SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 99,600 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.

Primary Responsibilities:

Support Business Assurance Management Team and Sales Team in achieving the overall sales strategy to ensure a targeted and focused approach that consistently contributes to the overall growth aims of the business and maximize profit. Support Business Assurance Sales team in managing current and new clients and sales requests and opportunities.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Operate to the highest standard of ethics as indicated in SGS integrity programs and act in line with all standard processes that exist within Business Assurance.
• Support of Management and all Business Assurance Sales Team members (“the team”) to ensure timely creation of quotations and professional submission of all information as requested by clients, with the necessary and relevant follow-up. 
• Prepare quotations within set deadlines. Prepare client correspondence via email within a predefined time frame. Response to client telephone calls.
• Support to the team to maintain positive relationships with current and potential clients through timely and professional response to quotation related queries and requirements.
• Support to the team in liaising with technical / operations teams to ensure excellent communication channels exist to facilitate the successful handover and execution of new and current business.
• Support to the team in maintaining an awareness and understanding of all the company’s services, ensuring that the full range of the company’s services are presented to new and existing clients to maximize sales opportunities.
• Forward potential opportunities to other appropriate Business Lines. 
• Ensure that all work performed for clients is in line with procedures (PO number, signed quotation, relevant submission forms) 
• Ensure client emails and telephone calls and voicemail messages are responded to within a reasonable time frame.
• Support to the team in maintaining quoting system and ensure follow ups on quotations issued.
• Seek technical advice from technical staff when preparing quotations.
• Involve technical team in technical feedback required by clients.
• Promote the capabilities, facilities, personnel and experience of SGS Business Assurance Services, where applicable or requested.
• Comply with health, safety and environmental acts, regulations and requirements. 
• Work with a safety conscious attitude and demonstrate good and safe work habits.  
• Support the team in developing and maintaining business relationships with current customers and prospective customers in the assigned territory/market segment to generate new business for Business Assurance.
• Support the team to act as a key point of contact between SGS and customers.
• Support the team to maintain good relationships with customers, new and existing, through regular email and telephonic contact and ensure customer expectation and experience is managed accordingly.
• Facilitate customer service issues and communicate to management to ensure that expectations are achieved.
• Assist and expedite the resolution of customer problems and complaints in conjunction with the business unit manager/s and their operations teams.
• Support the team in coordinating sales effort with business development, marketing, accounting, technical and operations. 
• Support the team to prepare for and participate in trade shows, exhibitions, conventions and the like.
• Support the team in focusing the sales activity in growing and developing existing clients together with generating new sales opportunities.
• Support the team in achieving the budgeted local contribution and revenue and in achieving and exceeding the revenue defined in their sales plans.
• Support the sales consultants to ensure client contact details and designations are maintained regularly, where applicable, for key and house accounts.
• Support the team in tracking and recording and updating weekly sales activities in line with defined KPI’s as per relevant template.
• Offer input on customer needs, problems, interests, competitive activities, and potential for new products and services.
• Adhere to all quality and safety requirements of SGS management systems.
• For quotations, ensure pricing policies and financial policies and procedures are followed. 
•  Acting on and updating of CRM leads assigned by direct line manager or marketing assistant and response to clients in line with SGS golden standard rules which is 24 hours from date of assigning the lead.
• Perform any other reasonable tasks as assigned by direct line manager.
• Maintain positive relationships with current and potential clients by meeting and exceeding their expectations.
• Support the team in communicating with technical / operations teams to ensure excellent communication channels exist to facilitate the successful handover and execution of new and current business.
• Support marketing strategy and management and business development teams as appropriate.
• Maintain awareness and understanding of all the company’s services, ensuring that the full range of the company’s services are presented to new and existing clients to maximize sales opportunities, where applicable.
• Forward potential opportunities to other appropriate Business Lines.

• Matric as a minimum with a tertiary qualification being an advantage
• Good knowledge of food industry and/or related fields

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in the sales support field, with a successful track record
• Good level of written and verbal English (preferably bilingual English / Afrikaans)
• Computer literacy in Word, Excel, Outlook
• Ability to adopt a flexible approach to work and react effectively to a rapidly changing environment.
• Ability to work under own initiative and with a high degree of responsibility, accuracy, and autonomy.
• Knowledge of IT systems, particularly MS Office applications.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
• Team player
• Ability to listen and identify client requirements.
• Service orientated mind set.
• Passion for meeting and exceeding client expectations
• Self-starter with initiative
• Good organizational skills 
• Accountable, trustworthy, and responsible