Role purpose
- Develop and direct regional business strategies and plans to achieve the agreed profit and volume goals for the relevant channel partner(s) and region, consistent with overall sales and marketing strategy.
- First line of contact with the customer (dealer, agent, grower) in terms of technical support, recommendations and training.
- Investigate, understand, capture and communicate aspects of key crop production.
- Implement key account management (KAM) principles with designated key customers.
Accountabilities
- Develop and direct regional business strategies consistent with overall marketing and sales strategy.
- Development Market Information, Budgets, Forecasts, Business Planning, Partnership Agreements.
- Identify, define, establish and maintain influential relationships with relevant institutes and key crop value opinion leaders.
- Focus resources on growers and key influencers in the food/feed chain – create pull approaches.
- Build relationships in value chain (identify the lead influencers).
- Identify key crop, product and market opportunities and threats.
- Support agents and growers with technical solutions on all aspects of key crop production.
- Investigate and manage complaints/claims to minimise financial loss (first line of contact for Syngenta).
- Develop the competence, motivation and commitment of Dealers and Agents through effective training, promotion, and sales support aids.
- Keep abreast of market, trade and competitor activity in order to revise strategies to meet changing requirements.
- Ensure market information accuracy in iPlan for allocated crops.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Critical Knowledge
- Relevant tertiary education and/or proven track record of at least 5 years sales or technical experience in the Agricultural Industry
- The role requires a high focus on building and managing relationships, motivating others and delivery of targets.
Critical Skills
- Strong leadership and team working skills.
- Effective communicator, fully bilingual, well-developed skills of persuasion.
- Resilient to pressure.
- Strong reporting skills and attention to detail.
- Good communication skills and the ability to present to an audience.
- Problem solving and ability to work under pressure
Critical Experience
- Experience in the Crop Protection Industry is crucial to this position.
- Good knowledge of crop production practices including row crops, vegetables and citrus.
- Good understanding of the business, key account management, the market and how to add customer value.
- Practical experience of developing and implementing sales strategies and plans.
- Knowledge of key financial and marketing concepts and principles.
- Sound business acumen and negotiating ability.
- Broad technical know-how of crops, products and farming practices. (Approximately three years’ experience).
Critical success factors & key challenges
Remit – (Area of Competence)
- Adopt and implement Go to Market strategy – assist with training of channel.
- Accountable for sales forecasting / planning for Key Dealers in region.
- Ensure implementation of related campaigns.
- Lead sales and any other interactions with relevant dealerships.
- Support agents with technical and commercial information in order to achieve sales targets.
- Gather market intelligence.
- Handling of product complaints.
- Dealer strategy.
- Identify new opportunities and gaps.
Interface – (boundary linking two systems)
- Area Sales Manager
- Relevant Dealerships and Agents
- Supply Chain
- Customer Marketing
- Commercial Operations
- Influencers
Competencies
Set Direction: Set strategy. Encourage innovation.
Communicative: Communicate effectively. Ability to step back and analyse new scenarios. Listen and inform regularly, timely and in an appropriate way.
Results-Driven: Know the business. Inspire commitment. Display drive. Achieve goals. Be decisive. Meet goals, follow up systematically. Record an issue, analyse and propose corrective actions.
Create Edge: Focus energy. Lead change. Motivate team. Build trust. Ability to convince and to motivate people. Committed, open, respect deadlines.
Liberate Potential: Develop others. Leverage diversity. Develop self. Promote teamwork.
Other Behaviours Critical for the Role: To be able to represent the company in front of potential and existing customers.
This position is based in the Eastern Cape and willingness to travel regularly throughout the Eastern Cape and beyond is a requirement.
