Business Development Associate, APAC

The role

We are looking to hire a Business Development Associate to join our Sales team in Hong Kong.

Working at WGSN

Together, we create tomorrow

A career with WGSN is fast-paced, exciting and full of opportunities to grow and develop. We're a team of consumer and design trend forecasters, content creators, designers, data analysts, advisory consultants and much more, united by a common goal: to create tomorrow.

WGSN's trusted consumer and design forecasts power outstanding product design, enabling our customers to create a better future. Our services cover consumer insights, beauty, consumer tech, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, food and drink forecasting, data analytics and expert advisory. If you are an expert in your field, we want to hear from you.

Role overview

This exciting role reports into the Head of New Business for APAC. You will be responsible for driving net customer growth and generating new business in the (Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Australia) territory with the support of the Head of New Business and the Marketing team.

Working collaboratively with the Business Development Associate team, you will be expected to set up at least 160 meetings monthly as a team, a conversion of both outreaching to new businesses and inbound warm leads.

If you have a demonstrable track record of sales success and you’re passionate about our key verticals (Fashion, Consumer Tech, Interiors, Beauty, Food and Drink) this is a great role for you. This role gives you the opportunity to work with the world's most creative people, whilst developing the skills to launch your career, selling a market-leading product.

The team

You will be a part of a key member of our supportive New Business team with diverse backgrounds in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia and Australia. You will work closely with the Head of Business Development, Business Development Associates, marketing and global creative teams to sell and deliver the world's leading consumer insight and trend forecasting suite of products.

You will be part of a new and rapidly expanding Sales team based in Hong Kong. You will also have exposure to our other amazing teams such as Content and Marketing. Teamwork and collaboration will allow you to learn and settle comfortably into the role.

Key accountabilities

• Effectively manage our inbound lead queue, being the first point of contact for prospective clients and feeling confident to reach out by phone

• Research and identify potential clients for WGSN; develop and execute strategies for outbound prospecting via email, cold calling, LinkedIn Sales Navigator Qualify inbound leads for the sales team, generating pipeline of potential new customers for WGSN

• Use lead generation tools to routinely extract contacts and a targeted list of prospects across Fashion, Beauty, Interiors and Food & Drink and Consumer Tech

• Ensuring that once meetings are booked, relevant research and information is translated to the senior sales team so that they are set up for success in their meetings

• Learn and maintain extensive knowledge of market/industry trends, developments, WGSN customers, competitors, and products; building expertise towards being able to tell the WGSN story while pitching WGSN value

• Working closely with the marketing team on lead generation and new business activities, including but not limited to events, email campaigns, social media

• Reporting to the Head of New Business

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other activities you are required to deliver.

Skills, experience & qualifications required

• Fluency in English is essential; other languages such as Indonesian Bahasa, Vietnamese, Thai, Mandarin would be an advantage

• B2B sales experience would be useful

• Collaborative mentality and a team player

• Results-driven, resilient and a competitive nature

• Excellent writing, communication, and listening skills

• Great time management skills

• Proven ability to make strong connections and overcome rejection to achieve results. We provide you with training, do not fear.

• Knowledge of our core industries: Fashion, Beauty, Interiors, Food and Drink, Consumer Tech

• Previous experience with sales enablement tools such as SalesLoft, Salesforce would be an advantage

Ascential’s supporting beliefs

• Focus: we ruthlessly prioritise and always keep things simple

• All in: once we commit we deliver, with a clear focus on outcome

• Trustworthiness, transparency & openness: transparency inspires trust & empowers

• Be creative: we are smart, pro-active innovators

• Facts: we always use data & insight to inform our work

• Empathy: we can be relied upon for fairness and consideration

• No silos: one team, one face, one reputation

More about WGSN

WGSN is the global authority on consumer trend forecasting.

We help brands around the world create the right products at the right time for tomorrow’s consumer.

Our culture

An inclusive culture is one of our key priorities. We want our people to truly be themselves and thrive. We love having a diverse team of people who bring new ideas, different strengths and perspectives & reflect the global audience we work with.

Why choose us?

At Ascential, diversity, equity and inclusion is core to us. We’re a company built around our people - and we’re committed to supporting each and every one of them to be the best they can be. We love having a diverse team of people who bring new ideas and different strengths and perspectives to Ascential. Our employee-led networks, Ascential Pride, Black in Business and EmPower: An Ascential Women's Initiative, help us to create a place where communities and allies can connect and share experiences. In addition, our Early Talent programmes help grow and foster diverse new talent for our sectors.

We are committed to supporting the environment and sustainability, including ensuring our pension plan defaults to sustainable options and striving to be net zero by 2030.

Recognising great performance is a key part of our culture. Our Awards schemes recognise and reward the brilliant achievements of our people.

We have a truly flexible working environment with a wide range of flexible, hybrid and agile-working arrangements. Conversations about flexible working have always been - and will continue to be - actively encouraged here.

We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to perform their best when interviewing, so if you require any reasonable adjustments that would make you more comfortable during the process, please let us know so that we can do our best to support you.

If we inspire you, why not join and inspire us? Find out more on what our People say