Sales Executive, Apparel

Role Purpose

The incumbent of this role is the face of the Company to the customers. Primary responsibility of this incumbent will be to manage and develop a portfolio of vendors to maximize revenue and margin for Coats.

Retaining relationships with the vendors and growing SOW by selling the full portfolio of Coats products and services aligned to the needs of the vendors is a key deliverable of the incumbent. Gathering market intelligence regarding demand trends and applying this to the demand forecasting process to ensure we can meet the customer requirements for product supply whilst optimizing stock levels and working capital

In addition, the incumbent of this role is responsible for business development by acquiring new sales with vendors not currently supplied by Coats. Using a structured approach to Prospecting and Digital selling to target vendors, identify opportunities and securing profitable new business is the key deliverable for this role. 

This is a dedicated customer management role to sales and does not have any direct people management responsibility, however the incumbent needs to collaborate with a range of multi-functional colleagues to drive the customer agenda.

Principal Accountabilities and Key Activities

Increase Market Share:   

• Identify new opportunities to sustain business growth in the defined territory with a portfolio of existing customers.
• Evaluate the market landscape to identify potential new customers for Coats to approach aligned to the local market development strategy for Coats
• Growth with customers in priority segments projected to grow ahead of the market and growing share of wallet (SOW) is a priority focus
• Use the principles of Value Verification to defend pricing strategies and maintain share in a highly competitive environment
• Collaboration with the GA team to increase the level of conversion of specified business with GA customers with the local vendors.
• Support the prospecting process to deliver new business opportunities to Coats to support the defined growth strategy for the market
• Audit compliance to GA specifications by vendors and provide market intelligence back to the GA team
• Actively use CSX Dynamics to manage and report all new business opportunities as they progress through the purchase funnel.
• Provide market intelligence to and support to the Global Accounts team to work on securing new specification opportunities from new brands

Provide day to day service to Customers and engage prospects:

• Help customers to pick the right thread for the right garment, assist with colour matching, lead price negotiations and conduct regular follow up on collections
• Maintain regular contact with customers virtually (phone, email, video) to complement face to face meetings in accordance with the service levels expected for key customer segments.
• Provide training and support to customers and actively promote the use of digital portals for order placement, and other digitally enabled activities
• Liaison with customer service and logistics team to ensure on time delivery to customers
• Handle complaints regarding quality/appl
• Update CRM (Dynamics CSX), on a daily basis for existing business and prospects
• Deliver collection achievement vs. target as well as the intended DSO
• Liaise with credit control officer to work closely with customers in order to collect the payment on time
• Develop and establish contacts with potential prospects using digital and direct communication channels

Support Sales Planning, Forecast and Projection effectively:

• Contribute to the demand planning process and be accountable for ongoing improvements in forecast accuracy
• Conduct monthly rolling forecast review for demand planning of raw materials/finished goods stock

Promote New Products/Global Services/Digital Marketing:

• Coordinate with Marketing/Supply Chain for NPD launches locally
• Work with Technical team to promote technical services to existing customers to deliver tangible benefits (Efficiency savings) to customers and upselling opportunities for Coats
• Jointly work with TS team to promote and upgrade product. Offer efficiency drive at customer shop floor
• Actively build contacts and relationships using digital channels in collaboration with marketing

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential

Desirable

• A bachelor's degree or equivalent in any commercial discipline
• Minimum 4/6 years’ experience in customer facing industry, preferable B2B
• Proven track record in sales, preferably in an apparel environment
• Results driven with considerable experience in negotiating and delivery against significant contracts
• Evidence of the ability to create, implement and roll out strategic account planning and relationship development strategies
• Outstanding communicator, able to rapidly build and sustain relationship at all levels within the organization based on trust and consistent delivery to expectations
• Financial and business awareness with good numerical and analytical skills
• Innovative self-starter with the ability to take ownership and set goals and priorities
• Results orientation, strategic thinker, tactical implementer, customer focussed

Competencies:

Skills, knowledge and behaviours required to perform effectively in a given job, role or situation. Ccompetencies will define what an individual should be doing and how they should go about doing it, to meet the needs of their role.

Levels of Competency:

Competencies

Expected Level

Understands Coats Products and Services (Mandated): Understands the Coats product and Service portfolio to create sales opportunities in relevant customer interactions. The understanding includes awareness of the complexities involved in product sourcing and supply to ensure that we can create sales opportunities whilst managing customer expectations regarding supply timings which are influenced by factors such as manufacturing sourcing and demand planning

Skillful Application (Level 3)

Sales Strategy & Territory Management: Sales Leaders: Making decisions as to how and where to invest time to build and develop business opportunities within your sales region / territory or within a clearly defined portfolio of customers. This is based on a foundation of customer segmentation and journey planning.to optimize resources and enable accelerated and profitable sales growth

Basic Application  (Level 2)

Industry, Sector & Competitor Insight: Builds a body of knowledge and information which is crystalized into deep insight used to present information and ideas to customer stakeholders in a manner that creates differentiated relationships. Industry relates to the relevant manufacturing segment that customers operate in including consumer trends influencing manufacturing requirements. Sector relates to the product category (e.g. sports apparel) and competitor relates to the relevant Coats competitors. All of the above combines to create an expert view which can deliver value for our customers and for Coats

Skillful Application  (Level 3)

Negotiation skills: Through a planned approach is able to extract the maximum value for Coats from negotiations by trading variables with the other negotiating party in order to achieve a mutually agreeable outcome (win-win mindset) thus building and maintaining long-term relationships with customers. The approach is built upon a global Coats standard for managing and executing negotiations successfully.

Skillful Application  (Level 3)

Prospecting & Business Development: The ability to generate, qualify and manage new business prospects through a clearly defined process generates new business with customers traditionally supplied by other competitors. The process aligns with the Account Planning competency but is specific to building and developing relationships with new customers who traditionally or recently not had a relationship with Coats.

Skillful Application  (Level 3)

Finance knowledge & Analytical skills: Has a good grasp of financial data and information to be able to engage customers credibly and can analyze data and trends in the numbers to project and forecast accurately and identify new opportunities for growth or trends that could identify future risks to be mitigated

Basic Application  (Level 2)

Upselling & Value Verification: Able to demonstrate to customers the commercial benefits of the Coats product and service offer that justify the premium position in the market. This relates to a deep understanding of how customers prioritise their business requirements (SPICQRS), and how Coats articulate the commercial value of its products and service solutions in a structured and planned way and present this back to customers to align on the value generated

Skillful Application  (Level 3)