National Sales Manager

The purpose of the role is to extend business and increase sales by researching, compiling and presenting service/sales proposals to prospective new and existing clients. As a National Sales Manager, you should use your creativity and thorough knowledge of sales processes to provide innovative ideas for business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Sales

• Set and achieve gross sales, Net Sales, and Gross Margin targets for all lines of business.
• Determine & manage all sales budgets, across categories and accounts.
• Develop strategic alliances with key accounts to drive brand share of their businesses.
• Ensure rolling business plans are built for each key account.
• Work with Account Managers to ensure sales plans are built for all wholesale customers.
• Work with Key Account Managers to ensure all Key Accounts receive professional product presentations for all categories of business.
• Ensure that the African Distributor accounts are managed to Net Sales and Gross Margin targets as outlined and ensure a sustainable business partnership is built.
• Ensure relationship development is a focus for all customers.
• Tightly oversee and be involved in the management of our key accounts TFG & SWH, TCT & S88.
• Ensure disciplined account & distribution strategy is in place.
• Conduct monthly review meetings with all major accounts and agents and ensure KA One Pagers are kept up to date.
• Conduct quarterly business review meetings with each NB sales agent and Key accounts.
• Ensure all NB sales staff are fully trained and accountable to New Balance values and sales team expectations.
• Ensure pre-line meetings take place with key accounts.
• Organise & facilitate two major sales conferences per year.
• Manage national sales expenditure to budget.
• Contribute as a member of the senior management team.
• Contribute as a senior member of the management team in planning and executing sales conference.

2. Reporting

• Complete monthly sales & bookings reports. With a focus on Forward bookings.
• Complete Monthly Trading Terms report
• Complete monthly Pacing report
• Complete Monthly R+O wholesale report
• Ensure Account quarterly reports are presented to Country Manager.
• Ensure key account quarterly sales reports are completed.
• Complete weekly work in progress report for Country Manager.
• Manage the Appraisal & Objectives process for all sales team members. 

3. Forecasting & Inventory Management

• Work with the Demand Planner to obtain account SKU forecasts from account managers AND product managers.
• Work with the Demand Planner to prepare a company SKU forecast for the budget and quarterly forecasts within the timeframes set by finance.
• Work with the Demand Planner to plan and forecast by SKU for the African Distributor accounts.
• Reconcile the SKU forecast to the customer forecast.
• Analyse the month end analysis of actual to forecast sales to identify sales opportunities.
• Work with the Demand Planner to manage inventory to budgeted stock turns.
• Utilise rolling monthly forecasts to approve recommended monthly inventory purchases.
• Work with the Demand Planner to ensure that the twelve-month inventory forecast is maintained.
• Ensure all close outs not purchased by NB retail are priced appropriately and sold to the trade.
• Work closely with the retail team to ensure the inventory flow and inventory levels are optimised across the business.

4. Staff Management 

• Management of Sales Team. Direct reports:
• Strategic Category Account Managers

o Key Account Managers
o Account Managers
o Junior Account Managers

• Ensure Weekly & Monthly reports are delivered by direct reports
• Set programs & Budgets for staff to achieve sales and profit targets.
• Ensure compliance with NB core values and policies.
• Proactively coach direct reports to create sustainable performance enhancement.
• Deliver departmental role clarity & clear objectives. Reporting Monthly.
• Identify developmental requirements and ensure staff attend relevant courses.
• Manage the KPI reporting & appraisal process.

5. Trading Terms 

• Negotiate annual trading terms and sign documentation three months prior to customer’s financial year commencing.
• Work with Marketing to ensure a trading terms spreadsheet is set up and monitored each quarter.
• Manage co-op funds for key/major accounts to budget and ensure they are commercially beneficial for New Balance.
• Once established, ensure wholesale sales discount funds are managed to budget.
• Ensure the Trading Terms spreadsheet is kept up to date and aligns with budget goals.
• Ensure wholesale discounts/off price register funds are managed to budget.

Individual Attributes: 

• Significant experience and tertiary education preferred.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills.
• Strong numeric, analytical, excel and PowerPoint skills.
• Proven entrepreneurial and commercial skills in wholesale.
• Persuasive sales and presentation skills with a strong customer service focus.
• Sporting goods industry understanding and experience preferred. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a sound track record for leading teams.
• Proven negotiation skills and determined self-starter.
• Outgoing and sociable with a willingness to spend time with customers after hours.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally on a regular basis.