Membership Sales Manager

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Membership Sales Manager; Worcestershire and Shropshire WTs

REPORTING TO: Chief Executive

LOCATION: Home-based to cover Trust counties

TERMS: Permanent, 3 days per week (0.6 FTE)

Base salary: £41,052* fte + commission (£7,074 OTE/annum target achievement) with no cap.

*2026/27 Pay award pending

1. Job Purpose

To lead membership sales teams across the Member Trust area of [Employer hidden]. To deliver budget targets and key performance measures whilst maintaining high standards of face-to-face (‘F2F’) recruiting. Recruit, train, motivate and performance manage the teams of face-to-face Membership Recruiters (‘MRs’) across Trust areas. Maximise membership recruitment opportunities by working closely with the central Venues Team, identifying and building relationships with appropriate venues and events to optimise results. To increase the performance of MRs engaging with prospective members through high quality sales training/ field coaching and ensuring the availability of appropriate field marketing kit, equipment and messaging. Responsibility for managing budgets, people and resources to optimise team effectiveness; develop strategy and drive innovation to continually improve recruiting capability and team performance. Maintain good relationships with key Wildlife Trust staff members providing strategic reporting to identify required improvement and provide solutions to deliver continuous improvement. To actively liaise with the HQ Operations team to maintain effective Membership Recruitment administrative and HR processes in which the teams will be supported and thrive.

2. Key responsibilities

• Provide effective sales leadership and management to the dispersed MR Trust teams.
• Ensure SWWFL secures appropriate levels of local Membership Recruiter (‘MR’) resource to deliver agreed client Trust budget targets, including volumes and value of memberships.
• Provide regular contact, support and supervision of Membership Recruiters (and Sales Team Manager, as applicable) to ensure that their performance and behaviours are actively managed and developed.
• Provide visibility of MR performance to the Chief Executive, providing weekly summaries and engaging in all aspects of planning, forecasting and development of strategy/resources for the teams across the Trusts.
• Manage the recruitment of new MRs via a range of recruitment channels and in-house recruitment pathways, optimising key messages to increase the level of high-quality respondents.
• Undertake the screening and interviewing of candidates in conjunction with the centralised staff recruitment team, identifying those with suitable experience and/or talent via behavioural assessments and field-based testing. Ensure quality control and legal compliance in all elements of the staff recruitment process.
• Arrange and deliver induction and training of new MRs in conjunction with the Trust

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• Deliver sales training and coaching, both classroom and field-based, to ensure effective, structured sales engagement with members of the public at venues and events.
• Lead from the front, using personal sales and/or fundraising management experience in a relevant F2F/ direct sales setting, to model and share effective, ethical high-performing sales and influencing techniques.
• Ensure that the appropriate field marketing stand, kit and equipment is available to all MRs, liaising with the client trusts to provide impactful marketing messaging and supporting materials.
• Support and line manage Membership Recruiter staff, including the provision of probationary and on-going 1:1 reviews to provide clear feedback and direction to maximise performance and role satisfaction.
• Ensure that recruiters perform to the highest levels of fundraising practice, including compliance with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice and best practice guidance from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s standards; maintaining the confidence of the Trusts we represent.
• Use Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (‘CRM’) and other information and behavioural assessments (such as ‘Predictive Index’) to better understand, manage and improve the effectiveness of the teams and contribute to wider strategic developments.
• Manage kit and equipment budgets and influence trust colleagues to invest and innovate to create attractive marketing stands and supporting equipment.
• Facilitate regular team meetings and attendance at relevant Trust events to develop and maintain good knowledge of the trusts and their ethos and build strong working relationships.
• Maintain strong relationships with client trusts, meeting regularly to review performance and work together to maximise partnership opportunities. Respond promptly to any complaints or concerns.
• Provide management cover for MRs at weekends via an MSM duty rota
• Ensure effective reporting and communication, including ensuring that Membership Recruiters complete and submit required administration to a good standard and within agreed timescales.

3. Background

The Wildlife Trusts is a national federation consisting of 46 Wildlife Trusts across the UK. Each Wildlife Trust is a charity and member-supported organisations who rely on memberships as a key source of income and volunteer support. Membership is vital as it often provides the only stable, predictable source of income to the Trusts. With over 800,000 members across the UK, they provide a powerful mandate for the Trusts to undertake their conservation work and to have significant local influence. South West Wildlife Fundraising Ltd (‘SWWFL’) is owned by eight regional Wildlife Trusts - Avon, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire & IoW, Somerset, Wiltshire and Worcestershire – and provides face-to-face membership solutions for its Member Trust and its client Trusts: Herefordshire, Gwent, Cornwall and Shropshire. It is a successful, dynamic and growing organisation, doubling its memberships & revenues since 2015, which has variously innovated through technology to drive performance improvements. Teams of MRs, led by a Membership Sales Manager, work at pre-arranged venues such as supermarkets, garden centres, retail stores, local events and county shows across Trust counties. This recruitment channel uses a display stand and associated marketing materials – which can be combined with activities to promote interest in approaching the display materials – to assist the MR engage with the public to gain memberships.

The Membership Sales Manager has responsibility of county-based team(s) of MRs, for maintaining staffing levels and the management of Membership Recruiters including oversight of venues and recruitment opportunities. Vital to success will be establishing good working

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JOB DESCRIPTION

relationships with the MRs through effective line management and the development of a dedicated and professional team. Membership Sales Managers manage specific teams within an agreed geographical area with administrative work carried out from home. However, you may be asked to work anywhere in the SWWFL Trust areas.

4. Principal accountabilities

• Ensure membership recruitment targets are met by active management of membership recruitment, monitoring individual performance, training and developing sales skills, utilising performance management and advising on improvements in operational delivery.
• Recruitment, training, support and line management of membership recruitment staff. This should be managed to deliver cost effective processes that meet the needs of the business.
• Ensure quality control and legal compliance in all elements of the membership recruitment process in line with Fundraising Regulator, Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Local Authority guidelines and the General Data Protection Regulation, 2018.
• Maximise the recruitment opportunities for SWWFL by identifying appropriate venues across the county areas in liaison with MRs and individual Wildlife Trusts.
• Ensure Membership Recruiters promote the Trusts amongst the general public through professional conduct at all times and maintain a good awareness of current work and strategy.
• Develop and maintain a good knowledge and understanding of the work of the Wildlife Trusts in agreed areas including activities, nature reserves and membership package.
• Ensure enquiries and complaints are dealt with according to agreed processes, escalating to the Chief Executive if required.
• Provide regular reports as required by the Chief Executive.
• Attend meetings with the Chief Executive, SWWFL Management team and other SWWFL Board members, as required.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge and awareness of relevant good practice guidance and requirements.

Hours of work

22.5 hours per week – flexible distribution of hours can be considered with some weekend work required, reflecting the pattern of MRs working. Requirement to participate in MSM Duty Rota, shared flexibly by all MSMs, typically monthly.

Place of work

This role will be based at home with extensive travel across your team area(s) including cover for regional MSMs due to leave/absence. County/team boundaries and size may change to suit the needs of the business.

Pay

• £41,052* fte base salary (£24,631 TBC actual, pro rata) plus commission (c.£7,074/yr uncapped) and pension contribution. [*26/27 pay award pending]
• The commission component will depend on the achievement of agreed targets and will be paid in line with the SWWFL commission scheme. If targets are met, commission is currently payable at 4.5% of the annual value of all the memberships recruited (including Gift Aid) by the Membership Recruiters the MSM is responsible for. This is likely to be in the region of circa £7,074 - higher if targets are exceeded. It will similarly rise over time if/as targets increase.
• Business travel – paid at 40p per mile if own vehicle is used with an additional 5p tax relief claimable from HMRC annually

• Contributory company pension after qualifying period.

General

In order for the organisation to work effectively you may be required to assist with other areas of work and, therefore, should be prepared to undertake other duties appropriate to the post, as identified by the Chief Executive.

5. Person Specification

Essential Desirable

Skills & attributes Able to lead, motivate and Proven ability in developing

develop geographically and training successful sales

dispersed sales teams professionals in direct

sales/B2C environments

Ambitious and target-driven Experience of achieving

targets in F2F (B2C/B2B) or

fundraising environments

Sales and coaching skills; Formal sales training and/or

excellent communication skills coaching qualification

Ability to undertake and Ideally, experience of results

demonstrate personal sales at in fundraising or charitable

venues & events to MRs sector.

Flexible attitude to working Experience of fast-moving,

environment and ability to complex environments;

prioritise effectively ability to plan & organise

Ability to develop effective Sophisticated interpersonal

working relationships quickly skills; able to influence

Able to work weekends and Willingness to work flexibly

occasional evenings where get the job done and achieve

required targets

Able to travel throughout your Good geographical

territory knowledge of Trust territories

and venue opportunities

Knowledge & qualifications Good knowledge of performance A good understanding of

management within the context fundraising compliance and

of sales environment/ face to other relevant legislation,

face membership sales and of regulations and good

how to support and manage practice

underperforming team members

Regular use of Microsoft Office Experience of using

software including Outlook, Customer Relationship

Word and PowerPoint; IT Management (‘CRM’)

literate, able to adapt to new systems, such as Salesforce

systems

General interest in wildlife, the Knowledge of the work of

environment and conservation Wildlife Trusts and the

challenges they face

Some knowledge of data Experience of GDPR

protection & commercial principles in practice

confidentiality principles

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Experience Proven track record of Management of fundraisers

successful sales management in with good geographical

direct sales (B2C or B2B) or knowledge of Trust areas

fundraising.

Experience of full range of first Experience of applying HR

line management responsibilities practices and procedures

Experience of effective Experience of performance

performance management mgt policies; using capability

within a target-driven &/or disciplinary policies in

environment sales management role(s)

Analysis of data and the Evidence of driving

production of management performance and value from

reports using & interpreting CRM or

equivalent software systems

Experience of home working Experience in managing

remote, dispersed teams

Personal attributes Resilient and self-motivated; Evidence of exceptional

ability to lead from the front personal leadership qualities

Competitive and energetic Ability to motivate and

energise teams to achieve

results

Strong work ethic and ‘can-do’ Evidence of making things

attitude happen, driving team to

success

Rounded personality; firm but Mature, balanced outlook;

fair confident in acting decisively

Finds creative ways to add Demonstrated ability to

value; problem-solver resource investigate and

generate fresh solutions

Other Full driving licence, access to a

car with appropriate business

insurance

Ability to work from home with Previous experience of

access to broadband; laptop and home-working and remote

mobile phone provided team management

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