Area Sales Executive - Retail (Retail Area Sales Management)

Job Description

Position Summary:

This role is responsible for achievement of retail & net sales and operational efficiencies, through building necessary capabilities across all doors and counters within a given zone.

Provides recruitment, in-store coaching and development support to retail staff. Ensures launches and visual merchandising is executed with excellence, sound product knowledge through digital learning follow up, allows for client journey evolution through recruitment and retention of client base, and efficient counter operational procedures on an ongoing basis.

Works closely with Education to reinforce and embed key learnings as necessary. Ensures cross brand collaboration and upholds ELC Corporate view within zone.

Key Responsibilities:

Key responsibilities but are not limited to:

Drive Retail & Net Sales Performance and Team Leadership:

• Drive retail sales via high touch service, excellence in marketing execution, and consumer data capture. Follow up and ensure teams in retailer stores propose and secure orders to deliver net sales.

• Regularly review retail performance in relation to targets, competitors/rank, and key performance indicators such as Hero MOB. Analyse strengths and opportunities within the business to mitigate risk and develop over and above strategies to drive rank and market share

• Drive the recruitment and development of retail team members with the support of ELC HR

• Register new retail team members for digital learning and brand communications platforms

• Prepare and update for review and discussion with National Sales Manager – achievement of sales targets, KPI’s (including Hero performance), key business issues, strengths and opportunities, and education plans based on agreed cadence

• Secure appropriate demonstration manpower to achieve brand hourly productivity guidelines and contribution benchmarks

• Seek and negotiate retailer support for over and above retail activation opportunities

• Engage retail partner involvement where required to escalate inventory issues

Deliver Customer Experience and Superior Service through coaching and development

• Lead the digital and in-store orientation of all retail team members

• Provide store coaching to retail team members to elevate selling and service skills, product knowledge, merchandising skills, and consumer data capture

• Provide support, advice, and direction to counter managers to enhance the development of their teams in all matters pertaining to their role and activities in-store. This involves utilizing the most up-to-date resources and may include:

Counter Manager Development/leadership programs

Inducting new managers & retail team members in-store

Ensuring team members are aware of upcoming brand launch and re-promote activities

Instructions and directions on relevant action plans to build business strengths and mitigate risks to the business

Performance development and talent planning

• Ensure that all stores follow grooming and hygiene standards as directed by brands

• Participate and drive engagement of all brand digital learning and virtual education seminars to build retail capabilities

• Keep informed on brand updates across social channels to drive team members’ understanding, communication, and engagement

Marketing Execution & CRM Consumer Journey

• Review Brand Marketing activity to enable detailed planning and execution at store level. This may include full funnel marketing activity, visual marketing and collateral elements

• Provide essential feedback on key campaign success. For example: what worked; what didn’t; what we might do differently. This should also encompass competitor activations across channels

• Stay up to date with brand digital marketing activity, as well as competitor marketing activity (for broader view of the market)

• Coach and develop team members’ proficiency in using CRM tools to enhance the consumer engagement journey with the brand

• Teach how to capture consumer data correctly, adhere to privacy guidelines, and utilise tools within the platform (ie, rosters, targets, events, bulletins, etc)

Operational Excellence

• Review and update demonstration plan/actuals on monthly basis per brand

• Input and update team member information into payroll systems as required

• Review sufficiency of inventory to enable driving of retail sales achievement – includes weekly order revision; supply updates; and potential peaking for instore, GWP, launches, repromotes, and activations

• Ensure store managers are utilizing store processes to address stock issues

• Ensure all return authorizations and tester orders are completed in each store by date required

• Assist in set up of promotional sites and new/updated counter installations

• Ensure all operations for FSS are adhered to as per Policy and Procedure Playbook

• Plan visitation in line with store retail sales volume, priorities proportionately

• Use Outlook to plan and ensure this is accessible by National Sales Manager

• Ensure Tools of Trade and Company resources are managed effectively and efficiently

• Participate in all appropriate management meetings and brand seminars

• Effectively use all communication tools

• Where required, verify retail team members paperwork relating to staff purchase/ incentives/claims/approval of annual/unpaid leave forms

• Efficiently manage all administrative tasks as required. Guidance is no more than 20% of working week must be spent in home office

• Ensure all grooming and hygiene standards as directed by ELC and retail partners

• Ensure self and team expenses are managed within Company guidelines

Other tasks are assigned by the line manager

Job Requirement

Person Specification – Essential Requirements:

• Minimum 5 years of experience managing retail operations and at a supervisory level

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

• Excellent coach and communicator

• A good listener, skilled at winning people over

• Team player, inspires and mentors a team, likes to lead by example, inspires enthusiasm

• Self-reliant with the ability to make solid business decisions independently

• Ability to relate with different stakeholders and enjoys the fast-paced retail environment

• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities

• Proactive in problem-solving and taking initiative to improve business

• Passionate desire to make sales targets

• Ability to motivate the will in others to achieve specific goals and strategies

• Numeric ability essential - Computer literate in Excel and Word

• Personal grooming must reflect/promote grooming and hygiene standards

Qualifications / Knowledge – Desired Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in business management or equivalent

• Experience in strategic planning and execution

• Working knowledge of a computerised system including:

• Microsoft Office application (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc);