Sales National Account Manager - Golden State Foods

Overview

Seeks new business sales opportunities for GSF products to meet established marketing goals. Responsible for managing customer relations to ensure high quality customer service, rapid problem response and resolution, and proper understanding and use of GSF products. Assists other departments as necessary to ensure positive customer relations. Plans and executes sales plans in accordance with GSF sales strategies.

Responsibilities

• Maintains and services current customer relationships in his/her region in accordance with GSF sales management directives as well as GSF values and creed. Develops strong relationships with existing customers through formal and informal communications, site visits, attending store openings, meetings, social functions, and training to provide high quality customer service, rapid problem response and resolution, and proper understanding and use of GSF products
• Initiates, establishes, and maintains strong relationships with potential new customers through formal and informal communications, site visits, attending store openings, meetings, social functions, and training to provide high quality customer service, rapid problem response and resolution, and proper understanding and use of GSF products. Acts as liaison between GSF and new customers providing feedback to GSF sales management regarding customer needs, business issues, product concerns, future plans, and perceptions of GSF products and services to enhance customer service
• Develops and updates account specific business plans for each responsible account with the purpose of maintaining strategic direction and business focus. Collaborate and co-ordinate cross functional input that results in a multi-faceted model
• Provides written reports of market status and sales activities to sales management, including weekly project schedules, account updates, volume reports, pipeline updates and trip reports where appropriate. Prepares and achieves approved budget and financial targets
• Maintains customer contact when requested by finance department to assure the collection of receivables to achieve profitability goals
• Works with customer service to ensure correct and timely processing of a variety of documents including order adjustments, variances, special deliveries, and product complaints to maintain complete and accurate records. Disseminates information to customers regarding orders, products, order processing, production issues, delivery issues, or other concerns. Co-operates with QA and regulatory personnel to investigate and assist in the evaluation of field complaints
• Assists in plant tours for new and potential customers to explain GSF production procedures and to highlight GSF’s attention to sanitation, food safety, and customer satisfaction
• Coordinates with product development, purchasing and finance departments in determining product pricing and submits for approval to national accounts director
• Develop relationships and interact directly with manufacturing and product development groups with respect to product formulation, product requirements, order entry and delivery management. Spend a percentage of time at the Division offices for the purpose of developing relationships and start to build office experience
• Performs other related and assigned duties as necessary

Qualifications

Education / Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, commerce, or a related field from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 5 years of experience in sales, customer service, or other comparable role

Knowledge / Skills

• Sales territory or region
• Co-packing manufacturing capabilities and network
• Customer service concepts and techniques
• Order management, delivery management and sales development tracking concepts and techniques
• Industry practices, competition, and products
• Foodservice chain accounts and network
• Financial and accounting concepts
• GSF products and manufacturing processes and practices
• New customer product standards and requirements
• Food safety, storage, and shipment of food products
• Distribution concepts and techniques
• Product liability, government food safety guidelines, and customs regulations
• Quality assurance techniques and applications
• Supervisory concepts and techniques

Skills and Ability To

• Effectively communicate verbally and in writing
• Make sales presentations to customers and GSF sales management
• Develop detailed sales plans, forecasts, and reports
• Analyze customer service-related problems where appropriate and generate possible solutions
• Resolve customer complaints effectively and efficiently
• Communicate and coordinate effectively with customers and sales management verbally and in writing
• Demonstrate maturity, strong presentation, poise, and enthusiasm
• Work within a flexible schedule
• Lead informative customer tours of the GSF facilities
• Prepare a variety of comprehensive administrative and technical documents
• Interact effectively with customers at all organizational levels
• Work effectively in a general business environment with a focus on high levels of quality and customer service
• Work independently
• Make rational decisions in support of, and consistent with, company policies and procedures
• Develop long-term relationships with customers