POSITION : Account Executive

Description

• Responsible for achieving their assigned sales plan by generating profitable revenue growth through the development of new business and the retention of existing business within their assigned accounts.
• Analyses customers’ current supply chain needs to create appropriate solutions and promptly respond to customers’ requests.

Conducts Sales Calls:

• Travels to customer sites for face-to-face meetings to gather information about their businesses and identify opportunities for solutions.
• Analyses customers’ billing technology to understand their needs and recommend the clients’ products and services.
• Builds successful partnerships with key stakeholders at all levels of customers’ organizations to cultivate relationships and generate revenue opportunities across all product and service lines.
• Sells technology solutions to customers to secure their business and provide added value to proposals and satisfy business needs.
• Presents solutions to customers to gain approval of proposals and move forward with the sales process.
• Visits customers to confirm their satisfaction with the client’s products and services and to identify issues that need to be addressed.

Responds to Internal and External Customer Concerns:

• Discusses complaints with the client’s personnel (e.g., business centre managers, operations, billing, drivers, etc.) to determine corrective actions and resolutions.
• Suggests technology solutions or operations modifications to customers (e.g., later pick up times, etc.) to satisfy customer complaints.
• Follows-up with customers to ensure successful problem resolution.
• Shares customer problems with managers and operations teams to provide awareness on recurring customer issues.
• Meets with customers to discuss complaints and obtain supporting documentation (e.g., invoices, etc.).
• Facilitates research of customer complaints (e.g., late deliveries, damages, billing questions, etc.) to determine appropriate resolution personnel.

Implements Customer Accounts:

• Trains customers on technology solutions (e.g., Campus Ship, World Ship, the client’s websites, billing analyses etc.) to ensure tools are used properly and to minimize errors.
• Trains customers on billing analysis tools and electronic billing files to facilitate report generation.
• Trains customers on proper packaging techniques to avoid damages.
• Collaborates with operations to implement accounts with special needs (e.g., unique delivery schedules, extra conveyors, additional drivers, etc.) to adequately handle customers’ shipping needs.
• Completes account setup documentation using prescribed methodology (e.g., shipper numbers, attachments, authorizations, contact information, etc.) to set up accounts.

Maintains and Grows Business:

• Maintains book of business (e.g., ground, air, international, freight, etc.) to grow and execute against the business plan.
• Executes on previously signed contracts (e.g., Freight) to introduce new products and services to customers and expand business within customer accounts.
• Maintains and monitors records of customer information and account performance to track sales performance to objectives.
• Reviews various Business Information and Analysis reporting tools to assess account performance and generate reports for management.

Prepares for Sales Calls:

• Customizes standardized presentation templates with customers’ information to illustrate benefits of solutions to customers.
• Assesses previous sales calls to determine action plans for subsequent visits.
• Performs pre-call analysis (e.g., researches account history, shipping details, complaints, etc.) to prepare for sales calls.
• Researches industry specific data (e.g., industry publications, the client’s products and services, etc.) to effectively recommend and position solutions.
• Participates in online training classes to prepare for products and services assessments and quizzes and to stay current on industry knowledge.

Identifies Sales Opportunities and Qualifies Leads:

• Researches resources (e.g., current customers, periodicals, competitors, etc.) to identify sales opportunities and obtain contact information.
• Responds to internal sales leads from various sources (e.g., Sales Lead Incentive Management system, operations, Package Operations staff, etc.) to identify sales opportunities and create a sales strategy.
• Networks with industry colleagues to uncover sales opportunities.
• Monitors existing accounts’ statistics to uncover additional sales opportunities (e.g., increase in volume, increase in frequency, new lanes, etc.).
• Researches existing account history to obtain background information (e.g., pay history, shipping routes, etc.) and identify and prioritize large sales opportunities.

Prepares Documentation for Account Setup:

• Submits customer pricing requests to Pricing Analysts to generate new or revised price quotes.
• Analyses price quotes to verify accuracy and determine how to propose the solution to the customer.
• Develops Standard Operating Procedures to ensure accounts are implemented on time and inform the client’s personnel of account logistics.
• Negotiates with internal groups (e.g., Pricing, Revenue Management, etc.) to create proposals and move forward with the sales process.
• Generates customer-facing reports to outline shipping history, billing history, and accounts’ incentives (i.e., contracted discounts) and renegotiate contracts.

Job Specific Competencies
Applies Service, Product, and Customer Technology Knowledge:

• Demonstrates familiarity with the core service offerings across business units and deep familiarity with product, service, and customer facing technology offerings of at least one business unit; demonstrates knowledge of competitors' offerings and the features of their products, services, and customer facing technology solutions; describes types of customers that would benefit from selected offerings; compares and contrasts the client's and competitor's products, services, and customer facing technology solutions; able to compare and contrast the customer's experience of engaging with the client and primary competitors across all touch-points; summarizes positive and negative gaps; develops plans to leverage advantages and correct disadvantages.

Assesses Business Needs:

• Identifies current and future needs of the customer or business; understands how business needs dictate the project’s requirements, project direction, business objectives, and resource allocation; makes recommendations on the solutions-design phase of the project.

Business, Financial, and Industry Knowledge:

• Considers industry and financial trends when making account decisions; understands critical aspects of business models and operating structures to provide input into decisions.

Conducts Competitive Analysis:

• Demonstrates a detailed understanding of competitor’s strategies and offerings; collects, analyzes, and interprets competitive information; identifies areas where the client is at a competitive disadvantage and suggests ideas for improving its competitive position.

Conducts Customer Analysis:

• Demonstrates some advanced knowledge of how to conduct customer analysis using common sources of information to identify customer facts and trends; collects standard research data about current and prospective customers with some guidance; identifies and develops lists of prospective customers; assists with identifying instances where customer needs or expectations are not being met; drafts promotions of products, services, and features based upon research with oversight from others.

Creates Account Strategies:

• Helps define and create specific documented account strategies; evaluates key financial indicators to establish account strategies; leverages sales and service resources to meet basic customer needs; recognizes overlap between customer needs and external industry trends.

Finance Knowledge:

• Accurately reads and interprets financial reports and statements; demonstrates an understanding of relevant financial measures, revenue and cost drivers; applies financial analysis to recommend solutions that support business objectives.

Freight Forwarding Operations Knowledge:

• Demonstrates a detailed understanding of processes, procedures, and technology for intermodal transportation; identifies root causes of recurring issues within freight forwarding operations; describes the general structure of freight forwarding operations.

Negotiation:

• Demonstrates the ability to use negotiation techniques in less complex situations; recognizes the potential impact of negotiation proceedings on the business; gains consensus from involved parties.

Report Generation:

• Generates reports in appropriate format using basic software; reviews reports to ensure accuracy and completeness; identifies issues with report generation (e.g., missing variables, incorrect data, etc.)

Small Package Operations Knowledge:

• Demonstrates a detailed understanding of processes, procedures, and methods within small package operations; demonstrates a broad knowledge of tools, equipment, and technology used in small package operations; identifies root causes of recurring issues; describes the general structure of small package operations.

Solicits and Gathers Information:

• Demonstrates a working knowledge of techniques for soliciting and gathering information; identifies appropriate sources of information.

Solves Customer Problems:

• Identifies business areas and stakeholders impacted by customer issues; engages appropriate resources to resolve customer issues; identifies root causes to ensure problems do not recur; stays motivated despite difficult circumstances or setbacks.

Strategic Customer Partnerships:

• Builds and maintains relationships throughout a customer organization; makes recommendations regarding account decisions or strategies.

Supply Chain Management:

• Demonstrates a detailed understanding of supply chain concepts; makes recommendations for changes to solve supply chain problems.

Requirements

• Educational Qualification: B.Sc./HND
• Experience: 3 – 5 years selling experience is required. Industry experience will be an added advantage.
• Language Proficiency: English language speaking and writing proficiency is required.
• Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of sales principles, concepts, and practices, especially as they relate to the courier industry in Nigeria is required.

How To Apply
Candidates should send their CV's to:select@workforcegroup.com with "Account Executive_location" aas the subject