The Role
The main role of the Regional Sales Director is to work in partnership with the Area Director / Area Manager to lead the external sales teams in achieving regional objectives. Regional Sales Directors should therefore spend most of their time developing and implementing effective sales strategies for the region, supporting the Area Director / Manager to coach all external sales colleagues on skills and tactics to achieve these goals.
Key Responsibilities
Sales Effectiveness:
Develop regional growth plans:
Develop the long-term regional development plan
Develop annual regional growth plan and share it with management
Take ownership for New Business Development, Pipeline conversion and sustainable growth across the region
Use standard templates to update management on regional growth plans
Support priority relationships:
Meet with larger customers (circa the top 50 in the region) and prospects, lead top-to-top meetings (could be combined with ride-alongs, as needed)
Reviewing results/forecasting:
Review sales results, CRM, pipeline and sales growth
Follow up with reps on account plan
Cross functional responsibilities:
Mobilise internal resources, get cross-functional support
Help team and branches solve remaining administrative barrier
Leadership
Coach on selling:
Review the sales pipeline in partnership with Area Director / Area Manager and what opportunities can be developed and how.
Provide one-to-one coaching to External Sales colleagues where appropriate and agreed with Area Director
Coach External Sales colleagues on selling skills (major account meetings, ride-along coaching)
Conduct one-to-one business review meetings with each External Sales Manager
Establish team communications and drive team performance:
Conduct regional sales calls (review sales growth and what new opportunities are converting, sales update, company strategy/ news update, sharing best practices)
Prepare for and participate in regional managers calls and other management calls
Publicly recognise best sales performers, conduct winner shout-outs
Help organise sales award and select the winners
Train and onboard new starters:
Onboard new hires
Organise regional training (product and/or sales training this includes Challenger training, use of the CRM tool and identifying new prospects and growth opportunities)
Key Performance Indicators
Roll-up of metrics for individual team members (number of direct reports hitting established targets).
Team development activities (number of one-to-one coaching sessions, number of ride-alongs, number of monthly in-person regional sales team meetings).
Number of meetings with suppliers that involve discussion of innovations and customer opportunities.
Region’s financial indicators (sales, GP, number of categories for regional business).
CRM Pipeline and use.
Skills And Experience
Considerable sales experience with a history of strong sales performance, consistently growing accounts, securing new customers and meeting relevant KPIs.
Demonstrable experience as head of sales, developing client-focused, differentiated and achievable solutions
Industrial B2B selling essential - excellent sales and negotiation skills.
Ideally familiar with the Challenger approach to selling
Strong coaching ability
Strong relationship building skills
Strong team management skills
Ability to communicate, present and influence all levels of the organization, including executive and C-level
Strong customer facing and communication skills