Business Development Manager (Freight Industry)

Job Title: Business Development Manager – Freight Industry Key Responsibilities

Overall co-ordination and growth of sales and marketing for the company. Responsible for the growth of sales in the company by achieving set targets and strategies. You will also follow up leads to convert them to actual business. Meet Sales Targets and Budgets for volumes and profitability.

To plan and organise Sales activities including client meetings. This plan shall be communicated to management regularly as agreed from time to time.

Service Existing client base and offer added value to new and existing clients. This will ensure that we keep old clients while pursuing new clients.

Report accurately on customer visits and arrange appropriate follow ups. You will also be responsible for monitoring if clients’ service level agreements are met.

Preparing and sending daily, weekly and monthly report to management as agreed from time to time. You will also give market intelligent reports to management.

Prepare quotations to both Internal and External customers within the stipulated and agreed timelines

Maintain a rate sheet for use in participating in sending of quotes as and when needed.

This role requires the post holder to regularly report on trade either weekly or monthly. The scrutiny of tender documents and keeping up to date with what’s going on in the markets is essential.

Analyse all pricing activities including discounts, contract price levels, and develop recommendations to improve profitability and mix.

Provide strong support to the sales team to facilitate day-to-day pricing and decisions.

Provide critical customer-focused financial analysis and perspective to sales, marketing, and finance, as necessary

Develop and implement appropriate tactics for the pricing area to achieve agreed targets and objectives.

Review all new business opportunities for profitability and escalate as needed for approval.

Lead pricing discussions with the field sales team to constantly elevate the company’s insights into market pricing levels.

Identify pricing issues and trends at the early stage and provide recommended solutions.

Actively participate in the setting, review and revision of optimal pricing guidelines and parameters.

Effectively apply best-practice revenue and pricing techniques, tools and models.

To manage on a day to day basis the Customer Service functions of the company. This will include designing and developing Customer Service procedures that will result in the highest standards of business attainment and customer satisfaction. You will also propose to the Management and Board ways and means of continual improvement of the customer care and logistics systems.

To implement company policy and systems developed and approved in 1 above. This will include but not limited to providing daily updates for all shipments in progress by communicating courteously with customers, both Internal and external via email, letters, telephone and face to face meetings. To develop and implement a customer feedback system.

To provide leadership and manage the Customer Service Staff. You will be required to recruit, train, supervise, motivate, appraise, and when necessary dismiss staff under your watch.

To speedily and effectively handle any customer complaints that may arise from time to time in regards to forwarding, documentation emanating from your department etc.

Work with other departments within the company / third party to maximize Sales and Customer Service and growth. Put in place systems to mitigate the effects of any potential problems that may affect the smooth flow of shipments.

To liaise with all our international partner agents within the networks where we have membership. To ensure that we are partnering with the best agent in a particular country and ensure that you negotiate for the most competitive rates. It is within your mandate to research for new agents that can add value to the business. You will recommend to the Management of any new network that you deem would be essential to join. You are expected to ensure that an excellent professional relationship exists between the partner agents and the company.

To be responsible for the logistics procedures which encompass the entire freight forwarding process. This relates to door to door, door to port, port to port, port to door and clearance and delivery movements.

To lead other departments in ensuring that all shipment processes are handled through the system (s).

To prepare and present a monthly report to the directors highlighting success area, challenges faced and various statistics relating to logistics & customer care activities.

Manage and control departmental expenditure within agreed budgets. To provide input and assist in the annual budget making progress.