Overview
Starting salary: £28,000 basic
Our client is one of the UK’s largest independent builders merchants who has set up a graduate training programme to invest in the development and sales training of successful candidates.
It is worth noting that should you excel in a specific area you may apply internally to stay within a particular job-role or department. This provides you with further options and opportunities for your career path and progression within the business.
The Role:
First 6 months: Face to Face sales
General induction – the first 6 months will be spent learning about the basic internal operations of the business. This is a counter sales role which to help you get to grips with the extensive product range, variety of clients and gain invaluable negotiation experience. Expectations of the role include:
- Responding positively and helpfully to customer queries.
- Sourcing materials needed to meet requirements for items not stocked.
- Exploiting all opportunities to link sell.
- Agreeing best possible margin when negotiating with customers.
- Building rapport and credibility with customers.
Month 7 +: Internal Account Management
Now that you have developed your product knowledge you will move into an internal sales role. Mainly working with existing accounts and will be tasked with making outbound sales calls whilst also handling inbound enquiries, questioning effectively to open opportunities, and building relationships. Expectations of the role include:
- Generating new business
- Ensuring all payment procedures are followed through correctly.
- Protecting margins when negotiating.
- Knowing the local markets and undertaking competitor analysis.
- Looking for improvements in merchandising and stock.
Month 12 +: Stock Control – Operations
At this stage you will begin to develop planning and administrative qualities taking ownership of stock control. Developing good stock control skills are imperative in such a fast-moving environment where products are constantly entering and leaving the warehouse/shop floor. Expectations of the role include:
- Maintaining correct seasonal stock levels and stock rotation.
- Ensuring goods-in deliveries are scheduled evenly and checked.
- Regular stock checks made and updating stock levels on the trading system.
- All goods are stored correctly and in the correct location.
Month 18 +: Transport – Logistics
The next and final step in your development is onto Transport planning. Each branch has their own fleet of vehicles that are on the road all day, every day delivering stock to clients. These deliveries need to be on time and in full without fail so good levels of organisation and a cool head are critical to succeed.
- Maximise efficiency of delivery vehicles and therefore profitability.
- Check vehicle loads for accuracy and safe loading.
- Ensure drivers always have correct paperwork.
- Assume responsibility for the correct implementation of defect procedures.
- Action any faults in correct manner and ensure driver checks are carried out correctly.
Taining
You will receive a thorough induction, including further training which due to the nature of the industry,is predominantly on-the-job training which is a great and efficient way of building up knowledge. The business sells over 20,000 products and in trying to learn what these are, there really is no substitute for talking to the builders that you will be dealing with day to day. You will attend informative and enjoyable supplier training courses held by varying construction manufacturers which can involve away-days. You will also receive 15 days of modular sales /management training.
Progression
The graduate scheme is targeted at facilitating a career path to becoming a manager and has been highly successful at achieving this aim in an industry that is not renowned for this. A key factor of this progression is hard work, determination, and dedication to achieve the opportunities available.
The business has high expectations for any graduates joining the programme. The bar is set high, and they tip you to become a key member of staff within the business and are vital to your continued growth and development. There is the potential for you to succeed in any role, from management, supervisory, sales, and operations as well as the opportunities to become part of the head office function.
The graduate programme, provides a launchpad for a successful career, exposing all candidates to key areas within the business to giving you an excellent grounding in just 2 years. The experience you will gain puts you in pole position to be able to excel and achieve your goals and future career ambitions.
The Person
Successful candidates are entrepreneurially minded people who enjoy operating with freedom and sharing in the rewards of their success.
- Graduates with a desire for a successful career in a dynamic, sales focused organisation.
- People who are ready and willing to occasionally “roll up their sleeves” to do ANY JOB required to benefit the business.
- Confidence and personality is absolutely crucial, ability to take responsibility and make decisions, lots of drive, lots of own initiative.
- Must be self-motivator.
- Driven, lively, energetic, career orientated.
- Commercially aware.
- Clear communicator. Team player.