Wholesale Trader

About this role

Ellahi Consulting is looking for a Wholesale Trader based in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town. The role is in the import and export of seafood. You will grow wholesale sales by looking after an assigned group of customers and finding new business.

What you’ll do

• Hit agreed turnover, gross profit, sales volume and other commercial targets.
• Own the profitability of sales in your customer portfolio and keep margins healthy at customer and product level.
• Build strong relationships with existing customers. Visit local customers weekly and national clients quarterly.
• Find, prospect and cold call new wholesale customers. Turn good leads into active trading accounts.
• Negotiate customer prices within approved margin and authority limits. Get approval before agreeing to terms outside your authority.
• Keep an eye on stock levels, ageing stock and market conditions. Help move slow-moving stock without losing unnecessary value.
• Prepare accurate quotations, capture orders, and keep customer and sales records up to date in SAP.
• Report on sales performance, pipeline activity and lost business. Work closely with the Wholesale Sales Manager, Procurement, Finance and Logistics.

What you need

• Grade 12 / Matric.
• At least three years of experience in sales, trading or business development. FMCG, food distribution or wholesale experience is preferred.
• Proven experience in customer relationship management and new-business development.
• Strong negotiation skills and good numerical ability. You should understand product cost, selling price, gross profit in Rand and gross profit percentage.
• Confidence in cold calling and prospecting.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and good problem-solving skills.
• Good organisation and time management. High attention to detail on pricing, quotations and orders.
• Practical working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Advantageous: a relevant qualification in sales, business, commerce or marketing.
• Advantageous: experience negotiating prices against turnover and gross profit targets.
• Advantageous: SAP or a comparable ERP system.
• Advantageous: knowledge of seafood products, or experience in food or protein.

Is this job for you?

This job suits a confident salesperson who enjoys commercial decisions. You should be comfortable balancing price, margin and stock, and you should not mind a competitive, price-sensitive market. If you like building a customer base from scratch, this role may fit you well.

Tips before you apply

• Prepare a CV that shows your sales results. Include turnover, margin or new accounts you won, with numbers where you can.
• Show your three years of experience clearly. List each role, the customers or sectors you served and what you achieved.
• Have examples ready of price negotiations and cold calling. Be ready to explain how you protected margin while keeping a customer happy.

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