Business Development Manager, South East (Kent)

Widen Your Horizons. Join the Next Chapter of Your Career. At EssilorLuxottica, we are committed to empowering our people to grow and succeed. This is your opportunity to take your career to the next level, embrace new challenges, and continue making a difference. We work for a brighter future, thinking today about the world of tomorrow. Don’t miss the chance to shape your #FutureInSight with us!

LOCATION: SOUTH EAST ENGLAND (Based in Kent)

Job scope and main responsibilities:

• Reporting directly to a Regional Sales Manager, the Business Development Manager will engage independent optician customers with effective account management.
• Increasing the use of Essilor lenses with existing accounts, increasing profitable sales through both the direct and indirect channels.
• Always seeking opportunities to acquire new lens business directly or ways to introduce other members of the Essilor team to deliver growth.
• In accordance with the Company sales and marketing strategy to meet revenue targets in accordance with the Company discount structure.
• To develop, build and maintain relationships that will develop sales of the Company’s full product range in line with stated goals and forecasts.
• Ensuring that Essilor is progressive and growing as the customers preferred supplier on territory, always self-motivated and striving for great results.

KEY TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To be responsible for maintaining an effective and consistent call programme infield for both Direct and Indirect Independent Accounts.
• To sell in the full range of Essilor products across your geographical area to increase sales by ensuring that Essilor becomes the preferred supplier through negotiation with opticians.
• To present all relevant marketing/commercial activity to key personnel agreeing actions and processes required to ensure its success, with a real focus on differentiation with personalised lenses and premium technologies.
• To regularly review with all customers their business, product mix and supplier preferences promoting Essilor lenses as first choice but ultimately securing lens volumes with a tailored commercial offering.
• To agree and implement customer training, both in practice and in seminar format, on all new and existing products to improve added value sales and product mix.
• To maintain accurate customer records and reports for relevant accounts to ensure that sales data and market activity can be analysed accurately, recording all relevant information in salesforce.com.
• To ensure that company and competitor product knowledge is continually maintained.
• To continually assess the market, maintaining customer and competitor records to identify opportunities and be able to provide call reports, monthly reports and forward planning sheets as required by sales management team.
• At all times to act as an ambassador of EssilorLuxottica and its values, bringing colleagues from other teams in to engage customers whenever appropriate.

To be successful you will need:

• Experience of successful sales account management in related field.
• Ability to work alone and as part of a remote team.
• Ability to use initiative and resolve problems within tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to effectively analyse and interpret data.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Experience of using selling and negotiating techniques.
• A good level of commercial understanding.
• Computer literate and able to learn new tools.

It is desirable to have:

• Knowledge and experience of pricing systems, marketing theory and its application, selling and negotiating techniques.
• Proven track record of delivering effective training and coaching to change behaviour.
• Previous experience of training in group and individual environments.
• Knowledge of lens manufacturing processes, Company products and a good understanding of the UK optical market.
• Optical experience and/or D/O qualifications.

The role is field based, spending a considerable amount of time visiting customers and sales team in the field and attending conferences or trade fairs which may involve some overnight stays away from home and occasional time abroad.

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment: We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We celebrate diversity and provide equal opportunities to all, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic that makes us unique.