Richard Knowles

• Responsible for generating new business from initial cold call, discovery calls via Teams and face to face meetings.
• Researching and Identifying target customers
• Generating new opportunities and taking them to won business.
• Developed pipeline of qualified opportunities worth £6.2 Million from scratch within in 6 months
• Generated leads to bring in new client revenue and improve bottom-line profitability.
• Prepared and delivered winning customer proposals, business presentations and sales pitches.

• Applied digital marketing tactics to drive business growth and awareness.
• Attended and hosted networking events, establishing solid relationships with other business professionals.
• Generated new leads and opportunities to maximise revenue.
• Built long-term relationships with customers and generated referrals from existing clients.

Accomplishments:

• Opportunity pipeline developed to £12 million in 7 months.
• £1 million new project win with new rail wagon system.
• Introduced new sales opportunity review tools, making sales team more effective.

Key Responsibilities:

• Setting and executing growth strategy ensuring that division was positioned for success.
• Looking at key market trends and drivers, using this detail to develop future products and technologies to take to market.
• Leadership, training and mentoring sales team to deliver growth targets.
• Enhanced sales performance, actively monitoring all leads and conversions.
• Optimised sales methods to best engage, acquire and retain customers.
• Took ownership of lead pipeline to exceed targets and monitor budget adherence.
• Customized promotional strategies to meet needs of different clients, products and services.
• Recruited, trained and motivated distributors to foster ongoing favourable partnerships.
• Managed team of 8 staff, driving performance with motivational strategies to exceed sales targets.

Accomplishments:

• Key strategy that developed £42million pipeline in new dryer technology.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for setting and executing strategy ensuring Rail sector is positioned for long-term sustainability and profitable growth
• Working with key stakeholders to ensure strategic projects are delivered
• Leadership training and mentoring pan European sales team to deliver growth targets
• Appraisals, objective, and target setting ensuring key talent is developed
• Valuable member of core Western Europe management team running £150million regional business.
• Effectively handled daily customer meetings, sales calls and account management tasks, improving sales team efficiency.
• Improved profitability, developing pipeline using multiple sales channels and penetration strategies.
• Strengthened revenue opportunities by developing tailor-made sales strategies based on industry trend and competitor analysis.
• Delivered professional sales presentations, creatively communicating product quality and market comparisons to prospective customers.
• Represented organisation to public at trade exhibitions and conventions, driving awareness of technologies on offer.

Accomplishments:

• Developed can do culture and reduced project lead-times by 4 months.
• Won two major projects totalling £7 million in new sales with automotive OEMs.
• £30million opportunity pipeline developed with key OEMs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Developing and executing 5-year growth plan to double this business within period.
• Focusing on developing niche product technologies within commercial vehicle, F&B, Rail, and Industrial markets.
• Changing company culture and integrating as one team into wider IMI Precision Engineering business.
• Drive change, evaluate all opportunities, and implement account development plans with existing accounts.
• Develop new markets and drive new business growth.
• Generated new leads and opportunities to maximise revenue.
• Managed team of 4 staff, driving performance with motivational strategies to exceed sales targets.
• Established and maintained positive, profitable client relationships through superb communication.
• Strengthened revenue opportunities by developing tailor-made sales strategies based on industry trend and competitor analysis.

Accomplishments:

• Key project won delivering £11.7million of new business revenue over 3 year period.
• Pressure switch client project taken to platform product worth £6million in new business.
• New business pipeline worth£10million developed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Setting and executing UK rail sector strategy ensuring sector is positioned for long term sustainable and profitable growth
• Exceeded sales goals and improved profitability by developing sales strategies and business plans according to market trends.
• Leading and motivating team of UK account managers to deliver growth strategy.
• Setting targets and objectives, training, and development
• Key part of core UK management team, contributing to day-to-day management of £43million business.
• Analysed sales reports to identify trends and update strategies.

Accomplishments:

• Grew key account from £300k to £1.9million in annual revenue.

Key Responsibilities:

• Responsible for all sales activities within defined area
• Identified new business opportunities and increased lead generation to grow profits.
• Maintained client records in bespoke CRM systems, ensuring streamlined data processes for maximum efficiency.
• Developing strong long term customer relationships within Key accounts utilizing VAST sales techniques.
• Developing, and implementing key account strategies
• Delivering growth and winning new business by presenting customers with engineering advantage bespoke solutions.
• Coordinated client and stakeholder communications to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Managed multiple accounts with high-quality client care through tactical planning and campaign delivery.