follow up on quotes
• Computer literacy (MS Office)
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Be able to work under pressure and meet target dates
• Good interpersonal and organising skills
• Be prepared to work flexible hours as and when the need arises
• Develop professional and long-term relationships with key customers and deep knowledge of customer organisations
• Must be able to work independently and as part of a team
• Added advantage would be to have market knowledge of competitor pricing, service levels, agreements and types of services

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