Business Development Manager at Southern Engineering Co. Ltd (SECO)

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a growth strategy focused both on financial gain and client satisfaction
• Conduct research and identify new business opportunities - including new markets, growth areas, trends, customers, partnerships, products, and services - or new ways of reaching existing markets
• Arrange business meetings with prospective clients, face-to-face or virtually
• Promote the company’s products/services addressing or predicting clients’ objectives
• Prepare sales contracts ensuring adherence to law-established rules and guidelines; draw up client contracts - depending on the size of the company
• Keep records of sales, revenue, invoices, etc.
• Foster and develop relationships with customers/clients and provide trustworthy feedback and after-sales support
• Build long-term relationships with new and existing clients, while understanding the needs of clients and being able to respond effectively with a plan of how to meet these
• Seek out the appropriate contact in an organization, generating leads and cold call prospective clients
• Think strategically - seeing the bigger picture, setting objectives, and seeking ways to develop and improve the business and how it operates
• Work strategically - carrying out necessary planning in order to implement operational changes
• Have a good understanding of the businesses products or services and be able to advise others about them
• Develop entry-level staff into valuable sales people through internal and external training, attending seminars, conferences, and events where appropriate
• Ensure staff are on board throughout the organization and understand the need for change and what is required of them
• Discuss promotional strategy and activities with the marketing department
• Liaise with the finance team, warehousing, and logistics departments as appropriate
• Measurable value that demonstrates effectively the company is achieving key business objectives

Qualifications

• Master’s in business administration, accountancy, business studies, economics, finance, international relations, marketing, sales, or relevant field
• Bachelors in any field of engineering
• Proficiency in MS Office and CRM software (e.g. Salesforce)
• Proficiency in English

Work Experience

• Proven working experience as a business development manager with an engineering background, preferably in the East African Region
• Proven sales track record
• Market knowledge of trends and changes in the business world
• Experience in customer support
• Experience in associated roles such as commercial manager, account manager, etc.

Skills and competencies

• Communication and negotiation skills
• Excellent telephone etiquette for making initial contact and for ongoing communication with customers and business associates
• Time management and planning skills
• Interpersonal skills for building rapport and developing relationships with clients
• Strategic thinking and sound decision making
• Tenacity and drive to seek new business and meet or exceed targets
• Written and verbal communication skills - needed for communicating with a range of people, both internally and externally, as well as presentation skills
• IT skills, including the use of spreadsheets
• Team working skills and a collaborative approach to work
• Ability to multitask and prioritize your workload
• Project management and organizational skills
• Ability to motivate yourself and set your own goals
• Ability to analyze sales figures and write reports
• Flexible approach to work with the ability to adapt to a fast-paced, ever-changing environment
• Initiative and the confidence to start things from scratch
• Ability to think Out of the box