ENVIRONMENT:

YOUR sales wizardry & ability to drive initiatives with cost, quality and time limitations is sought by a prominent Retail and Wholesale company specializing in office and school supplies in South Africa to fill the role of its next Category Specialist. Your core role will be to grow existing business, generate new business, build customer relationships while marketing the category to increase sales and profitability of the category to drive sustainable growth. Applicants will need a minimum of 6 years' IT or Sales experience, with a proven track record in exceeding targets and preferably have experience within the ICT Reseller industry.

DUTIES:

Managing Sales -

• Grow existing business and generate new business.
• Achieve regional IT Hardware & IT Supplies sales budget.
• Ensure that sales, margins are maximised through retail, commercial branches, contracts and tenders.
• Spend and invest time in the branches - commercial and retail.
• Drive and develop relationships with clients - new and existing.
• Identify prospects and risks and develop appropriate strategies for each client.
• Analyse (and develop) customer and portfolio non-buying reports weekly(and monthly) and react immediately.
• Analyse past and future sales trends to anticipate future business requirements.
• Increase sales and profitability of the category to drive sustainable growth.
• Liaise with Call Centre Agents and Sales Representatives.
• Work within the framework of budget turnover and gross profit.
• Regular interaction with customers and calling with sales force.
• Weekly planned visits based on six-month history report and includes calls to top accounts, non-buyers, regular buyers, new accounts, etc.

Marketing -

• Marketing the category through regional promotions, cold calling days and blitz days - pushing brand and product awareness in the marketplace.
• Effectively communicate all marketing activities across all sales channels, commercial and retail to achieve best results.
• HP supplies - ensure right products, at the right time, in the right place and the correct quantities.
• Manage in-store retail promotions.
• Presentation of in-store promotions (sales representatives, call centre agents, and commercial customers).
• Constant involvement in creating specials and promotions to increase product and brand awareness.
• Analyse data and insights to determine industry and consumer trends.
• Plan and execute customer events that will drive and promote the category.
• Benchmark product prices by doing market research.
• Participate in the selection of viable products for retail and commercial.
• Create and maintain market awareness of the IT supplies capability.

Customer Service -

• Provide customer with stock information.
• Identify customer needs.
• Ability to negotiate and control effective and successful negotiations with customers.
• Liaise with suppliers regarding pricing.
• Resolve a range of customer queries.
• Receive incoming calls.
• Maintain ongoing customer service.

Product sourcing and product and service knowledge -

• Provide training for all staff with regards to new products, features and benefits of products.
• Create and develop a long-term plan of action and strategy for the development of the category.
• Provide support to Sales staff with regards to IT Hardware & Supplies products.
• Drive products through the relevant channels - Sales Reps, retails stores and relevant business units.
• Ensure correct pricing at th