Who we are
We are William Reed.
We are a global media group delivering exceptional content through events, digital, data & insight.
From agribusiness, ingredients and food processing, to retail, hospitality & fine dining – we provide the inspiration, insight and connections to power our customers’ success.
We have offices in Gatwick and London, UK; Montpellier, France; Singapore and Chicago, US. In line with the Company’s current Agile Working Policy, the successful candidate would be eligible to work part of the week from our Crawley office and to work remotely for the rest of the week.
Position: Full time (35hr per week, permanent)
Location: Crawley / Hybrid
Are you a proactive, results-driven sales professional who excels at building strong relationships? Are you passionate about identifying new opportunities and driving business growth? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment, working with dynamic teams to achieve ambitious goals?
If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Business Development Manager to join our award-winning exhibitions team. The responsibility and focus of a Business Development Manager is to identify new revenue opportunities and initiate contact with key brands within the sector. With a strong sales background, you will excel at targeting key players, managing high-value accounts, and securing new business to meet or exceed financial and strategic targets.
The Senior Business Development Manager will be confident in approaching, pitching, and closing senior-level executives, utilising a mix of telephone-based sales and face-to-face engagement through meetings and trade shows. You will excel at articulating the proposition effectively and managing the sales process from the initial cold call through to closing the deal.
What you'll be doing:
* Delivering a personal contribution to achieving new business sales targets across the portfolio and providing input and execution of the new business strategic direction of the brands.
* Execution of the full sales lifecycle; from prospecting and calling Owners / Directors / Heads of Marketing, through to closing of the deal.
* Working with the content and marketing teams to support and create commercial opportunities.
* Collaborating with other William Reed brands to support existing and develop new commercial opportunities.
What you'll need:
* Strong B2B sales experience, ideally within media, conferences, exhibitions, sponsorship, print, or digital industries.
* Proactive and results-focused approach with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.
* Proven track record of securing new business and meeting or exceeding sales targets.
* Skilled in online prospecting using tools such as Google, LinkedIn, social media, press releases, and other resources to gain insights into prospects.
* Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with experience engaging at C-level or Director/Owner level.
* Ability to foster and develop key client relationships to build long-term partnerships.
* Creative and strategic mindset for developing tailored sales packages and sponsorship opportunities.
* Advanced sales approach, including identifying client needs and offering innovative solutions.
* Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and provide actionable insights.
* Excellent organisational and time management skills to effectively manage multiple priorities.
Company Benefits Include:
* 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays- increasing by one additional day after 6 years, up to a maximum of 30 days.
* An additional day of leave for you to take on a cultural celebration day or on your birthday if you like. A day for you! At William Reed, we call this our “MeDay”.
* A volunteer day to take for supporting a chosen charity and giving back to the community.
* Opportunity for hybrid working
* Contributory Pension
* Life Assurance Scheme
* Group Income Protection
* Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements
* Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee assistance programme and a 12-month wellness calendar for company-wide health, wellbeing, diversity & inclusion awareness dates.
* Cycle to Work Scheme
* Electric Car Scheme
Why work for us
We provide a supportive work environment and are committed to maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our employees. Working for William Reed means that you will be joining a stable organisation that is committed to developing its employees and brands.
We warmly welcome and encourage applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds and characteristics.
If you need any support in accessing this opportunity, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.