General Sales Manager

This leadership role is responsible for strategizing and executing the sales plan through a team of Zonal Sales Managers. The General Sales Manager (GSM) balances high-level relationship management with the Ford Dealer Network while driving a culture of accountability, performance, and brand excellence across all territories. This position will champion both partnership and performance management, ensuring dealers have the resources and support needed to achieve sales targets while upholding Ford’s brand standards.

Sales Operations & Performance Management

Focus: Driving the numbers and ensuring process discipline.

• Drive and achieve company sales objectives for both wholesale and retail across the network.
• Maintain a pulse on daily market dynamics, closely monitoring inquiries, deliveries, and lost sales.
• Identify & communicate retail sales opportunities and provide recommendations to dealers for implementation and subsequent wholesales business.
• Identify and remove roadblocks hindering the execution of dealer and company sales plans.
• Ensure adherence to mandatory sales management practices (daily meetings, prospect follow-ups, test drives, and showroom logs).
• Utilize sales management systems (LMS) to track performance, analyze data, and identify growth opportunities.
• Conduct regular performance analyses to identify trends (weekly/mid-month estimates, competition reviews) and implement corrective actions.

Fleet & Commercial Business Strategy

Focus: Growth in the B2B and Government sectors.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fleet sales strategy to achieve market share and volume objectives.
• Initiate and manage fleet-specific activities, programs, and promotions for new and existing customers.
• Maintain a robust fleet database encompassing suppliers, agencies, government entities, and commercial customers.
• Engage in key and large-scale fleet deals and negotiations.

Quality Care, Customer Satisfaction & Brand Standards

Focus: Protecting the Ford brand and ensuring the customer journey meets global standards.

• Partner with relevant teams to implement and ensure compliance with quality care programs (LMS, FGE).
• Support dealers in achieving Quality Care Accreditation, removing operational roadblocks cross-functionally.
• Ensure dealership facilities and operations adhere strictly to Ford brand standards and image guidelines.
• Lead onboarding and orientation for new dealership startups in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Build and nurture strong dealer relationships through consistent on-site presence and responsive support.

Inventory & Supply Chain Optimization

Focus: Managing the health of the "Stock" and supply chain from the plant to the dealer showroom.

• Optimize inventory management, ensuring dealer and company inventory aging remains below 60 days.
• Participate in Sales Stock Rundown (SSRD) and Sales Availability Meetings (SAM) to ensure optimal stock levels to support sales and also keep inventory cost within plan.
• Partner with Marketing to develop strategies to address and resolve aging inventory issues.

Strategic Sales Leadership & Team Development

Focus: This highlights your role as a "Manager of Managers" (overseeing the Zonal Sales Managers).

• Lead and facilitate collaborative sales review processes with dealers, keeping senior management informed on progress and challenges.
• Review and provide feedback on developing retail and fleet sales plan meetings conducted by ZSMs with their respective dealers.
• Evaluate and optimize dealer sales team structures and management quality to meet performance criteria.
• Coordinate dealer input and participation in the National Dealer Council and quarterly dealer meetings.
• Mentor and train Sales Zone Managers (ZSMs) through on-the-job coaching, observation, and best practice sharing.
• Assist ZSMs in preparing for quarterly business reviews (QBRs) with the management team.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, sales & marketing, economics, engineering or any other related field is typically required. A master's degree can be an advantage. 

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in sales, marketing or a related field within a fast-paced, dynamic industry (e.g., consumer goods, manufacturing, logistics) with at least 7 years in managerial capacity, demonstrating leadership, team management, and decision-making skills. Experience in Automotive OEM sales and marketing would be highly preferred.

Key Skills & Competencies:

• Leadership & Management: Proven ability to lead and motivate teams, delegate effectively, and drive results through others.

• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to gather, interpret, and analyze data to identify trends, solve complex problems, and make informed decisions.

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically, anticipate market dynamics, and develop long-term plans that align with business objectives.

• Change Management: The ability to lead a team through the retail evolution.

• Communication & Presentation Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively to various audiences.

• Attention to Detail: Highly detail-oriented with a commitment to accuracy and precision in all aspects of work.

• Software Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), CRM/LMS Analytics and relevant sales and marketing software.

• Digital Literacy & AI Adoption: Ability to leverage AI-powered tools and generative AI to enhance productivity, guide team to automate routine reporting, and synthesize complex market data into actionable insights.

Industry & Market Knowledge:

• Sound operational knowledge of sales & marketing.

• Experience working with Channel sales - dealerships, retailers, or a similar network-based distribution model is highly desirable.

• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to the dynamics of the automotive industry

Personal Attributes:

• Proactive, results-oriented, and driven to succeed in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong work ethic, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.