Job purpose:

The Head of Sales will be responsible for leading and driving long term sales growth on Events and Marketing Solutions across several brands by being accountable for the sales function to deliver a high performance whilst delivering an outstanding customer experience.

Main duties and responsibilities: 

Responsibilities

• Plans, authors, and implements the sales strategy for the events and MS businesses
• Exceeds the annual and 3-year sales and revenue plan
• Sits on the Events Senior Leadership Team and contributes to the overall direction of the business
• Identifies new markets and business opportunities to increase sales and attract new customers. 
• Undertakes competitor analysis, research, and builds industry knowledge
• Works closely with the event production team to co-create events, bringing first-hand client feedback and market insight to the process
• Drives sales growth across the portfolio of products including in-person events, virtual events, and marketing solutions by integrating our solutions into effective customer campaigns
• Exceeds the budgeted events and MS revenue targets
• Leads and coaches team to deliver a market leading sales and service commitment to our customers
• Builds and maintains strong, long-lasting customer relationships
• Measures and tracks effective KPIs and ensures your teams’ client facing activity beats standards and expectations

Strategic Planning

• Gathers information and undertakes analysis of activities and results that feed into the overall budget
• Develops and communicates a sales plan for each individual event and MS product line that meets / exceeds the budgeted revenues adhering to the agreed timeline

Sales Management

• Sets stretching targets and commission plans
• Provides monthly written reports on sales performance, advising where ahead or behind plan along with planned action to address or maximize
• Focusses on delivering each individual event’s revenue whilst ensuring the overall revenue target is met
• Is cognizant of the costs associated with delivery and respects the need to deliver an agreed margin
• Sets, measures and monitoring meaningful KPIs
• Maintains Salesforce CRM user compliance across the team paying attention to pipeline management and data accuracy in particular
• Writes high quality sales collateral and processes that professionalizes and advances the sales function
• Creates an environment which encourages teamwork and collaboration
• Manages the sales team to agreed targets, timelines, and deadlines
• Regards the team as both part of the sales team and the events team

Staff Development, Management and Recruitment

• Leads a team of salespeople based in London
• Coaches and manages sales team and creates a motivating environment, atmosphere, and culture in which to succeed and retain talent
• Attends client meetings (in-person or virtual) every week for coaching purposes
• Makes call coaching a daily exercise to develop sales skills
• Uses KPIs to help diagnose risks to sales and identify gaps in skills and knowledge within the team
• Motivates, challenges, inspires, and supports the team to improve their knowledge, habits, and skills
• Engages with internal recruitment team, recruitment agents and other channels to source, recruit and induct staff
• Develops a culture of collaboration and co-creation using customer insight and data to identify new event products and evolve existing to ensure they continue to be aligned with customers’ needs
• Back-fills to cover attrition and ensure team remains at full headcount with limited exposure to vacancies

Wider responsibilities

• Contributes fully to the objectives of the business and achieve the personal objectives set by your manager
• Works closely with other departments including brands, editorial, marketing, delivery, customer service team and finance
• Be an ambassador for our products, our audiences, and our brands, demonstrating vision and expertise to our customers and employees
• Accepts future challenges and can lead and adapt to changing or unexpected circumstances positively

Skills and Competency

Leadership

• Sales professional with proven business development skills and a client-centric focus
• Significant track record and experience in leading a B2B events sales function
• Sets clear and ambitious goals for self, as well as for the Organisation, and pursues them with enthusiasm and energy
• Provides clear, positive direction and vision to groups and the organisation as a whole
• Celebrates success by appropriately rewarding and acclaiming individuals and groups across the entire organisation for achievements
• Inspires others to do things the most effective way based on the groups collective knowledge and patterns of success
• Skilfully develops and adjusts where needed, an effective work plan
• Shifts strategy or approach in response to the demands of a situation
• Considers the long-term as well as immediate short-term outcomes and actions

Team Development

• Creates an environment of development and feedback.  Identifies own development needs and those of their team members, encouraging all to reach farther and higher and to press on toward their goals
• Holds frequent development discussions, discusses progress, and encourages others to adjust development plans as needed to ensure attainment of current career goals

Sales Skills

• Investigates and analyses external indicators to project stakeholders’ future needs
• Performance management and conflict resolution experience
• Strong leader with the ability and desire to coach people to improve performance
• Unquestionable sales competencies, especially sales planning, consultative selling, closing, account management, new business, and other core sales skills

Communication

• Conducts effective and influential presentations and briefings for high-level stakeholders
• Presents information articulately, in a variety of styles to aid understanding.  Uses the appropriate style that suits the message and the audience
• Able to build enthusiasm and commitment and lead by example
• First class written and face-to-face presentation skills and a consultative approach

Organization and Problem Solving

• Excellent time management and planning skills
• Is an expert on efficient use of time and energy of self and others. Develops strategies for the organisation and coordinates efforts to implement them
• Thoughtfully plans their schedule and skillfully discriminates between the urgent and important, often accommodating a broad time frame. Designs methods for implementing plans and for measuring success
• Implements strategies to solve organisation wide problems, considering practical concerns and the impact of each solutions Supports the organisation to implement innovative suggestions
  • Actively encourages others to develop and improve processes.  Supports by outlining past learnings and failures.  Proactively encourages empowerment
  • Develops good knowledge of sectors we operate in, namely UK healthcare, insurance, compliance, and charities

Personal Attributes 

• Is results driven, proactive, action oriented and solutions focused
• Self-starter, self-sufficient, and accountable
• Enthusiastic, motivated, and dedicated
• Resilient, tenacious, and driven by success
• Well presented, articulate and professional
• Ability to articulate complex solutions in a simple and coherent manner
• Strong inter-personal and communication skills
• High level of integrity
• Comfortable in challenging the status quo and driving change
• Self-critical and able to take on board advice and constructive criticism
• Flexible and can adapt to the agile nature of our industry and business Is committed to success and hitting allocated sales targets with a determined 'can do’ attitude

Hours and location of work 

• 37.5 hours per week
• Hybrid working with minimum two days in office 
• Meetings at other offices may be required
• The nature of the role requires flexibility, and you may be required to work additional hours to service our clients’ requirements and some extended travel/overnight stays may be required.