Business Development Manager - Proton in Southampton

Proton Southern is an established business supplying critical catering and hospitality equipment, consumables, and support services to independent and group companies across the south of the UK. When you join the JLA family, you'll also gain access to an extensive benefits package. We care about our people and take your well-being seriously, which is why we offer a range of supportive tools for health and wellbeing, financial guidance, and legal advice. Our Employee Assistance Programme, 24/7 Wellness and Lifestyle App plus a dedicated team of Mental Health First Aiders are there to support you through life's challenges.

We also offer up to 8 counselling sessions, which can be in-person or remote, providing you with the support and flexibility to suit your own personal needs. To offer financial support, we not only provide life assurance coverage, company sick pay, and a company pension scheme, we offer a range of added benefits such as free office parking, eye care vouchers, a cycle-to-work scheme, and exclusive discounts through our staff benefits hub. We really pride ourselves in offering a healthy work-life balance and believe it is important to have time away to recharge which is why we provide 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, flexible working options, and enhanced family leave policies. We are a company that appreciates you and invests in your success and even have a Colleague Recognition Scheme to celebrate your achievements. We're dedicated to your growth, offering support in career development and training. We value your referrals, and through our Refer a Friend scheme, you can earn up to £1,000 in bonus rewards!

Role overview

Reporting to the Head of Sales, you will be responsible for increasing business by closing developed and repeat sales opportunities while discovering new streams of interest within the hospitality, care and education sectors. New business will be done through attending independently generated appointments.

Key tasks

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities to grow sales revenue
• Develop and manage a portfolio of key accounts, ensuring long-term client relationship
• Understand client needs and provide tailored solutions to meet their business objectives
• Negotiate contracts, pricing, and terms to maximize profitability
• Collaborate with internal teams to deliver excellent service
• Monitor market trends and competitor activity to identify growth opportunities
• Prepare and present sales reports, forecasts, and performance metrics
• Attend industry events and networking opportunities to build relationships
• Carry out site surveys where required
• Determine the pricing structure for the client, in line with Proton pricing strategy and obtaining senior level approval as required

Criteria

Essential (attributes required for candidate to be considered)

• Ability to provide outstanding levels of customer service
• Good organisational skills
• Good knowledge of the English language, both written and verbal

You will have the ability to manage yourself without supervision and provide clear strategy plans to the management team.

Experience (what you have done)

• Demonstrated ability to provide outstanding customer service.
• Experience of working in a busy team; driven to achieve personal, team, and business goals
• Demonstrated experience of taking ownership of customer queries
• Possess a strong understanding of our products, our competition in the industry and positioning.

The way you think and act

• Aptitude for quickly building rapport with our customers by showing patience, empathy and understanding
• Strong team player
• Confidence and eagerness to own and resolve issues by showing initiative and willingness to learn

Qualifications

We will need you to have a full UK driving licence as the role involves UK travel.