Retail - Sales Manager - Guwahati

The purpose of this job is to execute sales operations through the Direct channel (builders, connectors, brokers, references, etc.) in line with branch plan and objectives, leading and supporting the Sales Officer team in achieving targets and managing client relationships. This role coordinates with Risk, Operations and Sales Governance teams to ensure compliant and efficient sales operations, and portfolio health. It also drives and executes cross-selling across ABHFL and ABFSG products/ solutions as per branch level objectives and client requirements.

Job Context & Major Challenges

Organizational Context-Key Aspects

Part of the Aditya Birla Financial Service Group (ABFSG), Aditya Birla Housing Finance Limited (ABHFL) is registered with the National Housing Bank as a housing finance company under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987. The company offers a complete range of housing finance solutions such as home loans, home improvement and home construction loans, balance transfer and top-up loans, loans against property and construction finance. The company acquired its license on 9th July 2014 and has aggressive growth plans.

ABHFL operates in the Rs. 11.4 trillion Indian Housing Finance market, which has grown at a steady rate of 17% CAGR over the last 3 years while reporting good asset quality despite challenges in the operating environment.

The ABHFL Sales organization works broadly with 3 customer segments – retail (individual) customers, institutional customers (for retail and institutional loan consumers) and builders (for both retail tie-ups and construction finance), with a major share of the business coming from retail customers. Client segments can also be divided into Salaried and Self employed, with both of these having very different preferences and needs.

Job Context-Key Aspects

Providing housing finance (to buyers), Loan against Property, Commercial Property Purchase, Lease Rental Discounting and Construction Finance (to builders) solutions, ABHFL caters to a diverse range of customer segments through its various service offerings. Additionally, being predominantly retail driven, the business is characterized by high volume of loan transactions and customer relationships.

While unit of sizing up the business is its loan book size, profitability and minimized delinquency are also key business objectives.

Higher cost of funding impacts profitability as well as competitiveness of loan rates that can be offered to clients

For retail customers, identifying and acting on relevant needs for target demographics/ customer segments/ etc., in an efficient manner ensuring process, statutory and regulatory compliance at all times, are key for building business performance and sustainability.

For institutional/ builder customers, understanding and addressing complex business requirements via proactive relationship management and customized solution fitment, while ensuring compliance at all times, are important to gain competitive advantage in this segment.

The Sales Manager (Direct) – ABHFL is responsible for achieving sales targets through direct channels, as agreed with the AH (Sales) – ABHFL, in terms of targeted book size, growth & customer service objectives.

Key Challenges

To assign sales targets to team members considering local factors impacting business, such as competitor presence, existing relationships, new prospect opportunities, etc., and ensure achievement of set targets

To upgrade financial & operational know how of self and team members on industry dynamics, effective negotiation and relationship building, and efficient loan processing for maintaining lasting relationships with customers while ensuring portfolio health and profitability

To drive loan conversion/ sanction/ utilization rates and ensure an appropriate sourcing funnel to meet targets

To ensure credit quality, effective portfolio selection/ pre screening, and work closely with Risk team members to minimize potential NPAs while driving sales

To ensure compliant sales operations at all times, despite sales pressures and market cycles

Enabling Skill Sets & Qualifications

Critical skill sets required to meet these challenges include commercial acumen, team management and communication, product-market awareness, and execution skills.

Education & experience required to fulfil this profile are a graduate with minimum 5 - 7 yrs of total sales experience in the Banking/ NBFC space, of which at least recent 2 - 3 yrs experience should be in HFC sales.

Key Result Areas

KRA (Accountabilities) (Max 1325 Characters)Supporting Actions (Max 1325 Characters)

KRA1 Sales Planning & Management Work with AH (Sales) - ABHFL and plan sales operations for achieving targets, considering competitive forces and local trends, and cascade the same to the team

Scan the local market and competitive offerings on a periodic basis, guiding team members on possible opportunities and challenges

Proactively track target achievement and intervene with sales efforts (personal references, prospecting, etc.) to ensure the same

Communicate sales targets and provide team members clarity on business goals, role expectations, product characteristics and USPs to enhance effectiveness of sales efforts

Deploy schemes to drive sales and enhance profitability, ensuring dual focus on sales expansion and cost optimization

Provide data for and compile periodic MIS reports for disbursements, profitability, NPAs, market expansion, etc. and communicate to AH (Sales) - ABHFL as well as to team members

KRA2 Customer Acquisition/ Engagement Identify local business growth opportunities, guide customer acquisition efforts, intervening where required for relationship management/ origination

Work closely with team members, hand-holding critical/ complex transactions to ensure favourable closure with customer satisfaction

Intervene where required to manage customer complaints/ grievances effectively, and escalate to AH (Sales) - ABHFL as necessary to secure customer relationship

KRA3 Operational Effectiveness Monitor and ensure efficient business processes/ operations across the Customer Lifecycle (Sourcing, Approval, Servicing, Collections)

Work with team for adequate focus on different distribution channels, interfacing with senior stakeholders as required for smooth operations

Drive process efficiencies and faster TATs through interfacing with stakeholders across processes and functions (Risk, Operations, Sales Governance)

Drive the implementation of improved processes and best practices in order to enhance operational effectiveness, productivity and overall business impact

KRA4 Cross-Selling across ABFSG products Drive team efforts as per Cross-Selling strategy agreed with AH (Sales) - ABHFL

Drive alignment to the adopted Cross-Selling strategy by supporting team members with requisite communications, training, guidance, and interfacing with clients where required

KRA5 Team and Internal Stakeholder Management Guide and develop team members for enhanced customer acquisition and engagement efforts, and hand-hold as required

Nominate teams for relevant technical and behavioral trainings/ seminars and work on self development initiatives

Coordinate with internal stakeholders for smooth operations and alignment towards achievement of targets

KRA6 Portfolio & Risk Management Work with the Risk, Operations and Sales Governance teams to ensure adherence to risk management and control mechanisms

Drive compliant Sales Operations and sound risk management by training and guiding the team proactively on early alert practices to reduce NPA risks

Compile and ensure systematic, accurate MIS on NPAs and credit trends, providing inputs on factors impacting portfolio quality