Who we are
We are William Reed.
We are a global media group delivering exceptional content through events, digital, data & insight.
From agribusiness, ingredients and food processing, to retail, hospitality & fine dining – we provide the inspiration, insight and connections to power our customers' success.
We have offices in Gatwick and London, UK; Montpellier, France; Singapore and Chicago, US. In line with the Company's current Agile Working Policy, the successful candidate would be eligible to work part of the week from our Gatwick office and to work remotely for the rest of the week.
Position:
Position: Full time - Permanent
Location: Gatwick / Hybrid
Are you motivated by building strong relationships, uncovering opportunities and driving commercial growth? We're looking for a Sales Executive to join our Exhibitions commercial team and play a pivotal role in expanding our client base across the exciting food and drink sector.
In this role, you'll manage the full sales cycle, from generating leads to closing deals. You'll work closely with prospects to understand their challenges, showcasing how our exhibitions can support their goals and creating compelling proposals that deliver real value. If you're proactive, commercially minded and enjoy working collaboratively across teams, this is an exciting opportunity to make a direct impact.
What you'll be doing:
* Generating and qualifying new sales leads through proactive outreach, networking and following-up on marketing-generated opportunities
* Owning and actively managing the sales pipeline, progressing opportunities through qualification stages
* Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records within the CRM system, ensuring full visibility of sales activity, opportunities and forecasts to support data-driven decision-making.
* Developing a strong understanding of client business priorities, using insight to position solutions effectively and influence purchasing decisions.
* Creating and presenting compelling commercial proposals, with clear value propositions and accurate costings, to support successful deal conversion.
* Representing the organisation at industry events and networking forums, building relationships, enhancing brand presence and identifying new business opportunities.
* Collaborating with multiple internal teams, ensuring prospects receive cohesive and well-aligned solutions.
* Monitoring sales performance against agreed targets and KPIs, taking accountability for pipeline quality, conversion rates and revenue outcomes, along with predictable forecasting accuracy.
Requirements:
What you'll need:
* An understanding of sales principles and experience with the sales process from lead qualification through to close.
* Commercial awareness to understand client challenges and position solutions effectively.
* Strong systems and technology capability, including CRM tools and confident use of Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
* Effective presentation skills with the ability to produce clear, persuasive proposals
* A collaborative approach to work effectively with internal teams to support the sales process, delivering well‑aligned solutions.
* The ability to build and maintain strong client relationships whilst being a trusted long-term adviser.
* Resilience and determination, maintaining momentum, focus and positivity throughout the sales cycle.
Other information:
Company Benefits Include:
* 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays- increasing by one additional day after 6 years, up to a maximum of 30 days.
* An additional day of leave for you to take on a cultural celebration day or on your birthday if you like. A day for you At William Reed, we call this our "MeDay".
* A volunteer day to take for supporting a chosen charity and giving back to the community.
* Opportunity for hybrid working
* Contributory Pension
* Life Assurance Scheme
* Group Income Protection
* Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements
* Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee assistance programme and a 12-month wellness calendar for company-wide health, wellbeing, diversity & inclusion awareness dates.
* Cycle to Work Scheme
* Electric Car Scheme
Why work for us
We provide a supportive work environment and are committed to maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our employees. Working for William Reed means that you will be joining a stable organisation that is committed to developing its employees and brands.
We warmly welcome and encourage applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds and characteristics.
If you need any support in accessing this opportunity, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.