Key Account Manager - Automotive Refinish Coatings

The Sherwin-Williams Company is looking for a dynamic, customer orientated Key Account Manager to support a rapidly growing part of our Automotive Refinish Coatings business in South Africa. The candidate will ideally be based in Johannesburg and will have an extensive knowledge of the Refinish Coatings market; be goal driven and have a strong commercial background.

The Key Account Manager is responsible for growing our market share by identifying and selling to prospective customers/target accounts.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Travel to existing customers, handle daily business and provide technical service and consultancy to them.
• Search for and create new business opportunities in accordance with business needs, possibilities and capacity.
• Collect reliable customer/territory information and estimate individual customer potential.
• Conduct competitive product testing and comparisons to Sherwin-Williams and identify current competitors’ strengths and weaknesses and Sherwin-Williams’ competitive advantage.
• Develop brand market development plan and obtain approval.
• Develop a strategy to sell to target customers and identify items or product categories that require specific attention in support of this strategy.
• Develop weekly selling plan and conduct sales calls accordingly, occasionally in conjunction with the Sales Manager.
• Determine where customer is in the overall selling process and what steps are necessary to accelerate the process.
• Conduct product demos to support the selling process.
• Access product/technical information to support customers’ application requirements.
• Complete required call and expense reports on a timely basis.
• Identify products and quantities that must be carried in inventory to support customer needs and communicate this to servicing facility.
• Manage forecasting with the customers and provide details to the business to ensure orders are placed via Supply Chain accordingly
• Identify potential problems and work with the Sales Manager to resolve.
• Handle customer complaints within lines of authority and manage the process to resolution.
• Assist Sales Manager in resolution of product supply problems.
• Positively represent and promote company, materials, solutions, service and other business benefits.
• Creates and uses proper market knowledge.

Formal Education: Tertiary education in a related field is preferred.

Technical Knowledge Requirements: Sales experience in the Automotive Refinish Coatings market; Commercial and industry knowledge. Qualified spray painter or similar application experience preferred

Travel Requirements: This role will have a national travel requirement of +-75%

At Sherwin-Williams, our purpose is to inspire and improve the world by coloring and protecting what matters. Our paints, coatings and innovative solutions make the places and spaces in our world brighter and stronger. Your skills, talent and passion make it possible to live this purpose, and for customers and our business to achieve great results. Sherwin-Williams is a place that takes its stability, growth and momentum and translates it to possibility for our people. Our people are behind the strength of our success, and we invest and support you in:

Life … with rewards, benefits and the flexibility to enhance your health and well-being
Career … with opportunities to learn, develop new skills and grow your contribution
Connection … with an inclusive team and commitment to our own and broader communities
It's all here for you... let's Create Your Possible

Eligibility to Work
You will need to provide proof of right to work. It is a condition of any offer of employment we make to you that you have the permission to work in the country for the role for which you are applying for.

Equal Opportunity Employer
An equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic or national origin, disability, age pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, or any other protected characteristic prohibited by law.

Please be aware, Sherwin-Williams recruiting team members will never request a candidate to provide a payment, ask for financial information, or sensitive personal information like national identification numbers, date of birth, or bank account numbers during the application process.