Agricultural Equipment Sales Manager

Responsibilities:

• Travel extensively to all agricultural production areas of the country, study the crop value chain and develop a 3-year phased focus state strategy in coordination with the Business Head. 
• Research crops such as maize, rice, soybeans, sorghum, millet, wheat, sesame, cassava, ginger, tomato, etc., coordinate with the Engineering Manager & Business Head, and develop holistic, unique & convincing selling propositions to market complete end-to-end mechanization solutions.  
• Train & educate farmers, aggregators, equipment rental service providers, cooperatives, etc. on the technical, operational, commercial & sustainability advantages of using Micromec equipment. 
• Engage in-depth with Govt. & Private Sector Banks, Microfinance Institutions, Development Finance Institutions and develop a robust asset finance model for all potential customers in coordination with the internal finance team.  
• Liaise closely with Federal Govt., State govt., Local Govt., Donor Agencies, Funding agencies, NGOs, Not-for-Profit companies, etc., develop mutually beneficial mechanization options and sell equipment through their programs after securing necessary internal approvals.  
• Prepare and execute the sales strategy encompassing focus crops, focus markets, focus customer types (farmers, aggregators, cooperatives, franchises, equipment rental service providers & service partners), pricing, warehouse inventory, channel inventory, stakeholder activation & education, use of influencers/opinion leaders, equipment trials, model farms.  
• Prepare the Sales Plan in line with the business plan & in coordination with the Business Head, Engineering Manager, Service Manager & Logistics Manager and  Achieve the Sales Targets.  
• Create the Equipment Rental Service Provider techno-commercial business model, identify potential agencies, entrepreneurs, aggregators, etc., and appoint them as partners to offer equipment-on-rent to various farmers, cooperatives, aggregators, off-takers, etc. Develop a robust network of such customers located strategically across all agricultural production areas in focus states. 
• Design an appropriate distribution channel model, and appoint a network of selectively chosen franchisees to stock & sell equipment & spares into tactically planned sales territories. 
• Coordinate with Engineering Manager, Service Manager & Logistics Manager to order equipment and spares, monitor inventory levels, analyze slow-moving & fast-moving items & plan accordingly.  
• Analyze competition & report regularly on products, spares, accessibility, prices, technical advantages/limitations, sales, service & technical team, distribution model, penetration, market activity, state presence, govt. engagement, financial inclusion & participation in funded programs.  
• Prepare sales and market reports as per structure & frequency aligned with the business head.  
• Develop a strong team of Sales Engineers with distinctly articulated role clarity, sales targets, route-to-market strategy, product knowledge, customer engagement training, and well-defined markets.  
• Plan the location base for each Sales Engineer strategically to ensure maximum width and depth of market coverage using limited manpower resources. 
• Coach the sales team in Ecom Values, the culture of customer centricity, service excellence, sales planning, selling skills, financial aspects, etc.

Requirements:

• Minimum 15 experience selling agriculture equipment, preferably heading the sales team.
• Post-graduate studies in sales and marketing. Preferably MBA. 
• Graduate studies in a technical field will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge of Agronomy, Technical Training, Commercial Modelling, Negotiation, Franchisee  Network Development, Exposure to Asset Financing

Measurable KPIs:

• Research and develop appropriate models of ownership, hire-purchase, lease, etc.  
• Develop the Focus State Sales Strategy to Achieve Width & Depth of Penetration. 
• Prepare field research-based Sales Plans and Ensure Achievement of Sales Targets. 
• Create a network of partners comprising rental services, distributors, and end-users.