Technical Sales Rep – East Africa

Our client is actively seeking a Technical Sales Rep with previous cement or concrete experience to join their team based in Johannesburg.

Prepared to travel averaging around 60% with peak travel to 80% as needed.

Requirements:
Relevant tertiary sales / marketing qualification.
Strong selling and interpersonal skills (Value selling orientated).
Very good decision making and problem solving skills.
Excellent presentation and communications skills.
Strong technical background on cement technology (Grinding process preferable).
Good organization skills.
High level of autonomy.
Good level of understanding different cultures (proven successful experience in East Africa is a key asset).
Prepared to travel averaging around 60% with peak travel to 80% as needed.
Very fluent in English a requirement (Reporting to an English speaking manager).
Knowledge of Indian languages will be an asset

Responsibilities:
Weekly plant visit, building trust and good image to prospect and customer.
Customer focus, identify problems/needs and anticipate competitive move and proposing alternatives options.
Negotiate key stages in our selling process like short, long field tests, converting prospect into customers.
Eager to follow closely on site field trials (sometimes at nights or week ends), one of our key success factors.
Convince and sell to the customers our value-added products and business, generating profits at cement plant level.
Managing relations/actions with agents in East Africa.
Team player and good communication with colleagues and support functions (Tech Service, Product and Marketing).
Provide technical recommendations regarding a specific grinding process and its usage of our cement additives.
Support during Mill audits upon demand at customer plants.
Run technical presentation at cement plant levels or at Customer B. Unit level based on impact of our product for the milling processes and chemical impact on the cement characteristics.
Scope is East Africa reporting to Country Manager of Sub Sahara Africa.
Weekly/monthly reporting to Sales Manager on activity, market and competition, key projects, technical/audits to be done.
Strategy Mapping update, RFTS (Lab request) Cost Models (selling value).
Emailing to customer specific request (technical, commercial).
Personally, continuously develop own skills and capabilities to be able to achieve the next level of stretched objectives – and to be able to personally progress in the organization.
Share with the team recommendations and suggestions
Coaching of team members to become effective sales people.

Salary: Competitive annual salary (full company benefits – car allowance, cell phone, incentive pay outs, bonus , medical aid, provident fund)