About the Company
We are a leading manufacturer of custom-made vehicle seat covers, known for exceptional customer service, quality, durability and fit. Backed by a supportive and structured Head Office, the business supplies vehicle owners, dealerships and fleet customers with high-quality vehicle interior protection solutions. We are seeking a driven and autonomous sales professional to spearhead growth within the regional dealership network, fleet market and broader new business environment.
Location / Territory
Johannesburg and surrounding areas, including Sandton, the West Rand and Vereeniging, extending into Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp, with occasional travel to outlying regional areas.
Role Overview
This is a high-impact external sales and business development position combining proactive new business development with strong relationship management. As the face of the business in the field, you will take ownership of your allocated territory, working independently to identify opportunities, build relationships and drive revenue growth. Your primary focus will be on winning new business by actively prospecting and calling on existing and new vehicle dealerships, identifying and sourcing new fleet opportunities, engaging key decision-makers and converting prospects into new accounts. Your secondary focus will be to build and maintain strong relationships with the existing client base, identifying opportunities to grow these accounts through effective account management, upselling and cross-selling. This role is ideally suited to a driven, commercially minded sales professional who thrives on being out in the field, enjoys opening doors, is confident engaging with decision-makers and is motivated by winning new business and exceeding sales targets.
Key Responsibilities
New Business Development
- Actively prospect, cold-visit and pitch to dealership Dealer Principals, Sales Managers and Parts/Accessories Managers.
- Identify and develop opportunities with fleet owners and other relevant automotive customers.
- Build a strong pipeline of new business opportunities across the allocated territory.
- Convert qualified prospects into active customer accounts.
Product Demonstrations & Promotions
- Conduct compelling face-to-face product demonstrations using fabric swatches, sample kits and product catalogues.
- Clearly communicate product benefits, quality, durability and suitability to prospective customers.
- Participate in promotional events such as golf days, automotive shows, dealership launches and other relevant industry activities.
Account Management
- Maintain regular contact with existing clients to ensure repeat orders and consistently high service levels.
- Build strong relationships with key customer stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities for account growth through upselling and cross-selling.
- Maintain a strong after-sales relationship with customers.
Territory Management
- Independently map out and execute efficient travel routes to maximise daily customer visits.
- Maintain effective and consistent customer call cycles.
- Take ownership of the performance and development of the allocated sales territory.
- Travel regionally as required, including occasional outlying-area trips.
Reporting & Administration
- Use the company's Customer Relationship Management system to log customer visits, track opportunities and maintain an accurate sales pipeline.
- Provide weekly progress reports to the office.
- Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, quotations and orders.
- Complete all required sales administration accurately and on time.
- Process orders and quotations as required.
Depending on the successful candidate's location and territory, the reporting structure may include regular office attendance and/or remote field reporting. Final arrangements will be discussed during the recruitment process.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Experience
- Minimum 2-3 years of proven external B2B sales experience.
- Experience within the automotive aftermarket, vehicle tracking, parts, accessories or a related sector would be highly advantageous.
- Existing relationships within dealership, fleet or automotive networks would be beneficial.
- Proven ability to generate new business through proactive prospecting and face-to-face sales.
Sales Approach
- Strong hunter mentality.
- Resilient self-starter who enjoys cold calling and direct prospecting.
- Comfortable approaching new customers without relying solely on inbound leads.
- Proven ability to identify opportunities, build relationships and close business.
- Motivated by achieving and exceeding sales targets.
Independence & Organisation
- Proven ability to work independently on the road without daily office supervision.
- Strong self-discipline and time-management skills.
- Able to plan and manage an effective territory and customer call cycle.
- Good administrative ability, particularly around quotations, orders and customer follow-up.
- Experience working with Customer Relationship Management systems would be advantageous.
Communication & Professionalism
- Exceptional communication, negotiation and closing skills.
- Confident engaging with dealership management and business decision-makers.
- Professional and well-presented, with an appearance suitable for dealership and corporate environments.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
- Commercially minded and customer-focused.
Additional Requirements
- Valid South African driver's licence is non-negotiable.
- Willing and able to undertake regular regional travel.
- Comfortable with occasional overnight or outlying-area trips where required.
- Ideally based in Midrand, Pretoria, or within approximately 30 km of either area.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to manage their own calendar and territory with a high degree of autonomy, while being supported by an established production and administration team.
The role reports to the National Sales Manager based at the company's Johannesburg office.
***Salary - R30,000 basic salary per month + quarterly commission structure + company vehicle + phone + 12.5% employer-only provident fund contribution after probation. (Negotiable, based on skills, experience and in relation to current package)
