WHAT DOES A CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT MANAGER DO?

Published: September 6, 2024 - The Customer Development Manager is tasked with enhancing sales figures across specified regions and markets, maintaining strong connections with store operations staff at various levels, and fostering relationships with key decision-makers. Spearheads the development of strategic plans and monitoring systems aimed at achieving sales targets, while also guiding the distributor team to ensure budget adherence. Actively oversees the product development cycle, from conceptualization to launch, ensuring alignment with both customer needs and strategic objectives.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Customer Development Manager

1. Customer Development Manager Duties

  • Budget Achievement: Implement the plan to achieve the set Budget / Target.
  • Trade Fund Management: Manage the allocated Trade Fund to generate the desired profitable sales mix.
  • Sales Forecasting: Provide inputs in the establishment of sales forecasts for responsible sales territory.
  • Target Delivery: Deliver assigned targets, monitor progress against objectives.
  • Data Analytics: Utilizing the full suite of business tools including SAP-based PTCS and SPO, as well as external data resources such as AC Nielsen and DMS in driving analytics.
  • Tactical Planning: Develop tactical plans to address variation versus Budgets.
  • Program Implementation: Implement work plans/programs based on data analysis to achieve leading metrics such as distribution, reach/coverage, effective call (productive call), etc to optimize return.
  • Route Planning: Plan and Implement efficient “Route To Market” for respective territory.
  • Business Planning: Develop annual Joint business planning with distributors.
  • Resource Management: Plan and manage resources partnering with distributors.
  • Promotion Execution: Execute Category and Promotion Plans for winning in-store/outbreak competition.

2. Customer Development Manager Details

  • Customer Alignment: Accountable for the alignment of customer objectives across the companies business units with a focus on integrated customers.
  • Report Production: Production & embedding of customer reports relating to good customer outcomes
  • Strategic Development: Development of strategic customer initiatives & recommendations that support the businesses overall customer purpose
  • Relationship Deepening: Seeking opportunities to continually deepen the customer relationship and embedding good customer outcomes at the heart of the organization
  • Agenda Facilitation: Facilitating the provision of a joined-up customer agenda, working closely with customer-focused colleagues
  • Business Plan Development: Develop a Customer Business Plan to manage business according to the company's strategic direction.
  • Plan Execution: Execute approved plans and manage supporting budgets to deliver targets.
  • Customer Insight: Understand customer’s business and direction to grow long term business
  • Financial Management: Manage and monitor the financial result of the account according to policy by using the CSW report as a key tool.
  • Initiative Development: Provide new initiatives to further develop business with customers by improving sales, and/or reducing cost.

3. Customer Development Manager Responsibilities

  • Channel Development: Work with Channel Teams in the development of the Channel Go-To-Market Guidelines and Pricing Guidelines
  • Communication Compliance: Ensure effective and timely communications and channel Account personnel understanding and compliance.
  • Message Development: Support the development of Upfield selling messages and campaigns
  • Unified Strategy: Channel and customers aimed at providing a unified voice and direction.
  • Strategic Assistance: Assist Head of the NA Food Service and Food Service Sales Team in planning and preparing
  • Distribution Identification: Focus on identifying new distribution opportunities for Upfield, the channel, and key customers
  • Performance Reporting: Report Food Service Business Results and KPIs monthly to Leadership.
  • Detailed Analysis: Provide more detailed NAM level analysis to the Head of FS every quarter.
  • Insight Analysis: Conduct analysis to identify meaningful shopper insights and ensure development into effective selling stories for account personnel
  • Initiative Selling: Sell increased support for the initiatives.

4. Customer Development Manager Accountabilities

  • Performance Driving: Drive performance in the following areas through the national distributor sales team.
  • Opportunity Identification and Monitoring: Identify opportunities, monitor performance, provide support and recommendations.
  • Team Collaboration: Work closely with a dedicated team at the distributor daily.
  • Relationship Building: Build relationship and partnership relationships with identified key retailers.
  • Business Development Assistance: Assist in the development of business reviews that can be carried out and delivered by the Account personnel.
  • Category Management Identification: Work with the Upfield Customer Development team to identify category management opportunities.
  • Marketing Coordination: Work closely with Upfield Marketing counterparts to coordinate the execution of national consumer platforms.
  • ROI Enhancement Support: Support Food Service Marketing in the evaluation of consumer programs to improve ROI.
  • Special Project Execution: Carry out special planning projects as requested by the Leadership team.

5. Customer Development Manager Functions

  • Sales Volume Expansion: Developing and expanding sales volume in assigned areas, markets, and regions
  • Store Relations: Effective relationships with store operations personnel at the region and market level
  • Decision-Maker Engagement: Emerging relationships with these higher-level decision-makers
  • Regional Impact: Positive impact on all assigned stores within a given region or market
  • Customer Relationship: Provide great relationships with key customers and support the business with strategy, goals, and plans
  • Monitoring Plan Creation: Creating to monitoring plans towards the achievement of targets of accounts
  • Sales Direction: Delivers daily work direction to the team of the distributors which sales targets are achieved within budget spend rate
  • Product Development: Development of products within category area for specific customers or internal projects, aligned to the strategic priorities
  • Proactive Management: Proactively managing the interface of the development process with the customer and the internal functions to deliver products from concept to launch