Head of Sales

Job Purpose

The job holder is responsible to formulate and implement the overall Suzuki Sales Department’s annual strategy and business plan to ensure alignment with the Company’s and Group’s goals and objectives. Leads and manages sales activities by managing staff, driving sales performance, planning, executing marketing initiatives/campaigns and optimizing utilization of market potential to maximize business revenue and achieve profits while ensuring high level of customer satisfaction at every step.
The job holder assumes Profit and Loss responsibility for the department.

Job Responsibilities

• Formulates and recommends sales budgets to achieve the company’s financial targets.  Finalizes annual and monthly sales targets (model-wise and sub model-wise) for retail and fleet sales and for each of the individual sales personnel
• Coordinates with Marketing in the implementation of marketing and sales strategies to achieve sales and financial targets and agreed objectives.
• Manage and ensures timely implementation of sales strategies.
• Monitors and reviews sales performance versus the set targets and provides support to the sales group in order to ensure its achievement.
• Plays a vital role in the new vehicle ordering process to ensure balancing supply against the demand. This reviewing and analysing historical sales data, sales forecast and market trends and propose appropriate quantities and model mix to achieve department’s targets.
• Manages pricing structure for the Used Cars, courtesy and trade-in cars to ensure converting all transactions into a profit opportunity for the Company.
• Managing the Stock yard of both Suzuki and Citroen, responsible for finding new facilities and also utilising the Yard facility to the maximum with cost efficiency.
• Manages vehicle inventory function ensuring adequate stock levels are maintained at all times to balance business demand against carrying cost for the purpose of maximizing profits
• Monitors and evaluates performance of the sales personnel to ensure utmost productivity and provides feedback as needed and initiates appropriate action to improve performance.
• Monitors competitors’ strategy, pricing, activities and benchmarks performance against competition and reacts accordingly to stay ahead of competition to retain and increase market share.
• Reviews and addresses key customer complaints personally and ensures satisfactory solutions are found to resolve the issue.
• Establishes and maintains effective business relationships with key external parties to facilitate business progress and growth.
• Attends sales and marketing meetings to review marketing results and also to remain updated with changes in the process, concept, strategy, action plans and/or pricing
• Represents the Business Unit and the Group in domestic business communities to establish relationships with the private sector, government sector, industry associations and other business partners and suppliers.
• Manage the inventory level and initiates/handles ordering of vehicles in order to ensure optimum level of inventory to meet sales forecast.
• Ensures Group and principals’ policies and procedures are appropriately cascaded and implemented throughout the department. This includes ensuring actions of all line managers/supervisors and employees are in compliance and also provides guidance in interpreting those policies.
• Leadership responsibilities to ensure the effective achievement of functional objectives through the leadership of function – setting individual objectives, managing performance, developing and motivating staff, provision of formal and informal feedback and appraisal – in order to ensure that the highest level of performance is achieved.

Job Requirements

Qualifications
Diploma / Bachelor Degree / Business Management, preferably in Automotive Industry.

Experience
10 years of sales experience within the automotive industry gained through progressive roles, out of which 2 years must involve managerial role and team leading.

Knowledge & Skills
Sound knowledge in Budgeting, Analytical, Sales strategies, Product, market and competitor information
Able to Coach Sales team, Motivate and should have training skills.
Management skills (planning, organizing, directing, etc.)
Excellent negotiation skills and influencing skills
Relationship Management Skills
Strong negotiation skills
Excellent presentation skills
Written and verbal communication in English and Arabic (other regionally spoken languages would be an added advantage).