Rhino Products
Placing an Area Sales Manager for Rhino Products — building an eclectic shortlist from adjacent sectors when direct van conversion experience was in short supply.
Client Overview
Rhino Products is a UK manufacturer and supplier of specialist van racking, roof bars, roof racks and van conversion accessories for commercial vehicle operators. The business sells through a network of van conversion specialists, vehicle body builders and fleet operators, with products specified for everything from light commercial vehicle fleets to specialist utilities, emergency services and construction operator vehicles. Rhino's sales operation requires people who understand the commercial vehicle aftermarket, can work both with conversion integrators and directly with fleet decision-makers, and can develop business through a relatively specialised and relationship-driven route to market.
The Brief
Rhino needed an Area Sales Manager to improve sales performance through its integrator network while also developing longer-term relationships with large van fleet operators to drive volume through those integrators. The role required someone who could work at two levels simultaneously — maintaining and growing existing integrator relationships while building strategic conversations with fleet operators whose vehicle specifications would drive demand through the network.
The Challenge
The van racking and commercial vehicle accessories market is a specialised and relatively contained sector. The pool of candidates with direct Rhino-relevant product experience is limited, and many of those who exist are already employed in senior positions. The challenge was finding candidates with the right go-to-market model — comfort working through a conversion integrator channel while also engaging fleet operators — without being rigid about direct product experience.
What Sales Recruit UK Did
Sales Recruit UK built a shortlist of candidates from varied backgrounds, all of whom had comparable go-to-market experience in adjacent sectors — commercial vehicle accessories, specialist fleet products, and related industrial sales roles where the integrator-plus-fleet model was familiar. The SRUK Fit Score process assessed candidates across channel sales capability, fleet operator engagement experience, new business development track record and cultural fit with an ambitious, product-focused manufacturer.
The Outcome
Rhino selected from the shortlist and appointed a candidate who has hit the ground running. She is performing strongly in the role, developing both the integrator network and the fleet operator relationships the business needed to drive sustainable volume growth through the channel.