Description
As Sales Executive, you will play a vital role in our award-winning exhibitions team, driving business growth through identifying, pursuing and converting sales opportunities for our UK Food & Drink Shows and London Coffee Festival. You will be responsible for the full sales cycle from lead generation to closing deals, working closely with prospects to understand their needs and demonstrating how our solutions can address their challenges. This role requires you to build and maintain strong relationships with clients and internal stakeholders.
Your impact will contribute directly to the success of our events – uniting the food and drink industry, creating meaningful connections, and ensuring our shows continue to grow and thrive by strengthening our exhibitor community.
What You’ll Be Doing
* Generating and qualifying new sales leads through proactive outreach, networking and following-up on marketing-generated opportunities, achieving high activity including calls, emails, meetings, LinkedIn and face to face where required
* Owning and managing your sales pipeline, progressing opportunities through qualification stages and maintaining accurate weekly forecasts
* Creating compelling tailored proposals to sell exhibition spaces, sponsorship and digital opportunities to both existing clients and new business
* Developing an in-depth understanding of client business priorities to position solutions effectively and acquiring in-depth knowledge of the UK food & drink industry including market trends
* Achieving and surpassing individual and team revenue targets
* Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records within the CRM system to ensure visibility of sales activity and forecasts
* Representing the organisation at industry events to build relationships and identify new opportunities
What You’ll Need
* An understanding of sales principles, pipeline management and procurement processes
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to nurture client relationships, listen to and interpret client’s challenges to offer solutions effectively
* An entrepreneurial flair with a determined outlook and a desire to deliver results
* Ability to work effectively within a motivated team, demonstrating resilience and positivity throughout the sales cycle
* Systems and technology capability, with a good understanding of Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint, and AI tools
* Experience in B2B sales, particularly selling exhibition space or sponsorship activities would be advantageous
* Familiarity with CRM systems and sales management tools such as Salesforce is beneficial
* Willingness to travel to industry events
Benefits & Initiatives
* 6.6 weeks of annual leave (pro-rata for part-time). The equivalent to 25 days plus standard England and Wales bank holidays for full-time colleagues
* One additional day holiday per year after 6 years’ service, up to a maximum 7.6 weeks of annual leave (pro-rata for part-time). The equivalent to 30 days plus standard England and Wales bank holidays for full-time colleagues
* A holiday purchase scheme, allowing employees to purchase up to 3 additional days of annual leave and spread the cost over up to 6 months
* An additional day of paid leave, a ‘MeDay’, allowing you the flexibility to celebrate a cultural or religious event or your birthday. It recognises that everyone’s background is unique and gives you the freedom to mark what matters to you.
* One paid volunteering day per year to support a charity or community initiative of your choice
* Hybrid and agile working opportunities (role dependent)
* Enhanced Pension Contributions, we offer employer pension contributions above the statutory minimum
* Life Assurance Scheme
* Group Income Protection
* Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements
* Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee Assistance Programme, Virtual GP service and access to health & wellbeing resources and tools
* Equity, Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, supported by employee-led networks and proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer
* Cycle to Work Scheme (subject to satisfactory completion of probationary period)
* Electric Car Scheme (subject to satisfactory completion of probationary period)
Join a business that’s redefining what it means to inform, inspire and connect the global food and drink ecosystem. At William Reed, your work has real influence – shaping conversations, powering decisions and supporting an industry that touches every consumer on the planet.
Our values capture exactly how we work. We’re Collaborative by Nature. We’re always Pioneering in Spirit. And we put People First.
We champion inclusion and warmly welcome applications from talented people of all backgrounds and characteristics.
If you need any support accessing this opportunity, just let us know – we’re here to help!