Zonal Sales Manager - OTC - Pharma

JD - ZSM - OTC

Location: Mumbai

Reporting to - General Manager Sales (Division OTC)

Experience- 8-10 years

This position is responsible for:

- Driving the domestic Health Care Division (HCD) - OTC sales function for the assigned region through appropriate sales strategies and plans and budgetary control to obtain business results and lead market share gains for region.

- Leading the HCD - OTC regional sales force and assumes overall responsibility for strategic sales planning & designing distribution and coverage strategy for the products in both the existing and new lines across channel sales so as to achieve regional targets.

- Supporting Marketing and Trade marketing teams in new product launch and product promotion activities as applicable for ensuring product positioning and brand recall.

- Achieving regional sales operational objectives by standardization of various sales processes and systems, with focus on sales program implementation, trade partner's engagement/ relationship management programs sales excellence and sales force capability development activities, sales automation etc.

Detailed Responsibilities:

Sales Strategy & Planning:

- Understands the overall Sales & Distribution Strategy for HCD and develops detailed sales strategy for OTC products for the assigned region in alignment with the business vision.

- Takes overall responsibility for implementation of the sales strategy through the establishment of mid to long term performance goals and creating a sales plan and quota for districts/assigned region in support of national objectives.

- Meets regional sales financial objectives by forecasting requirements; preparing an annual budget; scheduling expenditures; analyzing variances; initiating corrective actions.

Budgeting & Financial Control Monitors:

- Manages and allots budgets based on the HO guidelines and trade marketing budgets to manage expenses within stipulated budgets

- Plans for optimisation of selling costs for the given Products / Region and ensures tracking of distribution cost and claim processing to maintain Stockiest ROI.

- Monitors the implementation of the credit policy and implements framework that would be applied across regions to ensure standard credit limits

- Takes responsibility for cash flows at various levels and follows mechanisms to ensure that there is no blockage.

Channel Management:

- Understands the local consumption drivers in trade channels for HCD- OTC, identify their needs, drives consumption building programs and track effectiveness of the same.

- Recommends product lines by identifying new product opportunities, and/or product, packaging, and service changes; surveying consumer needs and trends; tracking competitors.

- Reviews regional coverage plan channel budgets and brand focus areas to achieve the channel development targets and evaluates performance and mechanisms for distribution extensions & secondary sales.

- Approves requests for shelf hiring, placement of activation element and other collaterals, place order for the same with vendors; monitor deployment of the activation elements and execution within the channels as per company norms.

Market Share improvement:

- Uses research data to track Market Shares / availability movement across unit, map competition activities and identify gaps & growth opportunities in appropriate channels for HCD.

- Increases and maintains distribution across all channels including retail, wholesale and rural sales.

- Drives increase in market share and retain leadership position in assigned market by maintaining reach and depth in the region.

Sales Administration:

- Monitors regional allocation of support provided in schemes, regional initiatives and trade programs and directs TM team in conceptualizing and rolling out sales promotion schemes/programs/BTL activities to ensure inputs are provided to the right markets/channels/outlets.

- Ensures bringing about excellence in generating Brand awareness and recognition of HCD- OTC by engaging with Chemists/druggist and enhancing customer shopping experience.

- Tracks launch progress and customer responses post new product launches by channel based on thorough understanding of category and distribution objectives for the product category.

- Ensures improvement in forecast accuracy and drives implementation of Go To Market Plans like Outlet Addition, Distributor Consolidation, and Distributor Capability enhancement and brings process efficiency through Sales force automation and sales capability development.

- Oversees resource management in the region, sales review, Depot management for stock forecasting, Schemes/Trade Marketing review and reporting, distribution claim management etc.

People Development:

- Manages, retains, trains and leads the Area Sales Managers to deliver set objectives aligning them with the organizational goals and drives implementation of Sales Development Initiatives to increase effectiveness and capability of the sales team.

- Oversees staff deployment and drives motivation levels of the team, monitors engagement and facilitates resolution of issues to manage efficiency levels and drives timely delivery of all operational targets by the team