The Ins and Outs of Commercial Director, Corporate Strategy Planner for Growth

Commercial Director intricacies,

Corporate Strategy Designer for Growth

Entrepreneurial spirit, optimistic, and has the ability to lead, those are the characteristics that can describe a commercial director. A commercial director leads the teams that turn the company into a money-making machine. If you aim for this position, then you are opening yourself up for greater opportunities to develop knowledge, skills and networking.

In this article, we will discuss the ins and outs of the position of commercial director which consists of:

  1. Tasks (job descriptions)
  2. Challenge
  3. Requirements to become a commercial director
  4. The difference between a commercial director and a business development director
  5. Commercial director career path

Commercial Director Duties

Quoted from telegraph.co.uk, the commercial director is an executive in top management who directs and oversees commercial aspects, including product development, identifying new market opportunities, determining prices and leading marketing. The commercial director also develops relationships with clients, making business proposals and offers. As the head of a directorate, he is responsible for managing the budget.

On the managerial side, divisions led by a commercial director such as Bayu Seto (Chief Commercial Officer at Gig by Indosat Ooredoo), include sales, marketing, product development, business development and customer service. To be successful, commercial directors must pay close attention to current trends in the market and predictions about the future.

Commercial Director Challenge

Commercial directors work under high pressure, full of targets and deadlines. Being required to bring profit within a certain period of time is sure to be faced by commercial directors. Numbers really dominate indicators of success. One example, the commercial director must be able to prove the return on investment (return on investment) from the work program.

In addition to dealing with numbers, the commercial director interacts with many stakeholders. As a result, meetings and conferences are a large part of his work time. A good commercial director will always try to be updated with industry conditions (which are changing rapidly).

What It Takes to Become a Commercial Director

  1. Experience and knowledge in sales, marketing or relevant fields

In order for you to be considered for the position of commercial director, you must have proven expertise in sales, marketing and business development. You should have successful experience as a director in a relevant field leading a large team. In addition to managerial experience, you will also need to demonstrate that you have successfully devised a commercial strategy.

  1. Interpersonal and networking skills

Commercial director perlu interpersonal skills yang tinggi dan sangat terampil dalam networking. Interpersonal skills mencakup kemampuan mendengarkan, negosiasi, persuasi, manajemen konflik dan menciptakan iklim kolaborasi. Dalam kesehariannya, commercial director berhubungan dengan berbagai pihak, contohnya dengan CEO, sesama direktur, manajer, staf, mitra, supplier, konsultan, klien dan lain-lain. Kemampuan interpersonal dan networking bisa memudahkannya untuk bekerja sama dengan pihak-pihak tersebut dan menemukan peluang baru.

  1. Kemampuan memimpin

There are many teams in the divisions managed by the commercial director, so the ability to direct or motivate his subordinates is needed to achieve the target. As someone who occupies a high level, the commercial director is also responsible for educating his subordinates so that they can become leaders in the future and the sustainability of the company is maintained.

  1. Ability to use a computer

Other skills required are computer operation, project and time management. Commercial directors cannot be ‘technologically illiterate’ (technologically illiterate). At the very least, commercial directors can use customer relationship management databases.

  1. Project management and time management

Certainly not just one project supervised by the commercial director. The stages of a project with another can vary. Thus, good project management and time management skills are very important.

It should be emphasized that the management of the company’s commercial aspects does not only involve technical issues, the commercial director must be able to ‘read’ the market. Therefore, commercial directors need to see the situation with a broader perspective from their own discipline, continue to learn and share ideas.

Difference between Commercial Director and Business Development Director

After reading about the duties of a commercial director, you may wonder how they are different from a business development director. All of them have the same goal, to ‘deliver’ products to consumers’ hands and make the company’s business grow. There are companies that have both commercial and business development functions and those that only choose one. The difference between the two cannot be separated from company policy.

For example, at Gig by Indosat Ooredoo, business development is in commercial. Business development focuses on finding new opportunities, such as potential markets and partners. While commercial covers a wider field, from product development, marketing, sales to service.

Commercial Director Career Path

Someone who becomes a commercial director usually has a marketing or business background. Graduates of S2 or masters can provide added value. Before being trusted as a commercial director, you should gain experience leading a team and making strategic plans for 5-10 years. In general, this experience was gained while serving as a manager who handles the commercial aspects of the company (marketing, sales, product development, customer service, etc.).

Becoming a commercial director is a big step in your career because you have a strategic position that allows you to have a broad network. In addition, you will be given challenges that will develop your skills. What’s even more advantageous, commercial directors can spread influence in the industry through his work. Thus, the opportunity to further advance in a career is also wide open.


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