Job Description

Main Purpose
To achieve and exceed the sales order intake target for account portfolio by managing the customer relationship at all levels especially the C, D & E levels, ensuring customer satisfaction and identifying, creating and pursuing new opportunities and revenue growth for the portfolio.
ACCOUNTABILITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES (KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS & TASKS)
Strategic Sales Management

• Sell DFA products and services to assigned client portfolio
• Identify and cross sell new DFA products and ser-vices through diligent, robust and thorough account management principles
• Forge or develop high level relationships (C, D and E levels) with the intention of expanding our market share and make DFA the preferred partner of with assigned portfolio to ensure incremental business for DFA products and services
• Engage executive leadership in creative solutions to influence future order intake
• Prepare account strategy outlining the sales account plans, forecasts and pipeline management for new and existing clients
• Understand customer strategic, tactical and operational strategy.
• Effectively solve problems and manage risk to ensure that set targets are met. (always mitigate risk)
• Optimal retention of existing business and or clients by maintaining at least 95% renewal of business and prepare proposals and tenders in accordance with sales and pricing business rules.
• Understanding of prospective client's business and product /services requirements. Develops and lead the Implementation of the Account Strategies based on an appropriate understanding of customer situation, its needs and industry trends.
• Ability to understand and articulate the DFA value proposition
• Strategic and conceptual selling using solution selling approach into new clients
• Assist with the preparation of contractual agreements.
• Drive and supports new products, services and solutions into the account.
• Manages pre - and post-sales support areas to ensure seamless introduction of new product services and propositions to accounts.
• Represent client interest within DFA to ensure that service adjustments are done where necessary
• Promote DFA brand by being true DFA ambassador in the industry. (exemplary and professional)
• Where required assist in expediting payment by the client.

Customer Relations Ownership

• Oversee and coordinate the relationship between team members in own organization with their counterparts in allocated accounts.
• Develop a positive relationship with the relevant stakeholders in the account, prioritising communication at C - and Executive level.
• Set up strategic product / service meetings on quarterly and or half yearly to facilitate DFA client top management engagement.

Reporting

• Careful and accurate forecasting and reporting and in a timely manner as requested from time to time. Provide monthly sales forecast reports as and when required. Present monthly / weekly qualified sales pipeline/forecast to ensure that red flags are raised on time.
• Ensure that CRM is an accurate reflection of pipeline status
• Secure reliable business intelligence relevant to new business opportunities and provide feedback at weekly sales Invocoms.
• KAM to ensure that they obtain sufficient Product Sales /Technology / Solutions / Services Training to enhance their knowledge of DFA offering.
• Participate and take ownership during weekly Sales Invocoms especially parking bay issues which may affect the order intake.

Account Management

• Drives growth in allocated accounts through the introduction of new products and services (increased number of products and services we provide)
• Increase market growth. As per the company strategy business opportunities will be filtered accordingly and then presented at the ORF Forum
• Take ownership of the new business opportunity and the business case up to the signature of the contract.
• Identify and evaluate value creating business opportunities - individually and in collaboration with Solutions Architects / TAMs
• Identify strategic fit and prioritise opportunities and pursue and implement identified opportunities
• Leading the sales opportunity & customer interface for the proposal to ensure that information is provided to the Bid team to improve the bid and there-after to close the sale.
• Leading the process to convert the new sales opportunity into an order
• Regular visit to customers, and expedition of issuing of orders
• (Facilitate all customer-related contact sessions like meetings, quarterly review, strategic planning sessions
• Provide constant feedback regarding the link maintenance performed by DFA maintenance de-partment to ensure that DFA deliver on its promise
• Facilitate the process: Pre-empt complaints as first point of contact for clients
• Influence future tender publications by ensuring that they are aligned with DFA solutions.
• Liaise with Technical Account Manager and Planner to obtain their (technical) inputs in designing customer solutions
• Receive order request / mandate from customer by coordinating both technical and commercial processes.
• Compile the commercial offering based on the link planning information
• Influence customer strategy to enhance competitive advantage as most customers are resellers of DFA services (fibre). Align client needs to DFA product offering
• Ensure that ATPs are send to client on time and signed one are returned by clients timeously.
• Train and organise training for clients on new products and services to ensure that clients understand DFA product suite.
• Add value to the DFA entrepreneurial climate in line with corporate values
• Ongoing assessment of DFA delivery to ensure that client loyalty and future business is guaranteed
• Understand competitor services in the market to enhance your product knowledge
• Communicate effective customer engagement solution approaches
• Ensure that information that is send to client, put on the system is always correct through constant liaison with relevant admin.

After-sales services

• Arrange monthly or quarterly meetings with clients to ensure that the NOC / Operations keeps them client up to date with all the new and changes to client ser-vices and more importantly ensure that that NOC management engage at the right levels to enable you to solicit new business based on NOC link performance report.
• Work according to standard operating procedures to manage customer expectations by maintaining close relationship with portfolio management
• Advise customers / partners on being competitive in the market, for example on amount and type of fibre and how to save costs
• Continuously stay abreast and be involved with client business plans to keep them informed of how DFA plans to improve / enhance their product offering

Sales Targets

• Increase sales volumes, especially on existing DFA network to ensure return on investment
• Draw up comprehensive sales plans: Compile and present to Sales Executive (Sales Forecast which be-comes target).
• Ensure sales target variance is regularly tracked against account pipeline

Budget Management

• Develop and control annual budget and forecasts / pipeline on monthly basis
• Prepare and control both sales and expense budgets

Admin

• Obtain customer enquiries for services and ensure that quotations are done timeously: Generating quotes
• Receiving and processing orders
• Ensure that ATPs are sent and collected from clients on time. Manage CRM system (such as generating of reports)

Miscellaneous & General

• Perform any other strategic function related to your duties and responsibilities that may be assigned from time-to-time by management.

Competencies and Minimum Requirements:
Knowledge, skills, and qualifications

• Grade 12
• National Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Sales and Marketing or a related tertiary qualification (or studying towards one)
• 2 years' practical Sales, Project Management or Account Management experience in the telecommunications or related industry
• Proven track record in exploring new business opportunities
• Valid driver's licence
• Ability to multitask and work on several projects simultaneously