Key Account Manager - Small Holder at Syngenta

Role Purpose

• Transactional responsibility for all sales activities, from lead generation through closure in the assigned territory.
• Management of assigned accounts in the region [DFU and Distributors].
• Management of Accounts receivables.
• Delivering company commercial policy.
• To achieve agreed sales targets in accordance with the Country strategy and objectives
• Develop and implement agreed upon Sales Plans which will meet both personal and business goals of expanding customer base in the marketing area.
• Provide sales technical support and work within the sales and support teams for the achievement of customer goals, satisfaction, revenue generation, and long-term account goals in line with company vision and values.
• Engage /collaborate with stakeholders to support Syngenta offers locally.
• Market intelligence gathering.
• Work well with the Campaign, Regulatory and Field Expert teams to realize goals for both the customers and the company.

 Accountabilities

• Responsible for the sales of SEAL products in the assigned territory and ensure attainment of agreed sales targets.
• Demonstrate technical selling skills and product knowledge that allows effective and efficient selling and customer relationship building and maintenance.
• Develop an annual business plan in conjunction with the Head of Sales, which details activities to follow during the fiscal year, which will focus the meeting or exceeding of the sales quota.
• Work closely with marketing and other functions to ensure appropriate customer segmentation exists and appropriate services are defined and delivered.
• Develop a database of qualified leads through referrals, telephone canvassing, face to face cold calling on business owners, direct mail, email, and networking.
• Assist in the implementation of company marketing plans as needed and keep abreast of market trends, pricing and competition activities, giving regular information as changes come.
• Demonstrate the ability to gather, submit detailed business information for underwriting, pricing, and presentation of solutions to identified prospects' business problems.
• Maintain accurate records of all sales and prospecting activities including sales calls, presentations, closed sales, and follow-up activities within the assigned territory, including the use of Microsoft Office/ Sales Force dot.com (SFDC) to maintain accurate records to maximize territory potential.
• Adhere to all company policies, procedures and business ethics codes and ensures that they are communicated and implemented within the team and customers.
• To be the company’s ambassador at the farm gate and ensure growers understand the USP’s of the company’s products & the appropriate attributes & benefits that meet the needs of the customer and to ensure distributors & influencers understand the USP’s of the Company’s products and the desired positioning.

Qualifications

Knowledge

• Display a thorough understanding of Agronomy with a bias to broad acre farming as identified above
• Display an understanding and attributes of marketing in the agricultural sector

Critical Skills

• Expertly influences key stakeholders and obtains sign up to a common vision/shared goals
• Influences and enthuses people throughout the organization and externally
• Able to communicate effectively in writing, orally and through presentations
• Presentation and coaching skills appropriate for dealing with professionals
• Credibility and confidence in dealing with all levels of stakeholders
• Methodical and consistent approach to recording, structuring, analyzing and summarizing information and market intelligence – ability to distill market information into strategic insights for Syngenta
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Team orientation and excellent interpersonal and team-working skills
• Motivated, focused on results and demonstrates a high sense of urgency

Relationships and Roles:

Internal / External Cooperation

• Maintain contact with all clients in your market area to ensure high levels of Client Satisfaction.
• Demonstrate ability to interact and cooperate with all company employees.
• Build trust, value others, communicate effectively, drive execution, foster innovation, focus on the customer, collaborate with others, solve problems creatively and demonstrate high integrity.
• Maintain professional internal and external relationships that meet company core values.
• Proactively establish and maintain effective working team relationships with all support

Qualifications

• A Degree in Agriculture, Horticulture, or higher is critical for this role
• Extensive knowledge of the Agricultural sales environment, including Direct Farm Unit and Distribution networks.
• Selling Skills Training.
• Sound technical base of agrochemical products and agronomics.
• Language skills – must be proficient and fluent in oral and written English and Kiswahili
• Good understanding of local sales environment.

Critical Experience:

• Previous experience in Agrochemical/Farm Input sales and or Farm management environment or similar industry.

Critical Success factors/ Key Challenges 

• To ensure achievement of Area Broadacre budget in the first 12 months
• To have determined the total market size of the cereal industry, main players, market size, market offerings, competition strategy and direction of the industry in assigned territory
• Successfully introduce our new product offerings and solutions to farmers and stakeholders in assigned territory
• Understanding the agribusiness in the specified region and advising the Sales and Marketing Managers on potential opportunities Syngenta can capture
• Ensure that the current business in terms of value in the identified sectors does not decline year on year (with no reasonable and acceptable explanation)