UK Area Sales Manager South East in London

Nature Planet is looking for an experienced and energetic Area Sales Manager to develop its business across South East England. You will take responsibility for an established customer portfolio while also opening doors to new customers within attractions, leisure, tourism and related retail markets.

About the role

The UK is one of Nature Planet’s largest and most important European markets. To support the company’s continued growth, the existing territory is being divided into more focused districts. You will take ownership of the South East territory and inherit an established portfolio of customers. Approximately 80% of your focus will be on developing existing accounts through upselling, cross-selling and closer customer partnerships. The remaining 20% will be focused on identifying and winning new business.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Building strong and long-lasting relationships with customers across the territory.
• Developing existing accounts and identifying opportunities to increase sales and product penetration.
• Introducing new products, ranges and seasonal campaigns.
• Identifying, approaching and winning new customers.
• Understanding the customer’s business and creating relevant product and assortment proposals.
• Preparing and delivering customer presentations.
• Planning and conducting regular face-to-face meetings with customers and prospects.
• Managing your sales pipeline, customer activities, orders and follow-up.
• Gathering market intelligence and identifying new trends and commercial opportunities.
• Preparing monthly sales action plans and reporting on progress.
• Achieving the agreed annual sales budget for the territory.
• Working closely with colleagues in the UK and across Nature Planet’s European organisation.

You will have considerable freedom to plan your own working day and customer visits. At the same time, you will be part of an experienced UK sales team that meets approximately once a month at the company’s office in Birmingham.

About you

We are looking for an experienced B2B sales professional who combines commercial drive with the ability to create trust and long-term relationships. You probably have at least five years of sales experience and a documented track record of achieving results. Experience from attractions, leisure, tourism, gifts, toys, souvenirs or related retail markets would be an advantage, but the right commercial mindset and customer approach are more important than a specific industry background.

We expect that you:

• Enjoy being out in the market and spending time with customers.
• Are confident communicating with everyone from operational employees to business owners and senior management.
• Can challenge existing solutions and introduce new ideas in a constructive way.
• Listen carefully and understand what creates value for the individual customer.
• Work independently, proactively and in a structured manner.
• Are comfortable using CRM systems and Microsoft Office.
• Have strong communication, negotiation and presentation skills.
• Bring energy, ambition and a genuine desire to win.

As a person, you are outgoing and approachable, and you understand that strong sales results are built through credibility, persistence and proper follow-up. You are comfortable working independently but also contribute actively to the wider team. A good sense of humour will certainly not count against you.

Place of work

The position is home-based, and the ideal candidate lives north of London, within the area between London and Peterborough. The role involves regular travel throughout the South East territory, as customer meetings and a visible presence in the market are essential parts of the job.

Salary and benefits

The position offers a competitive base salary, depending on experience, combined with an attractive performance-related commission scheme. With commission, the expected on-target earnings are approximately £60,000–£75,000 per year. The package also includes a company car, laptop and mobile phone.

Interested?

Birn+Partners is handling the recruitment process on behalf of Nature Planet. If you would like to learn more about the position, please contact Jørn Emil Stochholm Sørensen at jes@birn-partners.com.

About Nature Planet

Nature Planet is a global niche market leader in plush toys, jewellery, souvenirs and merchandise for attractions and tourist destinations. The company works with more than 6,000 customers worldwide, including zoos, aquariums, museums, theme parks, visitor attractions and destination gift shops. Nature Planet has built a strong market position through sustainability, innovation, high customer service and the ability to create relevant product solutions for its customers. Nature Planet employs approximately 180 people and is experiencing continued growth across both Europe and North America. With around 500 new products introduced each year, the company offers a strong and constantly evolving platform for further customer and market development.