| Job Title |
Senior Client Services Manager (Direct Sales) |
| Department | ERH Direct Team |
| Reports To | ERH Sales Director |
| Job Level | Team Member – ERH Direct |
| Location | Twickenham |
| Closing Date | Open |
Key Stakeholders:
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England, with 2,000 rugby clubs in its membership. Its income is made up of funding from sponsorship, government, ticket sales, merchandising, hospitality and catering, a hotel, travel and leisure companies and TV rights.
Twickenham Experience Ltd (TEL) is the RFU’s joint venture with Compass Group Plc, which manages and operates all match day catering, hospitality and bar services as well as non-match day catering, conference and event management services at Twickenham Stadium.
Keith Prowse (KP) is TEL’s official match day hospitality sales partner and has the responsibility for hospitality sales within the stadium.
England Rugby Hospitality (ERH) is the entity being set up by the RFU and supported by KP that sits within TEL to market and sell all match day hospitality within Twickenham Stadium ( including the new east stand )from 2018/19, to include all Boxes (2000 guests) and all Suites ( c 8655 guests).
Nature and Scope:
Moving forward, the only place that official hospitality for England Rugby can be purchased is via ERH. The main purpose of this role within ERH Direct is to support the in-bound sales team and service all incoming sales enquiries in to the business. This team will respond to the “call to action” and marketing activity to drive ERH sales, providing an account management function to new customers, ensuring that they become advocates of ERH.
Accountabilities and Responsibilities:
- To oversee the day to day function of the ERH Direct (ERHD) team of 5 Sales Executives to ensure targets and objectives are met by providing effective leadership, motivation and development support for the team members.
- Providing continuous coaching to the ERHD team, leading by example.
- Making sure individual and team KPI’s are hit.
- Providing a weekly team sales report to the relevant person.
- Pipeline management and weekly reports, including personal sales converted and personal sales activity.
- The delivery of the strategic intent and objectives of the ERHD team.
- Implementing new initiatives to drive new business.
- Applying and overseeing daily sales activity of the team while also delivering against personal sales targets.
- Management and allocation of inbound sales leads. Utilising the CRM system effectively and ensuring sales process is adhered to.
- Reporting across all fixtures and tournaments in the agreed time scales and then implementing agreed actions from sales meetings.
- Involvement in recruitment and the implementation and monitoring of the internal sales training programme.
- Effective handling of inbound telephone and email sales leads on a daily basis.
- Developing a strong understanding of the ERH product portfolio.
- Explaining the hospitality options and positioning an offer to fulfil the customer’s brief.
- Producing tailored proposals and quotations for customers to explain the key features and benefits of each product.
- Overcoming customer objections.
- Proactively pursuing leads in an attempt to convert sales.
- Making outbound telephone calls to existing/prospective customer contacts with the aim of generating new leads.
- Analysing historical customer booking patterns to identify new sales opportunities.
- Striving to achieve and exceed team, company and match targets.
- Processing bookings on customer reservation systems.
- Maintaining all aspects of customer records in the CRM system and general account administration.
- Attending internal and external team/company/customer meetings.
- Working onsite at events, where support is required.
- Actively collaborate with ERH, RFU & KP colleagues to contribute to the development and delivery of strategic, business and operational plans.
- Act as an ambassador for, and promote the best interests of ERH, RFU & KP at all times, including the promotion of the Core Values.
- Undertake such other duties as maybe required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the post and the needs of the organisation.
Person Specification
Qualifications, Experience, Skills and Personal Attributes:
- Strong knowledge and understanding of the hospitality industry.
- Previous experience in supervising /leading a sales team.
- Experience in producing and compiling sales reports to an agreed standard and agreed time scales.
- Strong sales track record.
- Target driven with an ability and desire to sell.
- Ambitious and self-motivated outlook.
- Enthusiastic demeanor ensuring team and colleague engagement.
- Strong communication skills at all levels.
- Excellent interpersonal skills- adept at questioning and listening.
- Confident and resilient telephone manner.
- Capability to multi-task and work at a fast pace under pressure.
- Competent when working both independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to flourish in a competitive environment.
- Passion, energy and drive; results oriented with a willingness to learn and self -motivate to hit targets.
- Excellent administrative, organisational and time management skills.
- Resilient and calm under pressure.
- Commercial awareness.
- Excellent presentation and reporting skills.
- Strong IT and database management skills.
- Experienced in CRM, ideally Microsoft Dynamics.
- Strong numerical skills.
- Educated to Degree standard or equivalent.
- Willingness to work a 5 day week, with flexible attendance hours across 7 days.
Skills and Personal Attributes:
- Ambitious, innovative and visionary leader with clear determination and belief and ability to install these qualities in others
- Results driven; thrives on challenge; action orientated and pragmatic in approach; flexible when needed. A good negotiator.
- Strong financial, budget management, planning and control skills – extensive experience of managing sales and marketing budgets
- Proven success at building excellent working relationships as a senior manager or board member
- Strategic thinker and planner with the ability to draw a wider variety of elements into a common strategy and purpose
- Excellent communication and influencing skills and the ability to establish, maintain and invest time in a wide variety of internal and external relationships
- Committed to demonstrating the highest professional standards of sales and marketing and the delivery of an exemplary guest experience at all times
- Strong evidence of accountability and ownership
- Must be of a positive mind set and have resilience
- Maintains an active external network; is aware of current trends within the global hospitality industry and receptive to new ideas and opportunities
- Passionate about sport, particularly Rugby, and sales
Additional Information:
- All role holders must maintain an appropriate standard of confidentiality. Any disclosures of confidential information (including personal information kept on computer or other media) made unlawfully outside the proper course of duty will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence
- Personal circumstances must allow the candidate to work extended hours on occasion during times of peak activity including evenings and weekends
- The role description, person specification, role grade and role title may be subject to change at the discretion of ERH, the RFU & KP and in accordance with business developments. Any changes will be communicated to the role holder as appropriate
How to Apply: Please send CV and Cover Letter to: