Key Account Manager, South Africa

ASICS is a Japanese multinational corporation athletic equipment company which produces footwear and sports equipment designed for a wide range of sports, generally in the upper price range.

The Key Account Manager is responsible for managing assigned key accounts, maintaining a long term relationship with the accounts and maximising sales opportunities within them.

Responsible for negotiation of contracts and work in close contact with ASICS Sales & Marketing department as well as closely with customers purchasing managers in such a way that it contributes towards the realisation of the commercial objectives for ASICS.
Responsibilities

Key Account Management
– Maintains and develop relations with assigned Key Accounts.
– Visits them regularly and negotiates on the composition of collections, prices, conditions and marketing activities.
– Makes proposals for retail pricing to the National Sales Manager.
– Prepare a detailed seasonal documentation overview upon SMU (Special Make up’s) and in line assortment ensuring the range is commercial and profitable.
– Deals with requests for the production of SMUs and submits a price proposal to the National Sales Manager.
– Drafts conditions/contracts for assigned Key Accounts, consults the relevant employees within the company about proposed conditions and supports to drive closure of them.
– Creates and executes Key Account Plans for the assigned customers.
– Serves as point of contact for questions or problems for the assigned customers.
– Acquires new business
– Monitor and analyses the sales and sell through figures of assigned customers. Spots and analyses business opportunities with existing and potential customers and initiates follow-up action.
Administration
– Is responsible for the administrative work associated with the agreements made on special conditions.
– Enters orders in the business system.
– Deals with invoices received relating to promotion campaigns.

Management
– Assists, if asked upon, the National Sales Manager in formulating the Commercial Plan and objectives for South Africa region
– Supports and manages the National Sales Manager to drive and execute activity plans and other agreed objectives with assigned customers – supports implementation, makes measurement and evaluations of activities and suggests next steps/improvement plans towards customers and internally.
– Budget planning for assigned customers.
– Reports periodically on how work is progressing to the National Sales Manager.

Leadership
– Proactively instructs, supports coaches and motivates sales department with execution of the assigned customers.
– Keeps up to date on how the business unit work is progressing, offers support and provides any necessary guidance.
– Supports the National Sales Manager with the execution of the business unit’s targets.
Representation and cooperation

 

– Initiates coordination and cooperation with colleagues within Sales and Marketing of South Africa, as well as key sales department from of our European Headquarters (the Netherlands), to support the achievement of own objectives.
Job requirements

 Knowledge and experience

– Bachelor diploma in the field of Sales

– > 5 years of relevant working experience with Key Account Management.
– Experienced in Core Sales Skills such as:

Structured appointment

Question & Listening skills – objection handling

Link Features and Benefits to customer needs

Persuasive selling

–  2-3 years of leadership experience of some kind
– Affinity/Experience working in international organizations
– High knowledge and strong usage of Microsoft Office programs especially Excel and PPT
– Strong IT-capabilities
– Excellent command of written and spoken English
Personal skills
– Goal orientated
–  Accuracy
–  Teamwork – Team player
–  Creative
–  Customer orientated
–  Flexibility – solution orientated
–  Assertiveness/persuasive
– Judgement
– Proactive – self motivator
– Written and verbal communication
– Structured administration
– Tenacious
What ASICS offers you
– Competitive salary and an attractive social benefits package
– Participation in our EMEA bonus scheme
– Discount on ASICS and Onitsuka Tiger products
– Working for a growing sportive international company in a fast paced environment
– The possibility to give your personal input and develop yourself within our company