Business Development Specialist - VisionSpring

VisionSpring, an international social enterprise, seeks a business development specialist to develop new customer relationships and drive the sale of eyeglasses across various market sectors. While the business development specialist will pursue sales directly by approaching hospitals, eye hospitals, clinics, NGOs, and other healthcare providers, s/he also will increase the depth and breadth of eyeglass distribution channels by growing a national network of channel partners across many sectors, uncovering untapped customer demand for eyeglasses, and working with partners that serve low-income communities. In partnership with the optical technical advisor, the specialist will foster and manage key accounts, find and close new business opportunities, grow sales across multiple optical product categories (reading glasses, frames, sunglasses, etc.), and seamlessly execute all aspects of the sales process. Based in Accra, the successful candidate will report to the New York-based sales management team led by the vice president of global sales and institutional partnerships.  

This role is a contract-based, full-time position, for the initial period of one year. As with other contractors with whom we have worked for many years, we expect the successful candidate to be willing to be a long-term contractor for VisionSpring.

ABOUT YOU

• You are an entrepreneur at heart and want to build a socially-oriented business. The prospect of becoming an expert in the optics industry excites you.
• You are accustomed to being a top performer in a high-growth environment. Achieving targets fills you with a sense of drive and satisfaction.
• You are self-motivated and deliver excellent results without the daily direct supervision of an on-site manager.
• You are adept at business-to-business and institutional sales and fully understand all aspects of the sales cycle. You are particularly adept at wholesale selling, and have a knack for expanding the distribution of physical products.
• You are strategic in your approach to new business, actively networking and doing research to identify new partners and nurture relationships. You are constantly seeking new and creative ways to reach your target market, and go above and beyond what is required to do it.
• You have the experience, maturity, and confidence, as well as the communication skills, to interact with people in senior positions. You can get others excited about what they are going to make possible by working with VisionSpring.
• You have a special talent for negotiating and closing win-win deals with clients.  

WHAT YOU’LL DO

New Business Development

• Conduct research, network, and cold-call to proactively identify and pursue new opportunities to grow partnerships with hospitals (government, mission, and private); clinics; NGOs; and other health service providers that offer or want to offer eyecare services. Assist them in introducing or expanding their optical services.
• Meet and surpass monthly, quarterly, and annual sales targets by winning new and repeat orders.
• Grow and manage the channel partner network. Use your creativity to find new paths, and expand existing ones, to bring eyeglasses to our target population.
• Contact and consistently follow up with existing and new accounts; deliver the highest levels of customer service and engagement.
• Faithfully and accurately enter all sales activity—calls, conversations, emails, meetings, WhatsApp, SMS, etc.—into Salesforce, a customer relations management system provided by VisionSpring.
• Explore the possibility of expanding into mass market retail channels that serve our target population.
• Represent VisionSpring at local industry forums and in peer groups. Attend educational and market development events, such as partner workshops, seminars, conferences, trainings, etc.

Account Management

• Map and manage all customer accounts. Maintain existing relationships and assure that we are building new relationships that will last.
• Strengthen relationships with all key opinion makers and stakeholders.
• Periodically affirm that we are reaching our target population by reviewing customer data and key performance indicators.
• Liaise with the supply chain team in New York, as well as our local warehousing partner, for seamless placement, production, and dispatch of orders.
• Regularly follow up with customers for pre- and post-sale documentation and payments.
• Solicit feedback and gather testimonials from customers so that their words can inform our marketing collateral.

WHAT’S REQUIRED

• Current home residence in Accra.
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in business. Priority consideration will be given to those with a master’s degree in business or public health.
• Minimum of seven years of professional experience in business-to-business and institutional sales.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time within Ghana to locations that include deeply rural areas.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English, and Akan or other government-sponsored languages.
• Experience working in healthcare, specifically with public, mission, and/or private hospitals in an institutional sales or partnership development capacity.
• Experience creating and delivering sales presentations using PowerPoint.
• A laptop computer with Internet access.
• Computer software skills, especially Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Priority consideration will be given to candidates with these areas of experience and assets: institutional sales within the healthcare or pharmaceutical sectors; knowledge of vision care and/ or optical services; comfort using Salesforce or another CRM; existing network of contacts in healthcare/pharma/vision care sectors; and/or personal vehicle.

COMPENSATION

• Salary based on experience and education.
• Commission based on unit sales.
• Exciting performance-based bonuses.
• Monthly budget for expenses.
• One-year contract, renewable.