Sales Manager in Chesterfield

Are you a successful and experienced sales manager, organised and process-driven, and someone who thrives on being a central cog in the business? Are you frustrated because you’re not getting the support, or being rewarded appropriately by your present employer? Do you have experience managing or coaching a small team, are you comfortable challenging underperformance, and have a strong track record of B2B sales? Are you technically curious, commercially sharp, and do you thrive in a role that’s hands-on and focused on gross profit rather than just turnover? If all the above fits your abilities and personality, and you’re comfortable in a fast-paced SME environment, where things move quickly, standards are high, and accountability matters, then this is the job for you!

Experience in the pump industry is beneficial, but not essential.

Hours & Salary: Full Time - Permanent. £55,000 – £65,000 basic + performance bonus. OTE 75k-80k.

Benefits:

• A stable, growing company with clear direction
• Structured processes and leadership
• A supportive but performance-driven culture
• Opportunity to grow as the business expands
• Competitive salary based on experience
• Healthcare insurance after 2 years of continuous work
• Dental insurance after 2 years of continuous work

About Henry Pumps: Henry Pumps Ltd is a fast-growing specialist supplier of pumps, pumping equipment and engineered water management solutions to commercial, industrial and domestic customers across the UK. We operate in a fast-paced technical sales environment, supplying customers across sectors including construction, civils, drainage, utilities, facilities management, agriculture, wastewater, flood response and general water management. The business has ambitious growth plans to increase revenue significantly over the next two years while improving gross margin, product mix, customer service standards and operational discipline.

The Role: The Sales Manager will be responsible for driving sales performance, improving margin, developing existing and new revenue streams, and leading the day-to-day performance of the sales team. You will manage, coach and develop our internal sales team, helping them improve technical knowledge, commercial awareness, speed of response, quote quality, follow-up discipline and customer account development. You will also be expected to lead from the front. That means speaking to customers, handling technical/commercial enquiries, quoting, closing opportunities, developing key accounts and helping the business convert more of the opportunities already coming into the company.

Key Responsibilities:

• Sales Leadership: Take ownership of daily sales performance, ensuring enquiries are handled quickly, professionally and commercially. Manage, coach and develop the sales team. Set clear expectations around response times, quote quality, follow-up and CRM usage. Hold salespeople accountable to agreed standards. Review open opportunities, quotations, stalled deals and missed follow-ups. Improve conversion rates from inbound enquiries. Help the team prioritise higher-value and higher-potential customers. Create a stronger sales culture based on pace, accuracy, ownership and commercial awareness.
• Hands-On Selling: Handle inbound technical sales enquiries. Speak directly with customers. Produce quotes. Follow up opportunities. Close sales. Support complex or higher-value enquiries. Develop relationships with key commercial customers. Step into the day-to-day sales function when the business needs it.
• Commercial Growth: Help the business grow profitably, not just chase turnover. Focus on increasing revenue. Improve gross margin. Grow higher-value product ranges. Increase accessory and add-on sales. Develop bundled and engineered pump solutions. Support new product and own-brand opportunities. Help maximise strategic supplier relationships. Identify new revenue streams across commercial, industrial and technical sectors.
• Margin and Pricing Discipline: Challenge poor pricing, unnecessary discounting, weak margin, poor product selection and missed upsell opportunities. Understand that growth is only valuable if it is profitable.
• CRM, Pipeline and Process: Ensure the sales team uses the CRM properly and consistently. Maintain accurate opportunity tracking. Record clear next actions. Keep timely follow-ups. Classify customers appropriately. Keep the pipeline clean and free of stale or abandoned enquiries. Provide clear visibility of sales activity and performance. Use the CRM as a sales management tool, not just an admin system.
• Supplier and Product Development: Work closely with senior management and key suppliers to develop product ranges, improve sales knowledge and identify commercial opportunities. Support strategic supplier partnerships. Help launch and grow new product ranges. Improve product knowledge. Feed customer demand and market insight back into the business. Turn supplier relationships into revenue and margin growth.

The Person We Are Looking For: We are looking for a high-performing, commercially minded sales professional who has already proven they can sell, manage customers, develop opportunities and raise standards in a sales environment. You must be comfortable in a fast-paced SME where things move quickly, standards are high and accountability matters.

Ideal person:

• Hands-on.
• Commercially sharp.
• Technically curious.
• Strong with people.
• Confident managing and coaching a small sales team.
• Comfortable challenging underperformance.
• Organised and process-driven.
• Strong on CRM discipline.
• Focused on gross profit, not just turnover.
• Able to balance customer service with commercial judgement.
• Resilient, proactive and self-motivated.

You do not need to come from the pump industry specifically, although that would be an advantage. Experience in technical, industrial, construction, civils, drainage, utilities, plant hire, engineering, mechanical products, trade supply or similar B2B sectors would be highly relevant.

Essential Experience:

• A strong track record in B2B sales.
• Experience selling technical, industrial, mechanical or trade-related products or services.
• Experience managing, coaching or developing salespeople.
• Strong commercial awareness.
• Ability to improve sales process and pipeline discipline.
• Confidence using CRM systems.
• Ability to work at pace without constant supervision.
• Evidence of improving sales performance, conversion, margin or account growth.

This Role Is NOT Suitable For Someone Who…

• Only wants a desk-based management position.
• Does not want to personally sell or speak to customers.
• Needs a large corporate support structure around them.
• Is uncomfortable working in a fast-moving SME.
• Avoids difficult conversations.
• Focuses only on revenue and ignores margin.
• Allows poor CRM discipline or weak follow-up.
• Prefers theory over execution.
• Is not willing to be accountable for measurable sales performance.

What Success Looks Like:

• Increase profitable revenue.
• Improve gross margin and product mix.
• Raise the performance of the sales team.
• Improve quote speed and quote follow-up.
• Increase conversion rates.
• Develop key customer accounts.
• Grow new product ranges and revenue streams.
• Improve CRM discipline and pipeline visibility.
• Build a sales function that is less dependent on the Managing Director.
• Help position the company for its next stage of growth.

Why Join Henry Pumps? This is a genuine opportunity to join a growing specialist business at an important stage of its development. The role offers the chance to have a real impact, shape the sales function, develop people, influence product and range strategy, and play a key role in helping the company reach its next level. For the right person, this role could develop further as the company continues to grow.