A day in the life of a Business Development Manager – Exports:

Customer Planning & Management:

• Develops a good understanding of the customer (organisation, strategy, business plans, cost structures, KPIs and key personnel).
• Develop & Execute annual plans to achieve business and customer objectives by developing clear objectives and tactics that are aligned to the integrated commercial plan (ICP) for Creamers Business Unit. Aligns the customer plan with relevant stakeholders internally and obtains needed functional support for executing it.
• Work cross functionally to identify, prioritise and develop commercial initiatives that meet the needs of the consumer, shopper, customer and Nestle. Ensure plans are informed through an understanding of Shopper, Channel & Customer strategy across Export Geographies (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi etc).
• Enable integrated customer relationships and collaboration to harness long term relationships that drive competitive advantage for Nestle by identifying influential personnel within the customer.
• Ensure monthly deliverables are compiled to – Forecasting, Outlook provision, etc.
• Recognises the customer’s potential to move from pure trading to a more collaborative approach and is capable of developing a strategy to capitalise on this opportunity.
• Sets clear selling goals using SMART objectives for the selling agenda of any topic (e.g. category growth projects, pricing, promotion, placing initiatives, new product launches and in-store communication). Identifies the key contacts in the customer as well as the key decision makers in Nestlé that are relevant to achieving the selling objective.
• Foster & nurture productive business relationship beyond the buyer to include cross-functional leaders and reporting levels at least 1 up from the buyer/category manager
• Partner in Joint Business planning with customers to develop and establish mutually agreed business objectives and plans with shared responsibility.
• Manages the customer plan, periodically reviewing the performance and revising the course as needed.

Drive Sustainable Profitable growth:

• Understands and uses the different sales and profit levers (e.g. product mix, pricing, promotional strategy, customer mix and differentiation) to drive sustainable profitable growth for both Nestlé and the customer.
• Understands the impact of trade spend investments on sales and profitability and optimises them utilising simulation scenarios and ROI analysis (e.g. Pre-Post promo evaluation).
• Ensure compliance to Pricing strategies.
• Manage Customer bad goods, overdues and daily sales outstanding.
• Ensure effective planning & management of trade spend to limit impacts on dispute management.
• Understand and manage the total value chain to create competitive gaps, and to eliminate waste and drive sustainable profitable growth for both Nestle and the customer.
• Optimises, in alignment with the respective function, the overall cost of doing business (e.g. distribution costs, selling costs and bad goods), whilst being aware of the impact on the total service delivered.
• Understands all the facts available before entering into negotiations and questions and listens effectively to develop a comprehensive understanding of the other party’s position.
• Prepares intensively for all negotiations.   Values and costs all possible trading variables.
• Recognises different buyer tactics, behaviors and motivations and achieves mutual goals by conditionally trading concessions when necessary.
• Maintains self-control, manages discomfort and does not allow sense of fairness to influence behavior throughout the negotiation process.

Drive Excellence in Execution:

• Ensure alignment with CCSD & Field sales on the Execution of Annual customer plans.
• Create and effectively communicate actions for execution by defining clear ownership and deadlines for all involved – Picture of success and regular updates on the same.
• Ensure there are clear evaluation and follow-up plans before entering into execution.

Compliance:

• Adhere to all Company principles and policies including Nestlé trade policy, local Sales policy, local Trade Trems, Safety and legal regulations. 
• Ensure compliance to pricing strategies.
• All the employees will strictly abide by the WHO and Local Code in the execution of their job in its letter and spirit.  Employees are prohibited from making any direct contact with pregnant women and mothers of infants and young children in their business capacity.

What will make you successful?

• Business Degree or equivalent 
• 5 years in Field Sales, Account Management, Business Development.
• FMCG and/or Wholesale experience (in channel and category development), Key account management, CCSD, Sales Operations and marketing.
• Strong experience in Sales or Marketing
• Demonstrated success in previous roles