Rana Akoum

• Promoting the business of company's products and services.
• Contacting all potential customers in the defined market sector.
• Identify new customers and markets.
• Preparing bids and quotations for the supply and installation of products and solutions in addition to information security solutions and applications carried out by the company.
• Responsible for achieving the targets in gross margin revenue.
• Negotiating contracts with customers.
• Follow-up and co-ordinate with the finance department for collecting the receivables as per payment terms with customers.
• Submit to the management all the reports related to the sales activities on a regular basis.

New Business Development
•Prospected for potential new clients and turned this into increased business.
•Met potential clients by growing, maintaining, and leveraging my network.
•Identified potential clients, and the decision makers within the client organization.
•Researched and built relationships with new clients.
•Set up meetings between client decision makers and company's practice leaders/Principals.
•Planned approaches and pitches.
•Worked with team to develop proposals that speaks to the client's needs, concerns, and objectives.
•Participated in pricing the solution/service.
•Handled objections by clarifying, emphasizing agreements and worked through differences to a positive conclusion.

Client Retention
•Presented new products and services and enhanced existing relationships.
•Worked with technical staff and other internal colleagues to meet customer needs.
•Arranged and participated in internal and external client debriefs.

Business Development Planning
•Attended industry functions, such as association events and conferences, and provided feedback and information on market and creative trends.
•Identify opportunities for campaigns, services, and distribution channels that will lead to an increase in sales.
•Presented knowledge of the market and competitors, identified and developed the company's unique selling propositions and differentiators

Management and Research
•Submitted accurate weekly progress reports.
•Ensured that data is accurately entered and managed within the company's CRM or other sales management system.
•Forecasted sales targets and ensured they are met by the team.
•Tracked and recorded activity on accounts and helped to close deals to meet targets.
•Ensured that prerequisites (like prequalification or getting on a vendor list) are fulfilled within a timely manner.
•Ensured all team members represented the company in the best light.
•Presented business development training and mentoring to team members.
•Researched and developed a thorough understanding of the company's people and capabilities.
•Understood the company's goal and purpose to enhance the company's performance.

Event Management
• Organized events with marketing teams in companies like Cisco, EMC and VCE targeting existing and new clients, coordinating pre and post event activities with sales team to follow on lead generation
• Acquired excellent knowledge and experience in working with outsourced marketing services providers

External Communications
• Carried out quarterly marketing objectives within allocated budget
• Successfully executed email campaigns considering key metrics to monitor client feedback trends

Channel Sales
• Conducted sales training sessions with vendors for company’s sales team
• Cooperatively worked with branch managers to monitor sales team follow up with new clients and submitting quarterly reports to partner vendors
• Collaborated with partner vendors in ensuring training to be delivered regularly to sales team members

Website Monitoring
• Initiated the urgency to redesign the company’s website based on the metrics reflected by google analytics and reporting the same to management team
• Utilized knowledge on website analytics and SEO strategies

Social Media Engagement
• Initiated the design of social media strategy within the company
• Utilized Hootsuite as a social media management platform for the company’s social media streams

Vendor Relations
• Coordinated company’s marketing initiatives and channel sales together with vendor partners
• Supervised the partnership attainment with vendors at different level
• Increased significantly the value of sales rebates by 70% from vendor partners as a result of maintaining full compliance to their programs

Internal Communications
• Liaised with human resources department to execute internal marketing objectives

Administrative Support
• Recognized for handling high workload from various departments including sales, finance, legal, human resources and management
• Reported to Chief Operating Officer and provided him personal assistance support

Facilitated the achievement of objectives set by upper management by ensuring accurate reporting to line manager
•Carried out background research and presented findings on subjects the manager is dealing with
•Established a smooth information flow and communication with team members at all levels in order to verify and support the implementation of pre-defined plans and guidelines set by the Sales Manager
•Ensured the implementation of a “Sales Strategy” (Account, Solution Layer and Product-mix) by the team
•Validated the content within any proposal or contract to be technically and financially valid, thus delivering quality proposals to clients
•Coordinated with account managers the sales cycle flow from identification, qualification, engagement, to closing with visibility on delivery and customer follow up
•Identified opportunities to up sell layers / cross sell vendor products in bids to ensure offering business value has been considered, through each proposal
•Supported sales manager by making decisions and delegating work to others in their absence
•Handled customer enquiries made via phone, fax and email - involving technical sales staff where appropriate.
•Maintained the customer complaints register and ensured the completion of the complaints procedure