Sales & Business Development Manager -Kent and surrounding areas

Location: Succesful candidate can be based in Kent

Our clinet supply delicious, loose frozen foods currently to the niche markets of independently owned farm shops, garden centre food, premium independent retailer throughout the UK.

In line with their current growth, we are looking for a Sales and Business Development Manager to join the sales team to grow the business in both existing and new customers. In this role you will be an important part of a successful small team ensuring the customer base is developed through supporting existing outlets on a regular basis to optimise sales and grow their business, following up leads, opening new outlets and by sourcing new locations, in addition to keeping an open mind to alternative target market opportunities.

Duties Will Include:

• General support to existing customers; conducting range reviews and refreshes to grow their business with the BRAND. This will involve sales analysis and presentations through to hands on instore merchandising including making wooden frames, assembling boxes and displaying the products ready for retail. This will require a willingness to ask pertinent questions with influencing skills being key to success.
• Identify possible new customers through your initiative referrals, developing your own leads, internet, databases etc. Working with sales and marketing colleagues to drive support.
• Convert prospects into customers – liaising with customer to finalise product mix and installation logistics. 
• To install new customer sites – making wooden frames, assembling boxes and merchandising of freezers to be “retail ready”. This will necessitate an aptitude for practical hands on working and a willingness to get on with what needs to be done to ensure everything is retail ready for the customer.
• To generate and maintain appropriate sales reporting functions.
• To attend exhibitions to represent the company
• Reporting to Head of Sales 
• Training by Head of Sales
• To gather market and product information through above activities for both current target markets and possible new markets
• Will involve staying away overnight when required in normal course of business

Key Attributes:

• Be able to liaise with a broad spectrum of business people and personalities, good interpersonal and rapport building skills
• Be independent and self-motivated – responsible for own diary management and customer visit planning
• Be a team player - being a small company this role is very varied
• Be proactive and flexible with the ability to independently prioritise
• B2B sales experience and selling a branded offer.
• Food experience a must, frozen food experience useful
• Food retail experience useful
• An understanding of the farm shop sector an advantage but not essential