Main Purpose of Job


The BDM will call on a customer base made up of multiple, convenience and wholesale customers both direct and indirect in distribution. The BDM will manage their customer base ensuring delivery of strong sales growth plans in each account to enhance the Lindt brand in accordance with the company’s plans and direction. As a consequence the individual will have responsibility for distribution, merchandising, incremental secondary space, permanent availability, and implementation of promotions, tastings and other activities. They will also be responsible for developing new business opportunities, by opening new customers and expanding current ones.

Key Responsibilities
Territory/Account Responsibility

• Responsible for an assigned territory journey plan and the entire customer base that falls within that territory journey plan.
• Responsible for implementing both national and own plans and activities to achieve set targets within customer base.
• Adhere to the company’s journey plan that takes into consideration customer/business needs and makes geographical sense and must ensure it is adhered to. Any deviations must be reported to the NSM.

Sales

• The BDM is responsible for delivering strong year on year growth and in turn hitting their territory targets. This will be achieved through building relationships and influencing all key stakeholders within their customer base.
• Responsible for identifying any and all incremental sales opportunities, where necessary and further action/investment is needed; report back to their line manager with a good business rationale and following up on account activity that is briefed on a bi-monthly basis via regional meetings. This will be ongoing for all year round business and will have increased focus at seasonal times in line with business growth objectives.
• Responsible for identifying new leads/business opportunity within their territory.

Ensuring Availability

• Ensure that each customer has the core range (AYR and Seasonal) available at all times, where applicable. This will be defined by the company strategy and the respective account.

Displays/ Incremental Displays

• Merchandising existing stockholding to ensure the best and relevant locations in store to display the company’s products to maximise sales.
• Building secondary seasonal displays which add theatre and drive incremental sales. Ensuring correct and current POS.

Administration

• Responsible for completing administration to set deadlines.
• Journey planning is to be created and updated weekly, incorporating specific Head Office demands.
• Customer record cards are to be kept fully up to date on hard/soft copy.
• Orders to be submitted daily as a minimum as well as monitoring the status of orders.
• Reporting of distribution, compliance and other account activity targets through trackers or Sales Information Systems.
• All cheques/monies owed to company by certain independent customers to be collected by BDM.
• On time submission of travel expenses.

Working Relationships

This roles requires the individual to build and maintain relationships with key internal and external contacts:

External
Customer base – buyers, managers, merchandisers, space planners, stock replenishers, shop floor workers, EPOS (all relevant customer employees), logistics when on site, regional managers, agency merchandisers.


Internal
Line manager (NSM), NAMs, administration & sales support, customer service, marketing, country manager.


Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience Required

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Sales ability with track record in FMCG

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Able to build solid internal/external relationships

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Must be of a highly inquisitive nature to capture the needs of customers

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Ambitious and motivated to achieve results/targets

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Numerate with good literacy ability

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Excellent planning and organisation skills

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Good face to face negotiation/presentation skills

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Excellent and accurate feedback skills

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IT literate – skills in MS Word, Excel


Skills and Knowledge

Action oriented: Enjoys working hard; is action oriented and full of energy and passion for things he/ she sees as challenging; not fearful of acting with a minimum of planning; seizes more opportunities than others.

Results orientated: Assumes responsibility for actions and goals. Develops and executes actionable plans based on business strategies/goals. Continuously prioritizes efforts in order to balance short and long term goals. Removes obstacles to accomplish goals. Pursues everything with energy, drive and a need to finish; seldom gives up before finishing, especially in the face of resistance or setbacks.

Customer focussed: Understands who the customers/consumers are and actively anticipates their needs. Exceeds expectations with both internal and external customers. Goes the extra mile to delight customers/consumers.

Communication: Is effective with written and verbal communications. Proactively and continuously seeks and shares knowledge and information. Practices attentive and active listening; has the patience to hear people out; can accurately restate the opinions of others even when he/she disagrees.


Strategically focused: Makes good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience and creativity. Proactively addresses opportunities with organisational goals in mind.


Development: Takes personal responsibility to challenge and grow him/herself as well as others. Prioritises time for talent development .Provides support to enable others to develop, improve and utilise their capabilities and talents for the benefit of themselves and the organisation.


Embraces change: Consistently challenges business processes and seeks improvement opportunities. Encourages and participates in changes that move the business forward. Accepts change as a business imperative.

Other criteria

To ensure maximum efficiencies for our customers, the BDM must live on, or within reasonable distance from the territory, or the most valuable geographical part of the territory.

The BDM must be willing to travel outside their territory at any time upon the company’s request.

A full clean driving licence will be required by the BDM.

Reference referrals must be available via phone and a current email address.