Business Development Manager – Northern and Eastern Europe

Business Development Manager – Europe (North and East)

(Home based role with extensive European travel)

About our client

Our client was born over a decade ago and continues to grow at 40% every year, selling through a rapidly expanding network of over 500 stockists in more than 50 countries worldwide.

They strive to be ethical in everything they do, each year donating 1% of their turnover. Over the last 12 months they have been earmarked by The Sunday Times Fast Track Ones to Watch list, received GOLD in the Healthy Workplace Awards, and expanded to more than 80 permanent team members.

About You

With a background in retail/field sales, you will be highly commercial with a proven track record of achieving sales targets. You’ll have excellent communication and relationship building skills with internal and external parties alike. You’ll be computer literate and super organised with excellent time management skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines. An enjoyment of, and willingness to, travel is a must. This is a home-based role with extensive travel to Northern and Eastern Europe (Scandinavia, Netherlands Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, etc); proximity to a major airport with direct flights to Northern and Eastern Europe is a must. Relevant language skills and experience selling into Scandinavia and Eastern Europe is highly desirable.

The Role in a Nutshell

To identify new business development opportunities that are in line with the company’s growth aspirations and nurture existing accounts to achieve their full potential.

Your Key Responsibilities

Prospect and develop new business opportunities with key retailers within your territory and turn this into increased business.

Develop, maintain and grow long term relationships with high potential customers and existing accounts with a focus on both financial gain and customer satisfaction.

Respond to, and follow up, sales enquiries using appropriate methods in a timely manner.

Attend trade shows, run “pop-up” show rooms and visit customers in their retail environment.

Maintain accurate customer prospect and sales activity within the central sales database.

Develop business plans for each account, with SMART objectives and budgets set against each customer.

Prepare and analyse your sales data to ensure that sales efforts are targeted to maximum effect.

Feedback customer comments to the design department contributing to further improvement of the product and offering.

Contribute ideas for the marketing team such as POS, incentives and improvements to our marketing literature to help support our retail community develop and promote their businesses further.

Ensure that the pre- season sales target for your territory is reached by great planning before the high sales intensity periods of the year.

Identify key accounts with growth potential within your territory and work with marketing to organise events, bespoke POS and VM/product training.

Monitor “in season” reserves of stock and drive top-up orders from appropriate retailers

Using knowledge of the market and competitors, identify and develop the company’s unique selling propositions and differentiators to increase sales with existing clients and recruit new business.

Home based with extensive travel visiting at least two customers every day during the pre-order selling period and prospect trips planned in-season to recruit new customers.

Essential skills

“Needs based” selling experience in a retail/field sales environment in the fashion sector.

Detailed planning and objective setting experience as well as analytical skills to assess performance.

Deep commercial understanding of what makes businesses thrive and you will possess a high degree of credibility in the customer’s eyes.

Strong negotiation skills.

You will love people and people will love you!

Super organised with excellent time management skills and the ability to work to tight deadlines.

Excellent communicator in the spoken and written word, with accuracy and great attention to detail.

Computer literacy.

Full Clean Driving Licence.

You’ll be located near to a major airport with direct links to Northern and Eastern Europe (Scandinavia, Netherlands Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, etc).

Relevant languages would be highly desirable.

What’s in it for you?

A full time, permanent contract.

Investment in you with a competitive salary, depending on your skills and experience, plus a sales target related bonus.

A company pension scheme, including matched contributions.

A share of the profits

A great discount across their fantastic range.

Fabulous career progression and development opportunities.

A very fun and exciting environment to work in.

Important: All applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK at the time of submitting your application; unfortunately, our client is not licensed to sponsor overseas workers. Due to the volume of applications, only successful candidates will be contacted. Thank you for your understanding.