Job Description

Vacancy - Sales Manager (National)
Clotan Steel (Pty) Ltd
Clotan Steel, a well-established and respected player in the South African steel industry, is seeking an experienced and results-driven Sales Manager to lead and grow our national sales team. This role is critical in driving sales performance, expanding market presence, and developing sustainable customer relationships across key market segments.
The Role
The Sales Manager will be responsible for leading a sales team to achieve sales targets, grow market share, and drive business development across merchants, end users, contractors, construction companies, and project-based customers. The role requires a strong commercial mindset, hands-on leadership, and deep understanding of the steel and construction supply markets.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of 5 years' experience in a sales environment operating at management level.
• Proven track record in sales leadership, team management, and execution of strategic sales plans.
• Experience managing national or multi-region sales teams is advantageous.
• Strong business development and market growth experience

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Matric
• Valid Driver's License

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's Degree or Postgraduate qualification in Business Management, Marketing, or a related field (advantageous).
• Experience in the steel, construction, or industrial supply sectors

BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS:

• Strong leadership capability with the ability to inspire, motivate, and drive performance.
• Clear, confident, and effective communicator across all levels of the organisation.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to align cross-functional teams.
• Analytical and data-driven decision-maker.
• Effective conflict management and problem-solving ability.
• Strong customer-centric mindset with a focus on long-term relationship building.
• Adaptability and resilience in a changing and competitive market environment.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:

• Provide strategic leadership, direction, and guidance to the sales representatives and client services teams to achieve GP, tonnage, and revenue targets.
• Build and maintain a high-performance sales culture through clear communication, accountability, and collaboration.
• Design and implement training and development initiatives focusing on product knowledge, pricing discipline, sales execution, and customer engagement.
• Establish and manage recognition and incentive structures aligned to business performance objectives.
• Work closely with the group to ensure alignment with overall group strategy.
• Conduct weekly and/or fortnightly group and one-on-one performance meetings.
• Accompany sales representatives to key strategic customers where required.
• Act as a senior escalation point for key customer issues and relationship management.
• Conduct and score career development guides with sales team members.
• Develop and execute sales strategies aligned with company objectives, market conditions, and growth initiatives.
• Maintain and manage a select portfolio of key strategic accounts.
• Analyse sales performance data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, driving accountability and corrective action.
• Oversee CRM usage and ensure accurate capture of customer interactions, opportunities, and sales data.
• Monitor market conditions and competitor activity to identify risks and mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, pricing governance, and ethical sales practices.
• Manage underperforming sales representatives through structured performance management.
• Manage customer credit risk in collaboration with the Credit/Finance Manager, including insurance limits and exposure.
• Monitor and manage aged stock at sales representative level.
• Identify and develop new markets or customer segments to diversify revenue streams.

Key Markets

• Steel merchants and distributors
• End users and manufacturers
• Contractors and construction companies
• Project-based and infrastructure customers

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS (KPAs):

• Percentage increase in sales GP and tons achieved over agreed periods.
• Customer retention rates and portfolio stability.
• Percentage of sales representatives achieving or exceeding targets.
• Average GP per sale achieved.
• Lead-to-customer conversion rate.
• Customer satisfaction metrics, including Net Promoter Score (NPS).
• Successful penetration of new markets or customer segments.

Skills Required