Business Development Manager in Maidstone

Location: Kent up to Midlands (National Role)

Salary: £45-£65k D.O.E + Commission + Car Allowance + Benefits

Are you a driven sales hunter who has sold into retailers, hospitality, car dealerships, leisure centres and gyms, and other sizable multiple businesses? If so, read on.

About the Role

We are seeking a commercially driven and highly connected Sales Business Development Manager to accelerate growth across our signage, branding, and maintenance services divisions. This is a strategic, client-facing role focused on winning new business, developing long-term client relationships, and growing recurring revenue through signage maintenance and asset management contracts. The ideal candidate will have an established network of contacts within retail, hospitality, leisure, property, automotive, banking, convenience, and other multi-site sectors. They will possess a proven track record of generating opportunities with major brands and converting pipelines into long-term revenue streams. This role is particularly suited to someone who has previously sold signage, facilities management, fit-out, maintenance, visual merchandising, branding, or related services and can leverage an existing network of decision-makers across major UK brands and high street businesses.

Key Responsibilities

• Business Development
• Identify, target, and secure new signage and maintenance opportunities across key sectors.
• Utilise existing industry relationships and personal network to generate qualified leads and meetings.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans for prospective clients.
• Build a robust pipeline of opportunities across signage manufacture, installation, maintenance, refurbishment, and nationwide rollout projects.
• Generate new recurring revenue through maintenance contracts and service agreements.
• Lead presentations, proposals, tenders, and contract negotiations.
• Represent the business at industry events, exhibitions, and networking opportunities.
• Account Management
• Manage and grow relationships with existing clients and key accounts.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, identifying opportunities for additional services and projects.
• Ensure excellent customer experience throughout the project lifecycle.
• Conduct regular account reviews and business development meetings.
• Collaborate with operational teams to ensure successful delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Signage Maintenance Sales
• Drive growth of planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance services.
• Identify opportunities to convert project-based customers into long-term maintenance clients.
• Develop maintenance strategies for national and multi-site customers.
• Promote asset surveys, condition reporting, refurbishment programmes, and lifecycle management services.
• Work closely with operations teams to ensure service delivery aligns with client expectations.
• Pipeline & Performance Management
• Maintain an accurate and active CRM pipeline.
• Forecast revenue and sales activity on a weekly and monthly basis.
• Consistently achieve or exceed sales targets and KPIs.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities.
• Provide regular reporting to senior management on pipeline, conversion rates, and business development activity.

Skills & Experience Required

• Essential
• Proven success in business development and account management within signage, branding, maintenance, facilities management, fit-out, visual communications, or a related sector.
• Demonstrable experience selling into large retail brands, multi-site operators, or national accounts.
• Established network of contacts across major retailers, hospitality groups, leisure operators, banking, automotive, property, or commercial sectors.
• Strong track record of generating and converting sales pipeline.
• Experience managing high-value client relationships and strategic accounts.
• Excellent negotiation, presentation, and communication skills.
• Commercially astute with strong financial awareness.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with operational teams.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Desirable
• Experience selling nationwide signage maintenance programmes.
• Knowledge of signage manufacturing, installation, project management, and maintenance processes.
• Experience responding to tenders and procurement frameworks.
• Understanding of multi-site retail and branded estate management.
• Existing relationships with property, estates, facilities, and procurement decision-makers.

Personal Attributes

• Natural relationship builder with strong industry credibility.
• Highly motivated self-starter who thrives on winning new business.
• Strategic thinker with a proactive and consultative sales approach.
• Results-oriented with a strong hunter mentality.
• Professional, resilient, and confident engaging with senior stakeholders.
• Passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and long-term partnerships.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to shape and grow a key strategic area of the business.
• Access to a strong operational and delivery team capable of supporting national projects.
• Uncapped earning potential.
• Ability to leverage existing industry relationships and create long-term client partnerships.
• Work with some of the UK's leading retail and commercial brands on high-profile signage and maintenance programmes.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

A well-connected signage or facilities management sales professional with an established network of retail and multi-site brand contacts, a strong record of winning national accounts, and the ability to generate both project revenue and recurring maintenance contracts.