Northern Regional Sales Manager, UK Schools, McGraw-Hill Education recruitment
McGraw-Hill Education is one of the world's largest publishers of academic books and provider of on-line educational resources. We are currently recruiting a Sales Manager to cover our Northern territory (Birmingham/Midlands).
The UK Schools division of McGraw-Hill Education (head office Maidenhead, Berkshire) focuses on Literacy, Numeracy and Learning Support resources for Primary and Secondary schools at Key Stages 1-3. These resources require demonstrating and presenting to schools across the UK. We are looking to add to our sales management team.
The successful candidate will be responsible for achieving an annual regional target, whilst managing a team of 4+ educational sales consultant as well as achieving the individual sales target in their own territory.
Each sales consultant telephones cold calls schools to obtain appointments to show resources to key members of staff. Sales consultants are also supported by an Appointment Maker to obtain some of their appointments. The key task for achieving the sales target is by coaching, developing and managing all team members to exceed 9 appointments per week, and to ensure each appointment is of a high quality and effective for both the school and also for the business. As Regional Manager, you will oversee training and development of all members of your team.
Schools are open for approximately 189 days per year and we require at least 185 to 200 days work to be undertaken. Approximately 95% of your time will be in term time. It is anticipated that you will spend at least half your working week outside of your own territory, and this is likely to be closer to 2/3rds of the time for the first few months to galvanise the team into success.
Key responsibilities:
- To coach, develop and manage your region and achieve/exceed the sales target
- To take responsibility to learn the resources and to master your own product knowledge on all our resources, to demonstrate this with schools and to coach and train consultants up to this standard
- Determine a plan of action for each consultant and suggestions for the company growth
- Communicate with each member of the region on a weekly basis and summarise successes and problems etc for the Senior Sales and Marketing Manager.
- Achieve the sales target for your own territory, where you will also call on schools to demonstrate the resources and achieve the sales target - territory to be specified depending on where you and your team members live, but the ideal is for your area to be centred on where you live
- Visit each member of a region at least three times per term (minimum 9 times per year each) or even weekly if needed.
- Hold a Regional Meeting which occur each ½ term, 6 per year (either 1 day, or occasionally for 2 days if it replaces the national Sales Conference) at a hotel, or in the Maidenhead office
- Participate in a Regional Action Meeting (RAM) every month (unless otherwise stated) - approximately half are at Maidenhead and half are via telephone
- Work 185-200 days per year (minimum 60 days worth of work in any one term, 3 terms per year) of which a few days may be outside term-time. A willingness to work more days if needed
- To be trained in areas that have been identified and then to train others in your region
- Contribute to the company's internal memo (called "Weekly Review" which is sent out most term weeks) at least each term
- Evaluate the performance both each term and at the end of each year for team members via our Performance Management Process (Talentlink) as well as setting targets for the next year
- Potentially assist with new product development suggestions and resources
- Take the lead in some sessions at the Sales Conferences (typically January and September each year)
Skills
- A proven track record of successful sales and sales management, ideally within educational publishing, however other industries will also be considered.
- Prior experience managing a team of field based sales people is critical to be considered for this position.
- A keen interest in education and in raising standards in the classroom
- Experience of / or an understanding of, how schools operate - beneficial.
- Education Consultants or Teachers (with no sales experience) are also wecome to apply.
- Excellent leadership and coaching skills - the ability to deal with negativity in others and turn this into positive commitment and action
- Excellent presentation skills (to coach and train reps, demonstrate to schools, and also present at Conferences and Regional Meetings)
- Prior exposure to identifying, and then implementing, effective solutions to problems and challenges
- Excellent organisational and comminication skills
- Suitably located for the region
- Happy to be based from a home office and to travel to Maidenhead approx once per half term, or when needed
- Full and clean driving licence
- Ability to work flexibly i.e. early starts, late finishes and the occasional overnight stay