CONTEXT AND PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The role of the National Account Manager is, on their perimeter, to drive a sell-through retail approach more than a sell-in one in order to develop a best-in-class sales and commercial organization for the company, while positioning the brand in the premium tiers of distribution.
They will ensures long term business accompanying our partners in compliance with guidelines and best practices to improve their sell-through.
They will be responsible to growth the business by taking orders in accordance with Brand guidelines, both quantitatively and qualitatively.
They will ensure the profitable growth of the sales, meeting and exceeding financial objectives and KPIs.
Liaising with the Strategic Channel Manager, they will develop the business plan for existing and new customers and participates to the development of the network.
They acts as a key leader to promote the brand position and to achieve the brand vision: To become the most inspiring brand in Fashion-Sport.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Sales Development – Sell in
- Drive perimeter business to achieve and exceed aims and KPIs (Turn Over, penetration rate…)
- Manage and follow-up of all the meetings with relevant accounts
- Create and realize a medium and long term plan in their perimeter
- Report and feedback on every meetings to the Strategic Channel Manager on a weekly basis
- Communicate consistently and transparently with the SC Manager and relevant HO teams to highlight the state and the needs of the clients in order to meet brand objectives
- Collaboratively work with and alongside the Planning team to achieve the business goals.
Sales Development – sell-through
- Uses the relevant tool and liaises with Supply & Operation Team to manage the replenishment in the most efficient way (increase sell-in during the season without damaging the next sell-in)
- Manages and/or uses weekly reporting on Sell thru, deliveries and accountancy to drive the business
- In discussion with the Strategic Channel Manager, maintain a schedule of consistent communication and regular account visits, in order to review current performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Ensure effective follow-up and action plans from all account visits using the wholesale tools.
- Manage door by door to have the best place possible, next to our best competitors in order to leverage the brand image and the business.
- Express brand guide lines to our Key Accounts in order to assure the perfect execution of VM standards, aligned with retail
- Focus on sell-out accompaniment by improving VM standards, time to market, stock management, replenishment…
- Build and maintain top-to-top relationships at key clients to better understand their business priorities, and to deliver solutions that build customer loyalty while driving sell-through and protecting margin.
- Embrace and manage challenging client issues and channel conflict through a relentless ‘consumer-first’ approach.
- Ensure all our accounts respect the commercial policy (discounts, sales, Christmas, sales operations…)
- Deliver professional and high quality responses to all external and internal customer enquiries.
- Regularly review the training needs of account staff and any requirements in-line with wholesale goals and objectives. Communicating all relevant information to the Head of Market Training
Prospection and development plan
- Participate to the elaboration of an omnichannel development plan and a clear Mapping Coverage
- Prospect new accounts in line with the brand strategy and the priorities given by the Strategic Channel Manager
- Deploy the Selective Distribution Policy on their perimeter
Essential Criteria:
- JD account experience is essential
- Comes from a clothing/footwear background
Desirable Criteria:
- Global and strategic vision,
- Ability to understand, control and plan a business strategy,
- Results oriented mindset,
- Strong customer satisfaction focus
- Lives commutable to Manchester/London flexible
Equal opportunities
At Lacoste, we are committed to making equal opportunities a reality. Inherited from our unique vision of fashion-sport, equal opportunities move us forward and our recruitment methods follow this commitment by focusing on skills and embracing all types of talents. We commit to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where elegance goes beyond style and where each of us is given the chance to fulfil our greatest potential.