Business Development Manager (Cranes and Lifting)

Role Overview:

The Business Development Manager is responsible for managing, developing and growing a portfolio of new and existing customer accounts within our Cranes \& Lifting division.

The role will have a strong focus on building long term customer relationships, understanding customer requirements and identifying opportunities to increase the value of existing accounts through service contracts, maintenance, repairs, lifting equipment and associated projects.

A core element of the role will be to increase recurring revenue through the conversion of customers to service and maintenance contracts, proactively identifying suitable opportunities and managing these through to agreement. The Customer Account Manager will also be responsible for proactively following up quotations generated following service visits, inspections and examinations, working with customers to progress identified repairs and remedial works through to order.

Alongside the management and development of existing accounts, the role will retain a clear new business focus, identifying and converting opportunities to expand our customer base and increase market share across the region.

Working closely with customers, engineers, operational teams and other areas of the business, the Customer Account Manager will ensure customers receive a responsive, commercially focused and high quality service throughout the customer lifecycle.

The role requires regular customer engagement and may involve travel to customer premises, project sites, networking events and industry events.

Key Responsibilities of Role:

Account Management \& Customer Development

• Manage and develop a portfolio of existing customer accounts, acting as a key commercial point of contact for customers.


• Build strong, long term relationships with key customer contacts and decision makers.


• Develop a detailed understanding of each customer's operations, requirements, challenges and future plans.


• Maintain regular contact with customers through telephone calls, meetings, account reviews and site visits.


• Identify opportunities to increase revenue within existing accounts through additional services, service contracts, maintenance, repairs, lifting equipment and project work.


• Proactively identify opportunities for cross selling and upselling across the wider services offered by the business.


• Monitor customer activity and account performance, identifying changes in spend, emerging opportunities or potential risks to customer retention.


• Conduct regular account reviews with key customers to assess performance, future requirements and opportunities for further development.


• Ensure customer enquiries, concerns and commercial requirements are handled promptly and professionally.


• Work collaboratively with operational teams to manage customer expectations and maintain a high standard of customer service.


• Support the retention and renewal of existing customer agreements and service contracts.


• Develop relationships with customers beyond individual transactions, positioning the business as a long term service partner and identifying opportunities to increase recurring and repeat business.

• Take ownership of identifying and developing opportunities to convert customers to ongoing service and maintenance contracts.


• Proactively engage with customers currently using the business for one off servicing, inspections, repairs or projects to identify opportunities for longer term contractual relationships.


• Promote the commercial, operational and compliance benefits of planned service and maintenance arrangements to customers.


• Follow up service contract proposals and quotations through to conclusion, maintaining regular communication with customers throughout the process.


• Work closely with the service, engineering and operational teams to identify customers and equipment suitable for service contract opportunities.


• Proactively follow up quotations raised for repairs and remedial works identified during servicing, inspections and examinations.


• Engage with customers to understand any barriers to progressing recommended repairs and work collaboratively to convert quotations into confirmed orders.


• Maintain visibility of outstanding repair quotations and ensure appropriate and timely follow up activity is undertaken.


• Identify opportunities arising from service visits and engineer feedback that may lead to additional repair, maintenance, equipment or project requirements.


• Monitor conversion rates for service contracts and repair quotations and provide appropriate pipeline and performance information to management.


• Support the retention and renewal of existing service contracts, identifying opportunities to expand the scope of services provided where appropriate.

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities within the Cranes \& Lifting market.


• Develop and maintain a healthy pipeline of prospective customers and sales opportunities.


• Research and target organisations that align with the division's growth strategy.


• Undertake proactive prospecting through telephone calls, networking, referrals, customer visits, industry contacts and other appropriate channels.


• Arrange and conduct meetings, site visits and presentations with prospective customers.


• Convert qualified opportunities into new customer accounts and develop those relationships following onboarding.


• Create and execute account and territory development plans aligned with company objectives.


• Follow up leads generated through marketing activity, referrals, trade events and other business channels.


• Participate in networking activities, industry events and trade shows to increase awareness of the company and generate new opportunities.


• Identify opportunities to introduce service and maintenance contracts at an early stage of new customer relationships to support long term account development.

• Prepare accurate and commercially appropriate quotations, proposals and presentations for new and existing customers.


• Liaise with engineers and operational colleagues to understand technical requirements and obtain the information required to prepare quotations and proposals.


• Gather and clarify customer specifications, site requirements and project information.


• Follow up quotations and proposals proactively to maximise conversion opportunities.


• Maintain particular focus on the timely follow up of repair and remedial quotations generated following service visits, inspections and examinations.


• Negotiate commercial terms, pricing and agreements within agreed levels of authority.


• Consider competitor activity, market conditions and customer requirements when developing commercial proposals while maintaining appropriate levels of profitability.


• Manage opportunities throughout the sales cycle from initial enquiry through to order and ongoing account development.


• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions, quotations, opportunities and sales activity using company systems.


• Monitor progress against individual sales, account growth, service contract, repair conversion and new business targets.


• Provide accurate sales forecasts and pipeline information to management.

• Take a proactive approach to customer retention, identifying and addressing potential issues before they affect the customer relationship.


• Follow up with customers following completed works, projects and significant orders to assess satisfaction and identify further opportunities.


• Work with customers to understand upcoming maintenance, compliance and investment requirements.


• Identify opportunities to develop one off customers into recurring or contracted customers.


• Drive the growth of service and maintenance contract revenue within the account portfolio.


• Develop account growth plans for key customers, identifying short, medium and longer term commercial opportunities.


• Review existing customer activity to identify opportunities to increase the range and frequency of services provided.


• Work collaboratively across the business to identify opportunities to introduce customers to other relevant products, services and capabilities.


• Build strong customer relationships that support retention, repeat business and sustainable account growth.

• Maintain a strong understanding of the cranes, lifting equipment and wider engineering market.


• Monitor industry developments, competitor activity and emerging customer requirements.


• Conduct market research to identify potential customers, sectors and growth opportunities.


• Stay informed of relevant industry regulations, standards and developments that may influence customer requirements.


• Share customer and market intelligence with management to support commercial decision making and business development.


• Collaborate with marketing colleagues on campaigns, customer communications and promotional activity where appropriate.

• Typical activities within the role will include:


• Managing regular communication with an allocated portfolio of customers.


• Conducting customer meetings, account reviews and site visits.


• Reviewing existing customers to identify opportunities for service and maintenance contracts.


• Contacting customers to discuss and progress service contract opportunities.


• Following up service contract quotations and proposals through to conclusion.


• Reviewing and proactively following up repair and remedial quotations generated following service visits, inspections and examinations.


• Liaising with service, engineering and operational teams to understand recommended repairs and customer requirements.


• Working with customers to progress outstanding repair quotations into confirmed orders.


• Prospecting and contacting potential new customers.

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