POSITION SUMMARY
The Business Development Specialist is engaged in prospecting, qualifying, disqualifying, and presenting gas and related supplies solutions to manufacturers, mechanical contractors, fabricators, and other industrial companies within the greater Hudson Valley and Southern NY markets. This usually consists of uncovering needs with buyers, shop foremen, project engineers, program managers and business owners. The focus is on identifying areas where Noble’s superior technical expertise, service, and agility as a local distributor can improve a customers’ application and use of gases and related products to find the solutions that work best for them.
The successful Business Development Specialist will have a history of finding and closing new business with sales cycles of 3-12 months which average $25,000 in annual revenue, and will increase gross profit in this segment by at least 25% year-over-year versus 2011.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The best Business Development Specialists are good at dealing with rejection and are able to manage their time, which is evident by their daily activities. They are able to effectively question and uncover customer needs. They are able to walk away from unqualified prospects and move on to real opportunities.
Successful Business Development Specialists are able to apply their knowledge of the customer’s industry and the use of gases, welding supplies and related products to provide solutions to customers’ problems.
When they present their solution, they focus on the customer pain or problem and not the features and benefits of the product. They have great personal presence and the discipline to follow a repeatable process with a history of consistent and reliable pipelines.
Customers freely share their satisfaction with the level of support and follow-through they received from the successful candidate.
The Business Development Specialist is comfortable selling to a variety of levels within an organization, from the shop floor to the corner office, and has a strong desire to earn more than $100,000 through a performance-based situation. They have a history of exceeding quotas and achieving bonuses.
DESCRIPTIONS OF JOB FUNCTIONS
- The Business Development Specialist will be responsible for developing a prospecting/sales plan that will result in achieving their first year goals and the development of a targeted pipeline for 2012 business worth $500,000. A suitable prospecting plan would typically include and follow-up in the form of cold and warm phone calls and walk-ins, email, mailings, bid/proposal responses, and referrals.
- Prospect for industrial gases and related products opportunities in manufacturing, fabrication, contracting and other related industries.
- Understand what a good fit customer looks like, what the capabilities, uses, and applications are of industrial gases and supplies, and manage customer expectations to them.
- Cold call prospective clients and set discovery appointments.
- Get past gatekeepers and build relationships with key decision makers.
- Pre-qualify prospects according to customer’s pain, budget, and decision-making process.
- Present solutions to qualified prospects and customers.
- Manage the sales process from prospecting through close, with a clear understanding of where they are in the process and a clear next step.
- The company utilizes a team approach to customer service and the Business Development Specialist will need to identify and enlist the help of their peers to successfully serve the customer and close the opportunity.
- Build weekly/quarterly activity plans, maintain, and document all sales activities in CRM software and maintain an accurate and up-to-date pipeline of opportunities.
- Prepare for and participate in weekly and quarterly sales team meetings.
- Be able to communicate effectively both formally and informally amongst team, prospective customers, and customers.
- Consistently meets productivity metrics mutually agreed upon with management.
- Travel throughout the designated territory by car, manage time and territory.
Desired Skills & Experience
Education: Bachelor’s Degree preferred in Business Administration, Management, Sales & Marketing or related field.
Experience:Â Minimum of 5 years experience in sales with a solid track record of finding and closing new business, meeting and exceeding quotas, ideally within a related industry.
