Head of Sales (Morden and Formal Trade) at Kloverharris Limited Full Time

Job Title: Head of Sales (Morden and Formal Trade)

Location: Ikoyi, Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary

• The Head of Sales for Modern and Formal Trade will be responsible for developing and executing the sales strategy across all modern retail (supermarkets, hypermarkets, e-commerce, etc.) and formal trade channels (bars, restaurants, hotels, and clubs) for the company’s alcoholic beverage portfolio.
• The role involves overseeing a team of regional sales managers and building strong relationships with key accounts, distributors, and retail partners.
• This position requires a deep understanding of the modern trade landscape and formal trade dynamics, with a focus on driving market share growth, achieving sales targets, and expanding brand presence in competitive markets.

Key Responsibilities
Sales Strategy Development & Execution:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy for modern retail and formal trade channels, ensuring alignment with the company’s overall commercial objectives and long-term business goals.
• Design channel-specific strategies for growth in the modern trade (supermarkets, hypermarkets, online platforms) and formal trade (bars, restaurants, hotels, clubs, etc.) to maximize revenue, volume, and market penetration.
• Lead the development of annual sales plans and budgeting for each channel, ensuring alignment with financial targets, brand objectives, and market conditions.
• Monitor and analyze market trends, competitor activities, and consumer behavior to adapt sales strategies and identify new opportunities for growth in both modern and formal trade.
• Ensure consistent and effective implementation of sales strategies at the regional and local levels, with flexibility to address specific market needs.

Leadership & Team Management:

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of regional sales managers and key account managers, ensuring they are equipped to achieve sales targets and drive performance in both modern and formal trade.
• Establish clear performance expectations, sales KPIs, and success metrics for the sales team, providing regular feedback, training, and development opportunities.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and high performance within the sales team.
• Provide ongoing coaching and support to regional teams, ensuring they have the necessary tools and resources to successfully execute sales strategies.
• Conduct regular sales meetings and review sessions with regional sales managers to track performance, address challenges, and share best practices.

Key Account Management & Relationship Building:

• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key accounts, including large retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and key customers in the formal trade (bar, restaurant, hotel, and club sectors).
• Negotiate and manage major accounts’ contracts, pricing agreements, promotions, and visibility initiatives, ensuring that terms are aligned with the company’s objectives while meeting the needs of the customer.
• Develop joint business plans with key customers to drive mutual growth, including promotional activities, category management, and shelf positioning.
• Work closely with regional distributors to ensure product availability, effective distribution strategies, and the achievement of sales goals.
• Engage in regular visits to key accounts and trade events to deepen customer relationships, gather market intelligence, and ensure alignment of business objectives.

Sales Performance Monitoring & Reporting:

• Monitor and analyze sales performance across both modern and formal trade channels, identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Provide regular sales forecasts, reports, and performance analysis to the CCO, executive team, and regional leadership.
• Ensure accurate tracking of sales data, including volume, revenue, margins, and promotional effectiveness, to inform decision-making and future sales strategies.
• Drive corrective actions in response to underperformance or market changes, ensuring that sales goals are met and exceeded.
• Lead the tracking and evaluation of promotional campaigns, ensuring that all activities deliver measurable results in terms of sales growth, brand awareness, and customer engagement.

Channel Development & Market Penetration:

• Identify and develop new business opportunities within the modern trade and formal trade channels, including identifying potential new customers, untapped markets, and emerging trends.
• Expand the brand’s presence in key markets by securing new retail listings and formal trade partnerships, ensuring brand visibility and market share growth.
• Collaborate with marketing and brand teams to develop and implement marketing strategies tailored to the modern and formal trade environments, including in-store promotions, product activations, and experiential marketing.
• Ensure that the product portfolio is appropriately represented across both modern and formal trade channels, identifying potential gaps and opportunities for portfolio expansion.
• Lead the rollout of new product launches, ensuring seamless integration into existing channel strategies and optimizing trade and retail impact.

Pricing, Promotions, and Trade Marketing:

• Work closely with the marketing and trade marketing teams to design and execute channel-specific promotional campaigns that drive sales and consumer engagement in both modern and formal trade.
• Oversee pricing strategies for both modern and formal trade, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and market conditions.
• Negotiate and execute trade discounts, promotional budgets, and pricing agreements with key accounts while maintaining healthy margins and profitability.
• Ensure all promotional activities are aligned with brand guidelines, and track their impact on sales performance, ensuring that ROI is maximized.
• Monitor competitor activity and market trends to ensure the company’s pricing and promotional strategies are competitive and aligned with market expectations.

Sales Training & Development:

• Develop and implement a sales training program for the sales team, focusing on modern trade and formal trade channels, product knowledge, negotiation skills, and customer relationship management.
• Train and develop regional sales managers and key account managers on effective sales strategies, brand positioning, and customer engagement.
• Foster a continuous learning culture within the sales team, ensuring they stay updated on industry trends, sales techniques, and competitive strategies.
• Encourage a customer-centric approach to sales, ensuring that the sales team understands customer needs, behaviors, and preferences in both modern retail and formal trade.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Collaborate with other departments such as marketing, supply chain, finance, and logistics to ensure that sales objectives are aligned with overall business goals and operational capabilities.
• Work closely with the marketing team to ensure promotional materials, campaigns, and events are tailored to the needs of both modern retail and formal trade channels.
• Coordinate with the supply chain and logistics teams to ensure timely product availability, efficient distribution, and effective stock management across regions.
• Partner with finance to ensure accurate forecasting, budgeting, and tracking of sales expenses and margins.

Budget & Resource Management:

• Develop and manage the sales budget for modern and formal trade channels, ensuring efficient allocation of resources to maximize ROI.
• Monitor and control sales expenses, ensuring the efficient use of resources while meeting sales and profitability targets.
• Track and manage the effectiveness of promotional budgets, ensuring all spending contributes to achieving sales goals and brand objectives.

Qualifications & Skills
Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, or a related field (required).
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree (preferred).

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in sales management, with at least 5 years leading teams in the modern retail and formal trade channels, preferably within the alcoholic beverage industry.
• Proven track record of achieving sales targets and driving growth in both modern trade and formal trade sectors.
• Strong experience in key account management, contract negotiations, and building long-term customer relationships.
• In-depth knowledge of sales strategies, pricing, promotions, and channel-specific dynamics within the alcoholic beverage industry.
• Experience with managing regional teams and working across diverse markets, with a clear understanding of market and cultural nuances.

Skills:

• Exceptional leadership, team management, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret sales data and make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels of the business.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to execute tactical plans effectively.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, CRM tools, and other sales management software.
• High level of organization and attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders.

Application Closing Date
12th February, 2025

How to Apply
Interested candidates should send their CV to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.