Sales Development Manager

Sales Development Manager - Start up

Location: Wimbledon, London

Full-Time | Competitive Salary + Commision/Bonus

Help Lead the Transformation of a Global Industry.

We've created a groundbreaking platform that's redefining trade shows for the digital generation. Just as online shopping revolutionised retail, our technology is transforming how businesses exhibit, connect, and trade — globally, efficiently, and at scale.

Our proprietary software has already powered a successful flagship event, proving its potential to reshape the $103B+ trade show industry. Now, we're scaling into new sectors and international markets — and we're looking for an ambitious Sales Manager to lead that commercial growth.

Backed by World-Class Experience

One of our co-founders is a highly successful, multi-exit entrepreneur, recognised with two Queen's Awards and numerous other industry accolades. With over 75 years of combined experience exhibiting at trade shows across Europe, the USA, and Asia, our founders are driving a true paradigm shift in the online trade show industry.

This is a rare opportunity to own and establish global revenue strategy at a rapidly scaling start up company led by a highly seasoned founder team with deep expertise in scaling businesses. This role offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from industry pioneers with very ambitious scaling plans, making this an exceptional time to join and shape our growth.

What You'll Do

• Take full ownership of the sales function, within defined industries building it from the ground up
• Personally land early lighthouse strategic deals with clients and partners
• Build and lead a sales team to support rapid expansion
• Train, motivate, coach, and nurture a team — including junior members
• Collaborate with founders on pricing, positioning, and GTM strategy
• Play a key role in launching trade shows across multiple sectors and countries
• Ensure meticulous and accurate data entry and management within our CRM system to maintain a reliable and insightful sales pipeline
• Leverage your extensive experience with CRM systems to optimise sales processes, track performance, and drive data-informed decisions
• Use your strong Excel skills to analyse sales data and generate clear, actionable reports for the founders
• Ready to hit the ground running, taking swift ownership of sales initiatives from day one
• Proactively adopt and tailor AI-powered sales solutions to enhance performance, efficiency, and scalability
• Pioneer new approaches to AI-driven sales that will define industry best practices
• Build and implement cutting-edge AI-enabled sales processes leveraging the latest in sales intelligence and automation
• Champion strategic partnerships with trade associations, agencies, and industry bodies
• Design and implement the sales reporting cadence and operating rhythm from day one (daily/weekly/monthly)
• Establish clear KPI definitions and tracking across the funnel, including (but not limited to):
• daily outreach activity (contacts/touches by channel),
• meetings booked and presentations/demos delivered,
• proposals/quotes issued,
• sales closed (bookings/revenue),
• stage conversions, win-rate, sales cycle length, pipeline coverage, and forecast accuracy
• Build and maintain founder-ready dashboards and reports that clearly show:
• activity today/this week,
• team activity totals,
• pipeline by stage and expected close dates,
• wins/losses with reasons,
• forecast vs target, and actions to close gaps
• Run pipeline reviews and enforce stage quality, next steps, close plans, and accurate probability/values

Who You Are

• 5+ years of B2B sales experience with leadership responsibility
• Proven track record of growing key accounts and winning new business
• Thrive in fast-paced, innovative environments
• Ambitious and ready to grow with a rapidly scaling company
• Confident and articulate communicator, capable of fostering strong relationships both internally and externally.
• You possess excellent prioritisation skills, with foresight to anticipate obstacles and the tenacity to overcome them
• A strategic thinker and confident closer who builds long-term client relationships
• Background in events, commercial media, or business services is a plus
• Passionate about building and scaling — not just managing
• Experience with MEDDICC or similar enterprise sales methodologies
• Great at setting priorities, spotting potential roadblocks early, and sticking with challenges until they're solved
• Passion for AI and emerging technologies with desire to push boundaries of what's possible in sales
• Track record of implementing innovative sales technologies and processes
• Highly effective at reporting and communicating with the founders in a clear, concise, and results-focused manner
• Strong academic background, with A grades during your education, reflecting a consistently high standard of performance and discipline

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary with performance-based commission/bonus
• Work alongside award-winning founders with a proven track record
• Access to founder mentorship and future cutting-edge AI sales tools
• Opportunity to shape and define the future of AI-driven sales

Ready to Join the Trade Show Revolution?

Play a key role in shaping the growth strategy of a platform purpose-built for the digital age — in an industry ripe for reinvention. This is a rare opportunity to get in early and make a meaningful impact at a game-changing company.

How to apply (important)

Please send your CV and a short cover letter to: people@xpofairs.com

Your email application with your CV must include your academic grades/results.

In your cover letter:

Include the word \"scale\", and a brief note of the most significant revenue-driving initiative you've led—ideally one that showcases your impact in a fast-paced, tech or innovation-focused environment.

Applications that do not follow the steps above will not be reviewed.