Key Account Business Development Manager

January 2013 - Date - United Cement Company of Nigeria, Calabar

Privately held; Owned by Lafarge & Holcim; 51-500 employees

National Key Accounts’ Manager

• Responsible for the planning and implementation of a National Key Account Strategy
• Planning and implementing a relationship development plan and coverage model to provide value to Key Accounts
• Delivering commercially viable Sales proposals and manage the pipeline of opportunities
• Building and execution of sales forecasting and ensure proper execution of pricing, promotional programs
• Driving performance and satisfaction measurement with customers and sales leadership
• Contributing to the Business Planning process, particularly with regards to category strategy and trade strategy
• Collaborating with marketing and production to develop value proposition to key accounts.
• Achieving the budgeted annual sales volume and price/margin of Key Acccount customers
• Working/lobbying with Architects’ and Engineers, Institutions(Federal & State Ministries of Works etc) & Professional bodies(e.g. Institute of Architect, Institution of Engineers, etc) through meetings and seminars to promote high strength/Special Cements & new applications (e.g. concrete roads)

• Providing leadership to the key accounts management team.
• Continuously seeking new business opportunities and channels aimed at growing the overall gross profit margin of the business.
• Strategically working with the executive management team to ensure that the team’s operation is in line with the company’s policy and business strategy.
• Developing and implementing short, medium and long term sales plans in line with business strategy
• Developing profitable key accounts with retail chains across the country.
• Setting meaningful and challenging KPI’s and objectives for the Key account team to meet the strategic objectives of the company.
• Responsible for growing sales and servicing of established accounts in the specified geographical areas.
• Identifying and applying creative and ethical cost saving initiatives’ where applicable without jeopardizing the quality of sales service rendered to ensure maximum profit.

• Head of 1 and coordinator of 3 teams of 24 direct sales consultants (field force) that engage in B2B & B2C sales of ICT & telecommunication products from OEM’s in Lagos, Abuja & Port-Harcourt.
• Providing day to day management, leading, developing, mentoring & guidance for the sales team as well as ensuring the team delivers excellent result and outstanding customer service.
• Participating in the pricing committee meetings with heads of finance, logistics and strategy to determine profitability of the business vis a vis product pricing, market intelligence and maximization of the company’s business advantage
• Responsible for achieving PAN Nigeria sales target by designing and implementing an efficient sales distribution model.
• Leading and motivating the sales team by setting targets, recommending and implementing training, incentives and other motivational elements
• Participate in business strategy sessions on how to make the business more profitable for TELEC.
• Collaborating with the finance department on product price setting having in mind the gross and net margin target of the company and competitor pricing.
• Responsible for executing a consistent call cycle, sales planning, budgeting and training the sales team on features and benefits of ICT products & mobile devices.
• Supporting the team with market intelligence and created strategies to ensure that daily/weekly/monthly customer engagement and sales targets were met.
• Generating regular sales reports and market information and presented same to executive management as requested.
• Routinely track and communicate to executive management sales prospects, competitive threats and revenue/profit expectations.
• Prospect for new business and cross selling to an existing base of clients
• Pioneered the concept of direct sales in the mobile devices and ICT market.
• Grew company revenues by over 20% in 3 months.
• Created standard operating procedures document for the team and ensured that all sales and distribution processes are in place and managed effectively in line with the company’s sales and distribution policy.

• Created marketing campaign strategies for the company’s products and constantly met and surpassed given performance targets to ensure optimum financial returns.
• Reporting to the Managing Director on sales and marketing plans for all business projects in line with overall company objective
• Responsible for achieving all financial and performance targets as well as objectives allocated by the company management team on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
• Responsible for strategy direction in achieving sales targets with regards to profitability.
• Generate strategies for new market prospecting and maximizing derivative business from existing projects.

• Researched and Identified target market for novel reticulated gas project
• Developed an ingenious strategy for the implementation for the project
• Liaised with relevant regulatory bodies to secure license and permit for project (D.P.R & SON)
• Promoted  the initiative to the target market, secured several estates and high rise buildings, amongst them Victoria Garden City and 1004, for use as the pilot projects
• Represented the company and presented ideas to both local and foreign investors and investment houses.

• Managed all the logistics operation in relation to the project.
• Raised funds for the “Feeding the poor project” from external donors
• Secured the ‘buy - in’, sponsorship & endorsement of various corporate organizations and government parastatals and agencies.
• Prepared a weekly/monthly/annual budget of about N100million for the feeding of 50,000 persons in over 150 different locations in Lagos and ensured that the project was not running above budget.

• Managed the fund raising campaign and the external donor relationship management of the organization.
• Secured the donations from several multinational business organizations in Nigeria.
• Secured the participation via an exchange program for some foreign American & European students.
• Created an on line presence for the project