Business Development Apprentice

The overarching goal of this role is to work with the Business Development team to win new business.  This will involve outbound outreach but also the role will be responsible for picking up some inbound leads too.  You will work with the Sales Account Managers and members of Business Development Team to ensure that we are delivering the right level and quality of customers to them.

The role will be engaging and will encompass a wide range of organisational, marketing & sales skills required to improve and create relationships with potential customers.

While the items on this document form the core of the day-to-day role, additional activities maybe requested of you, and therefore a goal-oriented mindset and exceptional organisational skills are required to be a part of this team. As a pro-active member of the team, you would be expected to help in any reasonable request.

As this is an apprentice role, we very much anticipate that most of the role will be a ‘learn on the job’ type role and training will be provided for that reason.  However, some of the skills we are expecting you to learn include: –

• Good organisational and multi-tasking skills
• Good communication skills
• Good Time Management
• Good customer service skills
• Good general education
• Proactive approach to sales
• Good accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to work under deadlines.
• A team player

Communication

• Assisting BDMs and BDOs to communicate with the company’s potential customers on a regular basis
• Assisting where asked with calls with potential customers
• Communication with the Sales Support team to ensure that quotes, proposals and other documents are issued in a timely fashion to potential customers and potential customers.

Systems & Reporting

• Working with the Sales Support team to ensure that information about potential customers is kept up to date in our systems
• Using the systems to allow the BDMs to report on data about the team’s leads and prospects, including potential spending performance and other metrics
• Working with the systems to ensure that the team are on track with new business sales targets
• Working with Field and Telephone based sales representatives to capture data about leads and prospects.

Specific Duties

• Working with our Field and Telephone based sales representatives to administer leads and provide continuous communication.
• Assisting BDMs and BDOs to follow the Lead Generation, Lead Progression and Lead Closure processes.
• Collection of data and improvement of data quality of quick leads, leads and prospects
• Handling of Inbound Telephone calls to the Sales Hotline & the Sales Line where cover is required, including data capture about the calls.
• Assist with administration of the Business Development mailbox (and your own)
• Assist with creating proposals on behalf of the BDMs to allow them to deliver these proposals to customers where appropriate
• Assist with administration of the New Customer handover to Account Managers and Support
• Attending tradeshows and exhibitions to represent the Brand(s) where requested
• Keeping well-organised files and records of the business activity through internal sales tools i.e. Outlook and the ESP Intranet System (CORE)

While the above sections form the core of the day-to-day role, additional activities maybe requested of you, and as a pro-active member of the company you would be expected to help in any reasonable request.

Reporting To

Development Managers, Officers or Senior BDM.

Direct Reports

This role currently has no direct reports.

Working Closely With

• Other members of the Business Development team
• Head of Sales & Marketing
• Account Managers
• HR Manager
• Sales Support team
• Other staff as deemed necessary

The ESP Group of companies is an ambitious group.  The intention is to grow the business substantially.  In order to do this, the Business Development function needs to continue to evolve, getting better each year.  With this in mind, our Marketing spend is expected to increase year-on-year in order to continue to increase the inbound leads generated for the Business Development team.  This will create opportunities to develop your skills in different ways.  However the long-term aim of all Business Development Apprentices should be to eventually become a Business Development Officer or Manager.