Sales Manager - B2B Sales & Account Management

THE PLUMBING DISTRIBUTION COMPANY LTD; Essex; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

28 days holiday

Christmas shutdown

Established customer portfolio

Structured training & development

Long-term career progression

Free on-site parking

Family-run environment

Job summary

The Plumbing Distribution Company Ltd, a family-run B2B plumbing distributor based near Chelmsford, seeks a Sales Manager to lead the internal sales team, develop customer accounts, and drive profitable growth. This hands-on role combines direct selling, account management, and team leadership.

You will manage your own portfolio while coaching and developing a team of Internal Sales Executives, working closely with Directors to deliver measurable results and achieve targets.

Qualifications

• Proven B2B sales, account management, and business development experience.
• Previous experience leading or managing a sales team.
• Demonstrable success achieving targets and winning new business.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and objection-handling skills.
• Strong coaching, leadership, and performance management abilities.
• Commercial awareness, including revenue and gross profit.
• Experience using CRM systems, sales reporting and KPIs.
• Excellent organisation, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• A proactive, resilient, and results-focused approach.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow an established portfolio of plumbing and builders' merchant customers.
• Generate new business through proactive outbound sales activity.
• Identify upselling, cross-selling, and product promotion opportunities.
• Build strong customer relationships, prepare quotations, and maximise conversions.
• Reactivate dormant accounts and develop underperforming customers.
• Achieve agreed sales, revenue, and gross profit targets.
• Lead, motivate and develop a high-performing internal sales team.
• Set and monitor individual and team targets and KPIs.
• Deliver coaching, training, one-to-ones, and performance reviews, supported by the HR Manager.
• Address underperformance and implement improvement plans.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and employee development.
• Promote accountability, professionalism, and a results-driven culture.
• Analyse sales activity, customer accounts, and opportunities for growth.
• Oversee enquiries, quotations, follow-ups, and sales pipelines.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, forecasts, and performance reports.
• Work collaboratively with Purchasing, Operations and Logistics.
• Improve sales processes, productivity, customer retention, and profitability.

Job description

Job Title: Sales Manager - B2B Sales & Account Management

Location: Chelmsford, Essex - CM3 8BH

Salary: £42,500 basic + performance-related bonus

Job type: Permanent, Full Time. Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm (30-minute unpaid lunch break). No weekends.

About PDC

The Plumbing Distribution Company Ltd (PDC) is a successful, family-run B2B distribution business supplying plumbing merchants since 2006.

Built on exceptional customer service, reliability, and strong relationships, we are entering an exciting new phase of growth and expansion.

We are seeking an experienced, commercially driven Sales Manager to lead our internal sales team, develop customer accounts, and drive profitable business growth.

The Role

This is a hands-on sales management position combining direct selling, account management, new business development, and team leadership.

You will manage your own customer portfolio while coaching and developing a team of Internal Sales Executives.

Working closely with the Directors, you will take ownership of sales performance, implement effective strategies, and deliver measurable results.

We are looking for someone who leads by example, enjoys winning business, and can inspire a team to succeed.

Key Responsibilities

Sales & Account Management

• Manage and grow an established portfolio of plumbing and builders' merchant customers.
• Generate new business through proactive outbound sales activity.
• Identify upselling, cross-selling, and product promotion opportunities.
• Build strong customer relationships, prepare quotations, and maximise conversions.
• Reactivate dormant accounts and develop underperforming customers.
• Achieve agreed sales, revenue, and gross profit targets.

Sales Team Leadership

• Lead, motivate and develop a high-performing internal sales team.
• Set and monitor individual and team targets and KPIs.
• Deliver coaching, training, one-to-ones, and performance reviews, supported by the HR Manager.
• Address underperformance and implement improvement plans.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and employee development.
• Promote accountability, professionalism, and a results-driven culture.

Sales Performance & Business Development

• Analyse sales activity, customer accounts, and opportunities for growth.
• Oversee enquiries, quotations, follow-ups, and sales pipelines.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, forecasts, and performance reports.
• Work collaboratively with Purchasing, Operations and Logistics.
• Improve sales processes, productivity, customer retention, and profitability.

About You

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven B2B sales, account management, and business development experience.
• Previous experience leading or managing a sales team.
• Demonstrable success achieving targets and winning new business.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and objection-handling skills.
• Strong coaching, leadership, and performance management abilities.
• Commercial awareness, including revenue and gross profit.
• Experience using CRM systems, sales reporting and KPIs.
• Excellent organisation, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
• A proactive, resilient, and results-focused approach.

Experience within plumbing, heating, construction, wholesale, or distribution would be advantageous but is not essential.

Above all, you will share our commitment to exceptional customer service, accountability, and continuous improvement.

What We Offer

- Performance-related bonus linked to company sales targets and employee KPIs.

- 28 days' holiday, including bank holidays, increasing by one day per completed year of service, up to five additional days.

- Christmas shutdown (deducted from annual holiday entitlement).

- Established customer portfolio with growth opportunities.

- Structured training and professional development.

- Long-term career progression.

- Free on-site parking.

- Supportive, family-run working environment.

This is a fully office-based role. Due to our rural location and limited public transport, applicants must have a valid driving licence and reliable access to transport.

PDC is committed to a fair and inclusive recruitment process. If you require a reasonable adjustment to participate in any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know.