Area Sales Manager - Forklift Trucks & Materials Handling

Interaction Recruitment PLC; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car

Laptop

Mobile phone

24 days annual leave

Pension

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Interaction Recruitment PLC is recruiting for an Area Sales Manager to cover South West London and Croydon. This field-based role focuses on winning new business and growing existing accounts in forklift trucks and materials handling equipment.

You will inherit some accounts while targeting new opportunities and demonstrate equipment to customers. The successful candidate will own the full sales cycle from prospecting to closing, build relationships at all levels, and be comfortable presenting

Qualifications

• A minimum of five years' sales experience within the forklift truck and materials handling equipment industry.
• A proven track record in new business development and winning sales.
• Strong account management skills, with the ability to develop profitable customer relationships.
• Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• The confidence to conduct customer meetings and equipment demonstrations.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify customer needs and opportunities.
• A consultative approach to selling, focusing on solutions and long-term relationships.
• Excellent organisation, territory planning and time management skills.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office, email and CRM systems.
• A self-motivated, resilient and proactive approach, with the drive to achieve sales targets.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, target and secure new business opportunities across your territory.
• Visit prospective customers to generate leads and develop new commercial relationships.
• Manage and develop existing customer accounts, identifying opportunities to upsell and increase revenue.
• Prepare quotations and present tailored equipment and materials handling solutions.
• Negotiate commercial terms and successfully close sales.
• Build strong relationships with customers at all levels, from operational teams to senior decision-makers.
• Understand customer requirements and recommend appropriate solutions to meet their operational needs.
• Research market trends, competitor activity and potential new business opportunities.
• Plan and manage your territory effectively to maximise sales performance.
• Maintain accurate customer records, sales activity and pipeline information within the CRM system.
• Review CRM data to identify opportunities and support sales growth.

Skills

Sales experience

New business development

Account management

Negotiation

Customer presentations

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Territory planning

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Area Sales Manager Forklift Trucks & Materials Handling

Location: South West London / Croydon (field-based)
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Benefits: Company car, laptop, mobile phone, 24 days annual leave plus bank holidays and pension
Hours: Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, with flexible working hours

The Opportunity

Interaction Recruitment are recruiting on behalf of a growing materials handling solutions business for an Area Sales Manager to develop sales across South West London and the surrounding areas, with a base in the Croydon region.

This is a field-based sales role focused on winning new business, growing existing customer accounts and increasing market share within the forklift truck and materials handling equipment industry.

You will inherit an existing customer portfolio, but the main priority will be identifying new opportunities, building relationships with prospective customers and converting leads into profitable business.

Taking ownership of your territory, you will manage the full sales cycle, from prospecting and arranging appointments through to customer presentations, equipment demonstrations, negotiations and closing deals.

This opportunity would suit an established sales professional with a background in forklift truck or materials handling equipment sales, who is commercially driven, confident developing new business and motivated by achieving results.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, target and secure new business opportunities across your territory.

• Visit prospective customers to generate leads and develop new commercial relationships.

• Manage and develop existing customer accounts, identifying opportunities to upsell and increase revenue.

• Prepare quotations and present tailored equipment and materials handling solutions.

• Negotiate commercial terms and successfully close sales.

• Build strong relationships with customers at all levels, from operational teams to senior decision-makers.

• Understand customer requirements and recommend appropriate solutions to meet their operational needs.

• Research market trends, competitor activity and potential new business opportunities.

• Plan and manage your territory effectively to maximise sales performance.

• Maintain accurate customer records, sales activity and pipeline information within the CRM system.

• Review CRM data to identify opportunities and support sales growth.

About You

To be considered for this position, you will need:

• A minimum of five years' sales experience within the forklift truck and materials handling equipment industry.

• A proven track record in new business development and winning sales.

• Strong account management skills, with the ability to develop profitable customer relationships.

• Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.

• The confidence to conduct customer meetings and equipment demonstrations.

• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify customer needs and opportunities.

• A consultative approach to selling, focusing on solutions and long-term relationships.

• Excellent organisation, territory planning and time management skills.

• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office, email and CRM systems.

• A self-motivated, resilient and proactive approach, with the drive to achieve sales targets.

A stable employment history and evidence of sustained sales success are particularly important for this role.

What's on Offer?

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience.

• Company car.

• Laptop and mobile phone.

• 24 days' annual leave plus 8 bank holidays.

• Company pension scheme.

• Training and development opportunities.

• The opportunity to join a growing business and make a real impact on regional sales performance.