Head of Sales, UK

Role: Head of UK Sales

Reports to: UK Sales and Marketing Director, and Walker Group Export Sales Director.

Job Purpose

To manage the UK sales team, develop and implement a UK Sales Strategy, help manage and deliver the UK sales budget and to sell directly to Waterstones and develop a first class working relationship and sales strategy. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Managerial responsibilities to include:

• Managing the UK sales team to ensure the maximisation of sales, to include Sales Managers, Field Sales Team and Freelance Sales People. 
• To develop first class relationships with all key UK retailers. 
• Produce monthly reports on UK Trade performance by key property and retailer.
• Develop, implement and monitor UK retailer strategies on key properties and brands.
• Manage and develop sales strategies by key author and brand. Review and analyse these regularly. 
• Work closely with the UK Trade Marketing Manager on creation and implementation of trade marketing campaigns. 
• Work closely with consumer marketing and publicity to ensure the most coherent sales, marketing and publicity strategies. 
• Work with the Sales and Marketing Director on creation, monitoring and reforecasting of annual UK Trade Frontlist and Backlist budgets. 
• Contribute fully and productively to Sales Conferences and Launch Meetings.
• Provide market feedback to all relevant company colleagues, including developments in UK retail landscape, both physical and digital. 
• To fully understand and communicate when relevant to Walker business the current Children's Books market, backed up by Nielsen Bookscan data. 
• Manage and develop the skills of the UK Sales Department by giving practical guidance and assessing the need for training as required. 
• Undertake regular appraisals and training to achieve efficient work practice and maximum sales. 
• Represent UK Trade at Brand planning meetings, preparing sales figures beforehand and presenting UK Trade view. 

2. To be responsible for own budget. This would include:

• Monitoring title performance against budget target.
• Monitoring customers' performance against target.
• Planning expenditure on travel, entertainment and promotions. 
• Monitoring key account spend against target. 
• Submitting relevant documentation to support budget spend. 

3. To visit Waterstones' Head Office on a regular basis to manage account and grow the sales through:

• Presenting and obtaining subscriptions to new titles.
• Taking orders from backlist and initiating backlist promotions.
• Negotiating terms, discounts and returns within the parameters on keeping Walker's margin intact and profitable.
• Creating promotions and submitting suitable titles for bespoke promotions. 
• Carrying out regular business review meetings.
• Analysing sales promotions in order to inform future strategies. 
• Maintain marketing spend and deal tracker for key accounts within the internal sales team. 
• Building and maintaining customer relationships with key individuals. 
• Manage and review core stock. 
• Manage the Regional Managers communication of all head office promotions/activity and core stock issues. 
• Work closely with the Trade Marketing Manager in the initiating and implementation of bespoke Waterstones promotion. 
• Work closely with marketing and publicity departments in coordinating consumer marketing and PR activity with Waterstones. 
• Work closely with Editorial with feedback on key Waterstones' titles and sales trends. 

4. To be responsible for providing information to support decision-making process in acquisitions. This would include:

• Providing acquisition figures to Editorial for UK Trade projected sales. 
• Market information.
• Competitor information. 
• Identification of sales/new product opportunities. 
• Deal tracker up to date at all times.
• Attending in house meetings to contribute to title development/author progressions.

5. To be responsible for maintaining own awareness of Walker product range in order to sell effectively. This would include:

• Attending regular meetings and sales conferences.
• Reading advance information on material. 
• Maintaining knowledge in competitor range/backlists through active information seeking outside company. 

 6. To be responsible for liaising with Customer Service Department to ensure client/product information is updated. This would include:

• Communicating with departments to update staff on new products.
• Actively seeking information about own clients from Customer Service and Telesales.
• Ensuring efficient supply of books to customers via our distributor and dealing with any supply chain issues that may occur.

Key Performance Indicators.

• Achievement of sales targets. 
• Ability to grow key account revenue whilst protecting discount and margin. 
• Ability to analyse commercial effectiveness of sales activity and use that analysis to develop sales strategies going forward. 
• Ability to produce and deliver incremental sales using creative thought and initiative bespoke to account base. 
• Accuracy, relevance and timeliness of sales reports. 
• Effectiveness of positioning/relationship with key client decision-makers. 

Skills, Knowledge and Experience.

• Understanding of publishing process and product knowledge. 
• Understanding of market and key customers. 
• Full understanding and experience of Waterstones business. 
• Financially and commercially astute with IT Skills, including strong Excel skills. 

Salary: Competitive with a great benefits package

Location: Vauxhall, London

Contract Type: Maternity Cover, Flexible Hours

Closing date: 15th December 2019

If you are interested in applying for this role please send your CV and Cover Letter to recruitment@walker.co.uk