Overview Vacancy No VN14404Job Title: Account Manager - CPTOffice Location: ZA-Johannesburg; Alternative Office Location: Cape TownRole Description: The Account Manager is responsible for driving Cisco's growth across the assigned portfolio and nurturing existing & new relationships with Cisco-loyal partners. Operating within Comstor South Africa, this role drives strategic initiatives, partner engagement, and sales enablement efforts to expand Cisco’s footprint in the region. Responsibilities Proactively engage to grow and develop Vendor Focused & Registered Partners. Develop strategic plans together with Vendor Focused Partners, Team Leads and Management to grow and develop their business. Determine market strategies and goals for each assigned product and service. Work with Partners & internal stakeholders to identify opportunities to increase existing accounts to meet sales quota. Collaborate with the team to identify and grow opportunities within territory. Conduct market research to determine Partner needs and potential matches to dislodge competing vendor products. Develop and deliver professional sales presentations for Partners. Build and maintain strong, long-lasting relationships with Partners. Keep Partners up to date with product-related information with the inclusion of Channel Managers, Sales Manager, and Business Practice Lead where necessary. Operate as the lead point of contact for any and all matters specific to your accounts. Partner account management including negotiating and closing deals to maximize profit. Track progress towards and achieve established quotas & sales goals. Drive Partner adoption of the Westcon-Comstor digital tools. Sales Administration & Execution Accurate data capture on Partner and end-user required information, close date, sales stage, opportunity owner. Keep records of Partner interactions, transactions, inquiries, comments and complaints on Sales Central (D365). Accurate forecasting on Sales Central (D365) with pipeline conversion and opportunity management. Prepare for and participate in weekly and monthly sales meetings. Attend all required internal and external meetings. Maintain and develop own knowledge of Vendor product portfolio. Respond to Partner's requests promptly in a professional, polite and friendly manner and within the agreed Partner SLA. Obtain and evaluate all relevant information to handle inquiries and complaints in a prioritized manner. Direct requests and unresolved issues to the designated resources through the workflow tools and relevant stakeholders where required. Record details of actions taken, using workflow tools (Sales Central). Own all order-related issues to the satisfaction of the Partner and the business. Keep Partners up-to-date with the status of their query. Finance queries and incident management/resolution with finance. Managing and requesting releasing of system holds: Credit holds, Wrong Shipping codes. Management of backlog and communicating with the Partner on delivery expectations. Managing and requesting creation of missing promotions (SBA and MDM). Back Order Management, checks and updates, in conjunction with order support division. Vendor Relations Develop and maintain Vendor relationships in conjunction with relevant channel managers that produce referral business opportunities. Establish productive Vendor relations to ensure quality of service to Partners. Communication & Collaboration Keeps management informed of area activities, changes in competitive conditions, and significant problems. Forecasting long-range account sales and product needs and communicates related information regularly to management. Communicate and coordinate with internal departments such as Channel Management, Presales, Marketing and Backoffice to effectively support the Partner. Attend all required internal and external meetings. Provides assistance to area personnel as needed. Related Duties Stays informed of developments and changes in the industry and the market. Attend relevant internal and external product training when required. Attend relevant vendor events and drive partner attendance to these. Completes certification training as required. Completes special projects as assigned. Any reasonable and lawful instruction related to work and given by an authorized person. Qualifications / Requirements Education Matric. Tertiary education is preferred. Knowledge Knowledge of Cisco products (Enterprise Networking) and service offerings. Understanding of product positioning & competitive conditions. Knowledge of sales cycle is required. Knowledge of sales & marketing strategies, techniques and principles. Knowledge of customer service and support processes. Experience Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, IT, or related field. 1–3 years of experience in sales support, account management, or channel operations (preferably in IT distribution or vendor environment). Familiarity with Cisco products and partner programs is an advantage. Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Skills & Attributes Applying business acumen. Managing the competition. Working with technology. Execution excellence. Excellent listening and communication skills – verbal and written. Attention to detail and accuracy. Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills. Strong negotiation skills. Strong presentation skills. Ability to multitask. Handles confidential financial and personal information appropriately. Ability to tactfully handle stressful and difficult situations. Strong problem-solving skills. Accurately captures Partner information. Willing to be flexible. Ability to work effectively under pressure. Computer literate with good Microsoft Office skills. Values Demonstrates and embraces Westcon-Comstor values of Ambition, Integrity, Partnership and Accountability. #J-18808-Ljbffr