External Sales Representative HVAC

Network Finance; Soweto; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Network Finance is seeking an experienced External Technical Sales Representative to join our Johannesburg team. You will drive sales growth through new business development, manage customer relationships, and provide technical solution selling to address client operational needs.

The role requires strong technical acumen in HVAC & related technologies, a proactive, customer-focused approach, and willingness to travel to client sites.

Qualifications

• Grade 12 is the minimum requirement.
• Tertiary qualification or additional education in Sales, Marketing, Engineering or a related technical discipline is advantageous.
• Proven experience in technical sales, external sales or a similar customer-facing commercial role.
• Experience within HVAC, air technology, ventilation or refrigeration (HVAC&R) sector is advantageous.
• Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel to customers as required.

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop and pursue new business opportunities within the assigned market.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing customers.
• Regularly visit customers to understand their technical and operational requirements.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing accounts and introduce additional solutions.
• Develop long-term relationships with key decision-makers and technical stakeholders.
• Maintain a strong customer focus throughout the sales process.
• Provide customers with technical advice, product guidance and solution recommendations.
• Understand customer applications and identify appropriate products and solutions.
• Communicate the technical features, benefits and value of products.
• Assist customers in selecting solutions that improve operational performance and efficiency.
• Provide technical support during the sales process and assist with resolving customer queries.
• Work with internal technical teams where more complex application support is required.
• Develop and implement effective sales strategies to achieve targets.
• Identify market opportunities and potential new customer segments.
• Conduct prospecting and targeted business-development activities.
• Monitor market trends, customer requirements and competitor activity.
• Develop and maintain a healthy sales pipeline.
• Prepare and follow up on quotations and proposals.
• Negotiate with customers and drive opportunities through to successful closure.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of the company's product portfolio.
• Keep up to date with developments in HVAC, air movement and related technologies.
• Understand customer applications and the technical environments in which products are used.
• Develop strong product knowledge to confidently position technical solutions.
• Stay informed about industry trends, technologies and competitive offerings.
• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, opportunities and sales activities.
• Prepare regular sales reports and forecasts.
• Maintain CRM information and ensure sales opportunities are tracked appropriately.
• Monitor progress against sales targets and business-development objectives.
• Provide management with relevant market intelligence and customer feedback.
• Work closely with internal sales, marketing, product development and customer-support teams.
• Coordinate with technical specialists to develop appropriate customer solutions.
• Assist in resolving customer issues and ensuring a seamless customer experience.
• Communicate customer requirements and market feedback to relevant internal stakeholders.

Skills

New business development

Consultative selling

Technical solution selling

Account management

Customer relationship management

Negotiation

Closing ability

Pipeline development

Sales forecasting

Market development

Customer needs analysis

Technical presentations

Commercial awareness

Education

Grade 12

Sales/Marketing/Engineering degree or related technical discipline

Job description

A leading technical solutions provider is seeking an experienced and commercially driven External Technical Sales Representative to join its Johannesburg sales team. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving sales growth through new business development, customer relationship management and technical solution selling, while providing customers with appropriate products and solutions to address their operational requirements. This is an external, customer-facing position suited to a technically minded sales professional who understands industrial products and can translate technical requirements into commercially viable solutions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Client Acquisition & Relationship Management

• Identify, develop and pursue new business opportunities within the assigned market.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with existing customers.
• Regularly visit customers to understand their technical and operational requirements.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing accounts and introduce additional solutions.
• Develop long-term relationships with key decision-makers and technical stakeholders.
• Maintain a strong customer focus throughout the sales process.

Technical Sales & Consultation

• Provide customers with technical advice, product guidance and solution recommendations.
• Understand customer applications and identify appropriate products and solutions.
• Clearly communicate the technical features, benefits and value of products.
• Assist customers in selecting solutions that improve operational performance and efficiency.
• Provide technical support during the sales process and assist with resolving customer queries.
• Work with internal technical teams where more complex application support is required.

Sales Strategy & Business Development

• Develop and implement effective sales strategies to achieve agreed targets.
• Identify market opportunities and potential new customer segments.
• Conduct prospecting and targeted business-development activities.
• Monitor market trends, customer requirements and competitor activity.
• Develop and maintain a healthy sales pipeline.
• Prepare and follow up on quotations and proposals.
• Negotiate with customers and drive opportunities through to successful closure.

Product & Market Knowledge

• Maintain an in-depth understanding of the company's product portfolio.
• Keep up to date with developments in HVAC, air movement and related technologies.
• Understand customer applications and the technical environments in which products are used.
• Develop strong product knowledge to confidently position technical solutions.
• Stay informed about industry trends, technologies and competitive offerings.

Reporting & Administration

• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, opportunities and sales activities.
• Prepare regular sales reports and forecasts.
• Maintain CRM information and ensure sales opportunities are tracked appropriately.
• Monitor progress against sales targets and business-development objectives.
• Provide management with relevant market intelligence and customer feedback.

Internal Collaboration

• Work closely with internal sales, marketing, product development and customer-support teams.
• Coordinate with technical specialists to develop appropriate customer solutions.
• Assist in resolving customer issues and ensuring a seamless customer experience.
• Communicate customer requirements and market feedback to relevant internal stakeholders.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Grade 12 as a minimum.
• Tertiary qualification or additional education in Sales, Marketing, Engineering or a related technical discipline will be advantageous.
• Proven experience in technical sales, external sales or a similar customer-facing commercial role.
• Experience within the HVAC, air technology, ventilation or refrigeration (HVAC&R) sector would be highly advantageous.
• Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel to customers as required.

TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

Experience or knowledge of the following will be advantageous:

• Fans and air movement equipment
• HVAC systems
• Ventilation
• Electric motors
• AC motors
• DC motors
• EC motors
• Variable Speed Drives (VSDs)
• Industrial electrical products
• Air technology products
• HVAC&R applications

The ability to understand technical concepts and explain complex information clearly to customers is essential.

SALES COMPETENCIES

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• New business development
• Consultative selling
• Technical solution selling
• Account management
• Customer relationship management
• Negotiation
• Closing ability
• Pipeline development
• Sales forecasting
• Market development
• Customer needs analysis
• Technical presentations
• Commercial awareness

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

We are looking for a customer-focused, technically minded and commercially driven sales professional who can operate independently while working effectively as part of a wider sales team. The ideal candidate will be:

• Confident and professional when engaging with customers.
• An excellent verbal and written communicator.
• Comfortable discussing technical products and applications.
• Results-oriented and motivated by achieving sales targets.
• Proactive in identifying and pursuing new opportunities.
• Strong at building long‑term customer relationships.
• Analytical and able to interpret sales information and market trends.
• Adaptable and capable of managing multiple priorities.
• Self‑motivated and able to work independently.
• A strong team player who collaborates effectively with internal departments.
• Committed to delivering high levels of customer service.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Consistent achievement of sales targets.
• Growth of the existing customer base.
• Successful acquisition of new customers.
• Development of a healthy and sustainable sales pipeline.
• Strong customer retention and relationship development.
• Effective positioning of technical products and solutions.
• Increased market presence within the assigned territory.
• High levels of customer satisfaction.