The Area Sales Manager Business Development will be responsible for leading, motivating, and managing a team of Business Development Officers (BDOs). This role requires a strong leader with a proven track record in sales and business development, excellent coaching skills, and the ability to drive team performance to exceed targets.
Key Responsibilities
1. Team Leadership & Management
- Recruit, train, and onboard new Business Development Officers.
- Provide ongoing coaching, mentoring, and performance feedback to the team.
- Conduct regular one-on-one and team meetings to review progress, address challenges, and foster collaboration.
- Ensure that team objectives are consistently met while maintaining compliance and ethical standards.
- Set clear performance goals for individuals and the team.
- Monitor performance against targets and implement corrective measures when required.
2. Strategy & Planning
- Develop and implement strategies to achieve and exceed business development targets.
- Collaborate with senior leadership to refine sales processes and improve efficiency.
- Identify new market opportunities and devise penetration strategies.
- Analyze sales data and market trends to make informed, data-driven decisions.
3. Sales & Business Development
- Support BDOs in sales activities including presentations, negotiations, and closures.
- Serve as an escalation point for complex client issues or high-value opportunities.
- Maintain strong knowledge of products/services and the competitive landscape.
- Potentially manage a small portfolio of key accounts or strategic partnerships.
4. Reporting & Communication
- Prepare and present performance reports, sales pipeline, and forecasts to senior management.
- Ensure accurate and timely CRM data entry by the team.
- Enable effective communication within the team and cross-functionally.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
- Minimum 8+ years of business development or sales experience, with at least 3+ years in a leadership/managerial role within the education industry.
- Proven track record of consistently meeting or exceeding sales targets.
- Strong understanding of sales methodologies and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce).
- Excellent leadership, communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
- Ability to motivate and inspire a team.
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Willingness to travel extensively.
- Knowledge of the region/territory is a plus.
