Account Executive Expert - Teamlead at SAP

Sales

• Responsible for selling SAP's products and solutions and certain partner solutions with a focus on East Africa but a portfolio across the SAP Emerging Africa territory. Responsible for building and maintaining relationships with SAP's customers, prospective customers, partners -- and for maintaining customer satisfaction. Identifies opportunities and generates demand where SAP's capabilities as an integrated solution addresses a customer's business need.
• Supports efforts to ensure solutions are adopted and value is realized. Responsible for the continuity and expansion of the customer’s ongoing business with SAP. Focused on named existing and/or prospective accounts. Maintains customer relationship and influences customers' requirements' specification.
• The role-owner will carry a quota.

Accountability

• manages portfolio of own accounts and assigned sales territorry, as well as indirectly the territory of the Emerging Africa Industry Sales team
• ensures business critical & innovative results
• ensures that goals and milestones are met and approved budgets are managed appropriately
• manages escalation appropriately
• tracks single project budget line – and teams’ budget
• builds strategic partnerships with key decision makers in customer & partner organization
• Includes team lead and supervisory responsibiities

Complexity

• manages customer engagements of high volume and of high risk/complexity
• provides regular project status and updates

Experience

• sound professional experience
• deep knowledge of project management skills
• depending on LoB has a PMI, Six Sigma or equivalent certification
• if in Six Sigma has black belt

Communication

• represents SAP to customers' - is responsible for delivery of quality outcomes of projects of high volume or high risk
• represents SAP to customers
• finds common ground for cooperation within project team
• formulates clear project plans incl. mile stones, timeline and sub projects
• communicates messages relevant for project in a timely manner and with constructive feedback to project team
•  captures opinions and expectations of stakeholder and communicates them to the project team

Key Responsibilities & Tasks

• The Account Executive's primary responsibilities include prospecting, qualifying, selling and closing new business to existing and net new customers with a focus on East Africa but a portfolio across the SAP Emerging Africa territory. The Account Executive brings a Point of View to the Customer engagement; uses all resources to solve customer problems with appropriate SAP products.
• Besides the role as individual contributor, the Account Executive shall also act as a team lead and representative in the Large Enterprise/Industry sector on behalf of the Head of Emerging Africa. This part shall include a supportive and coordinative aspect to support the senior individuals we have across the three key hubs in Emerging Africa: Kenya (overlooking East Africa), Nigeria (overlooking West Africa) and Angola (overlooking Lusophone Africa).
• Account and Customer Relationship Management, Sales and Software License and Cloud Subscription Revenue.

Annual Revenue - Achieve / exceed quota targets.

• Sales strategies- Align SAP Cloud /SaaS solutions with the customer's strategic objectives - Develops best practice account plans to ensure revenue target delivery and sustainable growth. Develop relationships in new and existing customers and leverage to drive complex strategy through complex and global organizations.
• Trusted advisor - Establishes strong management and Cxx relationships based on knowledge of customer requirements and commitment to value (value of counsel and expertise, value of solutions, value of implementation expertise). Builds a foundation on which to harvest future business opportunities and accurate account information and coaching.
• Customer Acumen - Actively understand each customer's technology footprint, strategic growth plans, technology strategy and competitive landscape. Review public information (e.g. new executive appointments, earnings statements, press releases) for the company and its competitors to remain updated on key industry trends and issues impacting the prospect.
• Territory and Account Leadership - Lead designated territory, including accounts, account relationships, prospect profiling, and sales cycles. Encourage all accounts to become SAP references.
• Business Planning - Develop and deliver comprehensive business plan to address customer and prospects priorities and pain points. Utilize VE, benchmarking and ROI data to support the customer's decision process.
• Demand Generation, Pipeline and Opportunity Management
• Pipeline planning - Follow a disciplined approach to maintaining a rolling pipeline. Keep pipeline current and moving up the pipeline curve.
• Pipeline partnerships - Leverage support organizations including Marketing, Inside sales, Partners and channels to funnel pipeline into the assigned territory.
• Leverage SAP Solutions - Be proficient in and bring all SAP offers to bear on sales pursuits including Industry Solutions, LOB solutions (CRM, SCM, HCM, SRM et. al) and technology solutions (Business Analytics, Mobility, Database and Technology, et. al). Demonstrate early adoption of all new solutions and strategies.
• Advance and close sales opportunities - through the successful execution of the sales strategy and roadmap. Negotiate early and against a win/win strategy for SAP and its customers.
• Support all SAP promotions and events in the territory - take an active, sales leadership role in SAP events.

Sales Excellence

• Build and share best practice sales and negotiation skills.

Sell value.

• Maintain White Space analysis and execution of initiatives (up sell and cross sell) on customer base.
• Orchestrate resources: deploy appropriate teams to execute winning sales. Create OneSAP.

Utilize best practice sales models.

• Understand SAP's competition and effectively position solutions against them.
• Maintain CRM system with accurate customer and pipeline information.
• Leading a (Virtual) Account Team

Mentor Associate /Senior Account Executives.

• Demonstrate leadership skills in the orchestration of remote teams.
• Ensure account teams and Partners are well versed in each account's strategy and well positioned for all customer touch points and events. Maximize the value of all sales support organizations.
•  Team Lead and Central Coordinator for the Industry Account Executives in Emerging Africa

Experience & Educational Requirements

• Experience & Language Requirements
• 15+ years of experience in sales of complex business software / IT solutions
• Proven track record in business application software sales.
• Experience in lead role of a team selling environment.
• Demonstrated success with large transactions and lengthy sales campaigns in a fast-paced, consultative and competitive market.
• Exceptional contractual and negotiation skills.
• Manager-experience and experience in the field of ‘leading without authority’.
• Business level English: Fluent
• Local language: Fluent, Business Level

Education

• Bachelor equivalent: yes