Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager (Novi, MI)

Position summary:

The Business Development Manager is responsible for expanding company's customer base, identifying new business opportunities, and managing key customer relationships, which involves sales activities.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Promote and market the company brand name to automotive and other industries in North America.

Present, promote and sell products to existing and potential customers.

Explore and build relationships with local customers, particularly those who are in automotive industry and American companies.

Identifies marketing opportunities by identifying consumer requirements, defining market, competitor's share, and competitor's strengths and weaknesses; forecasting projected business; establishing targeted market share.

Responsible for managing North American and South American new business development, sales activity and revenue generation of the company's specialty chemical products (including sister companies' products), especially in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, and plastic industries.

Develops and implements strategic marketing, forecasts, and sales plans to achieve performance goals.

Establish, develop and maintain healthy business and customer relationships.

Sustains rapport with key accounts by making period visits; exploring specific needs; anticipating new opportunities.

Identify unsolved issues that customers have, which would be an opportunity for the company.

Quickly find resolutions to customer problems, complaints, and logistics issues to improve satisfaction.

Monitor and record customer feedback.

Arrange meetings with new/existing customers to evaluate status of current or upcoming project developments and file meeting reports.

Record sales pipeline monthly and report to management team.

Record monthly sales amounts and report to management team.

Record monthly sales department expenditures and report to management team.

Issue commercial invoices and other documents that are needed for international shipments.

Track new customer contacts by month and report to management team.

File monthly customer relationship management reports to parent company.

Arrange sample shipments from local and overseas locations.

Record and report quarterly performance trends and analysis.

File monthly sales amount reports to parent company.

Record monthly activities and achievements and file reports to management.

Attend and effectively represent the Company at conferences and/or trade shows as assigned. Serve as the go-to contact person at industry trade shows.

Maintain excellent communication with customers, distributors and industry connections, including regular face-to-face meetings.

Develop in-depth industry expertise as it relates to product and customer requirements.

Contribute to a cross-functional team across geographic boundaries to coordinate key global customer accounts.

Familiarity with international import/exports is a plus.

Comfort working within a multicultural business environment required.

Schedule meetings and optimize travel plans based on client engagement and sales potential priority.

Reach out to prospective clients to understand new opportunity potential.

Follow up with existing clients to check on existing product performance and discover new project opportunities.

Prepare and execute presentations to large groups of potential clients or existing clients

Maintain sales forecast via judicious management of sales tracking

Generate and maintain expense reports for travel-related costs

Working knowledge of customer and market dynamics and requirements

Basic understanding of customer service practices

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Self-motivated, self-disciplined and the ability to work independently

Outgoing and personable

Authorized to work in US without sponsorship

Must have reliable transportation with a valid driver's license, and minimal traffic infractions

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Must be able to learn ERP system and new software

Must be organized with good time management skills

Possess proven analytical/problem solving solutions for the customer and the company

Previous cold calling experience

Possess strong presentation, negotiation, and closing skills

Must have a good understanding long sales cycles and building relationships with customers Basic understanding of sales principles and customer service practices

Business Acumen

Communication proficiency

Customer/client focus

Leadership

Presentation skills

Problem solving

Results driven

Strategic thinking

Technical Capacity

Physical Requirements:

General office environment, ability to sit for long periods of time. Ability to move about in an office.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree in sales, marketing, or business administration.

Minimum of five years of related sales experience with progressive management

Chemical and/or automotive industry experience is preferred

Travel Requirement: Approximately 30-50% (domestic and international)