Wholesale Sales Manager in Salisbury

ReQuire are working with an exciting, independently owned British lifestyle brand entering an important stage of growth.

Creative, ambitious and family-run, the business has already established a strong UK wholesale network of approx. 160 stockists, until now, much of its commercial growth has been driven directly by the founders, supported by trade shows, events and the development of key customer relationships.

The business is now ready to make its first dedicated senior appointment, bringing in someone who can take ownership of wholesale sales and, most importantly, accelerate the acquisition of new retail partners across the UK, Europe and America.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys finding opportunities, opening doors and developing relationships, while also nurturing and growing an established customer base.

Key Duties:

• Build strong, long-term relationships with existing stockists and key customers

• Understand individual accounts, identifying opportunities to develop the relationship and increase business

• Research the market to identify retailers, stockists and other potential partners that could be a strong fit for the brand

• Develop and maintain a meaningful pipeline of prospective customers

• Take ownership of progressing opportunities, from initial introduction through to establishing a new trading relationship

• Build relationships with prospective customers through a considered, consultative approach

• Maintain regular contact with customers and understand where further opportunities exist

• Support new product and range introductions across the customer base

• Attend trade shows, exhibitions and customer meetings, representing the brand confidently and professionally

• Follow up relationships and opportunities created through trade shows and events

• Use customer, sales and market data to understand performance and identify areas of opportunity

• Maintain good visibility of account activity, pipeline and future opportunities

• Share customer feedback and market insight with the founders and wider team

• Work closely with the founders as the business develops its longer-term commercial approach

• Remain flexible and willing to get involved in the wider needs of a growing entrepreneurial business

Skills & Experiences we are looking for:

We are deliberately keeping an open mind on sector background.Experience within wholesale, lifestyle, gifting, homeware or consumer products would be advantageous

However, more important will be evidence that you can personally create opportunities, win new customers and grow commercial relationships.

We would expect you to bring:

• Proven experience within B2B sales, key account management, wholesale sales or retail account management

• A demonstrable track record of winning new customers rather than solely managing an inherited account base

• Experience developing and growing existing accounts

• Confidence researching prospects, making initial approaches and creating your own opportunities

• Strong relationship-building and customer management skills

• A structured approach to pipeline management and sales activity

• Good commercial awareness with the ability to use sales data to inform decisions

• Confidence representing a business at customer meetings, trade shows and industry events

• Strong organisation and the ability to manage your own diary and priorities

• A proactive, adaptable and hands-on approach suited to a smaller entrepreneurial business

Importantly, about you:

• This appointment will suit someone who enjoys the autonomy and accountability that comes with working in a growing business.

• You'll need the confidence to bring ideas and commercial experience to the table, while recognising that you're joining a successful founder-led business with an established identity and way of working.

• We're looking for someone who is commercially hungry without being overly corporate, comfortable creating structure without needing layers of process around them, and equally happy developing a strategic customer relationship or getting stuck in at a trade show.

• The successful person could currently be working in Wholesale, Retail sales, as a Key Account Manager, Sales Account Manager, Business Development Manager and be looking for an opportunity to have greater ownership and influence.

Joining at an exciting early stage. These opportunities do not come around often:

This is a role for someone who wants to be part of the journey from an early stage.

You'll work closely with the founders, getting to know the brand, the products and the customers, while bringing your own commercial experience and ideas to the table.

A big part of your time will be spent researching potential customers, understanding where the opportunities are and building relationships. You'll attend trade shows and events, follow up conversations, visit customers and make the most of every opportunity to introduce the brand and develop new business.

There will be plenty of freedom to manage your own diary and be out where the opportunities are, but equally, we're looking for someone who wants to be around the business and part of the team.

It's hands-on, entrepreneurial and still being built, which is exactly what makes the opportunity exciting.

Success within the role will be centred primarily around new account acquisition and wholesale growth, alongside the continued development of existing customer relationships.

As the business continues to grow, this position has the potential to develop alongside the wider commercial operation.