SUMMARY:
Sales Manager - Wholesale - Tyres - JHB
POSITION INFO:
SALES MANAGER - WHOLESALE - TYRES - JHB PURPOSE OF THE ROLE The Sales Manager (Wholesale) - Inland is responsible for leading and developing the wholesale sales team to achieve and exceed sales, gross profit and new-business targets. The role provides strategic and operational leadership through sales planning, territory management, performance management, coaching and mentorship. It is also responsible for growing market share, retaining and developing the existing customer base, identifying new business opportunities and ensuring a consistently high standard of customer service. The successful candidate should demonstrate strong focus, determination and accountability, with the ability to make logical and commercially sound decisions. The individual should be customer-driven, professional and willing to lead by example while maintaining high standards of integrity. The position requires a manager who is deadline-driven, respectful of colleagues and customers, adaptable to changing business requirements and prepared to work outside normal hours when operational requirements demand it. KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS - FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Achieve and exceed monthly and annual unit sales and gross profit targets. Achieve monthly and annual new-business targets. Manage expenditure within approved budgets. Ensure customers are allocated to the appropriate volume-discount structures. Authorise pricing overrides within approved authority levels. Monitor stock requirements for OE customers. Approve customer stock returns and credit notes where authorised. Ensure credit applications are complete and correctly submitted. Grow existing accounts through cross-selling and appropriate sales strategies. Drive new-account acquisition and ensure new customers develop to their full sales potential. CUSTOMER & MARKET MANAGEMENT Develop and implement an Inland wholesale sales strategy aimed at increasing market share and retaining existing customers. Divide the customer base into practical and commercially viable sales territories. Ensure Sales Executives are appropriately trained and equipped to service their customer portfolios. Develop strategies to service OE customers and ensure adequate tyre stock availability to meet manufacturing demand. Maintain accurate and current customer information within Salesforce. Monitor competitor activity, availability and pricing. Maintain competitor-pricing information to support commercial decision-making. PRICING & COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT Ensure volume-discount contracts are correctly loaded and reviewed monthly. Monitor pricing structures and stock-item multiples. Ensure price increases are communicated to customers within the required notice periods. Review and approve customer pricing plans within delegated authority. Monitor pricing exceptions and gross-profit percentages. Support commercially sound pricing decisions while protecting margin and customer relationships. CUSTOMER SERVICE & COMPLAINTS Take ownership of escalated customer complaints. Investigate service failures and implement corrective action. Address service-related concerns involving Sales Executives. Ensure appropriate follow-up to prevent recurrence. Escalate significant customer account, pricing or service-delivery matters where necessary. SALES TEAM MANAGEMENT Ensure monthly call planners are completed within required deadlines. Accompany Sales Executives on customer visits for coaching, development and performance assessment. Monitor completion of planned customer visits. Ensure customer visits, pre-planning notes and meeting notes are accurately recorded in Salesforce. Monitor Salesforce data integrity and sales activity. Ensure effective route planning, particularly for outlying territories. Monitor regional promotional activities and product-mix strategies. Provide regular field-based coaching and corrective guidance. DEBTORS & CREDIT MANAGEMENT Liaise with the relevant financial teams regarding customer accounts. Motivate and assist with appropriate credit-limit increases. Assist in resolving account queries. Support collection activities where required. Ensure credit applications and supporting information are accurate and complete. STOCK & OE CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT Monitor OE customer stock requirements. Review bonded stock at agreed intervals. Communicate with OE customers regarding ageing or unutilised stock. Assist with minimum and maximum stock-level planning. Work with operational teams to ensure adequate product availability. PEOPLE & HR MANAGEMENT Participate in the recruitment and onboarding of new sales employees. Assist HR\/IR with disciplinary matters where required. Conduct regular performance reviews and one-on-one meetings. Monitor performance against sales targets and expenditure budgets. Ensure adherence to company policies and Standard Operating Procedures. Manage leave and time-off requests within delegated authority. TRAINING, COACHING & DEVELOPMENT Develop training and development plans for Sales Executives. Conduct skills audits to identify development requirements. Ensure training is practically applied in the field. Coach Sales Executives during customer visits. Maintain constructive communication with regional and Branch Managers. Motivate the team and lead by example. Develop a high-performing, professional and commercially focused sales team. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Conduct monthly management meetings to review sales targets and expenditure. Evaluate individual Sales Executive performance against agreed targets. Conduct monthly one-on-one performance discussions. Review customer spend, pricing and account-development opportunities. Review customer call frequency and call-planning effectiveness. Monitor Salesforce activity. Address underperformance through coaching and appropriate performance-management processes. Conduct disciplinary processes in consultation with HR\/IR where required. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE Escalate operational issues to appropriate stakeholders when required. Ensure issues are followed through to resolution and that feedback loops are closed. Investigate pricing and gross-profit exceptions. Address operational and behavioural concerns escalated by Finance, Operations or branch management. Participate in relevant ad hoc projects. Maintain professional standards across the sales team. Ensure company vehicles and other allocated assets are appropriately maintained. Identify and escalate health and safety risks. DECISION-MAKING AUTHORITY Approve customer pricing plans and amendments to volume-discount arrangements. Make appropriate product, brand and size adjustments to maximise sales and gross profit. Approve or decline sales leads\/prospects against agreed criteria. Determine customer call frequencies for Sales Executives. Approve exceptional or after-hours deliveries where justified. Approve leave and time off for direct reports. Sign off Inland Sales credit notes. Approve stock returns and applicable handling charges. Approve authorised company-vehicle usage. Approve appropriate on-site service interventions for OE customers. Approve certain price changes and OE customer price increases. Review and authorise Sales Executive expense claims and working hours. Support stock-level decisions and direct-order transactions within delegated authority. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Matric \/ Grade 12. Minimum 5 years'' sales experience | Minimum 3 years'' management experience. Valid driver''s licence | Computer literate Relevant wholesale, automotive, tyre or related industry experience advantageous. KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS Wholesale sales strategy and territory management. Market trends and competitor strategies. Competitor pricing and market intelligence. Pricing structures and margin management. Salesforce or comparable CRM systems. Sage Evolution or similar ERP\/accounting systems. Basic financial and accounting principles, including income statements. Standard Operating Procedures. Export procedures where applicable. Technical knowledge of new and retread tyres. SKILLS & COMPETENCIES Sales leadership and management | Coaching and mentoring Team motivation and development | Strong sales and business-development capability Negotiation | Communication | Problem-solving and analytical thinking Time management and prioritisation | Presentation skills | Relationship building Market research | Change adaptability | Computer literacy | Industrial relations awareness Salary offer: Negotiable
