Customer Manager

Customer Manager

The Customer Manager is a salesperson responsible for being the sales expert for a designated Customer(s), providing strategic customer insights. The Customer Manager works to ensure joint business plans are executed by the customer. This role works closely with Key Account Managers (KAMs) within that assigned department, as well as order entry, claims, schematics, and retail sales associates to ensure all Client and Customer standards are met. The Customer Manager (CM) must possess the ability to bridge the relationship between the Key Account Management Team (KAM Team) and all stakeholders at assigned customer(s).

Our clients are defined as the manufacturers, vendors, or brands who have contracted Advantage as their sales force. Our customers are defined as retailers, wholesalers, or distributors, to whom we sell our clients' brands. This teammate will collaborate with customers to develop strategic plans to accomplish the business goals and work with retailer associates (such as buyers, category managers, replenishment managers, and others) on Headquarter calls to implement the programs.

The Company is one of North America's leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.

Essential Responsibilities

• Drive our clients' business at assigned customer. Increase distribution, grow sales dollars/units/share/other KPI's, while staying within budget guidelines
• Manage and coordinate Sales Activities, through sales analysis of customer data, sales planning, and sales presentation.
• Conduit between Customer(s), Key Account Managers and Clients through product line presentations, new item presentations, display selling.
• Manage and delegate KAM and Client Divisional Initiatives (i.e. achieving parity pricing vs. inline and competition, maintain up to date Team Business Trackers, photo request presentation, and special requests).
• Secure/ensure timely and accurate responses from customer(s) to KAM Team/Clients which includes promotion forecast.
• Manage selling recommendations from the customer(s) to grow and build the business long-term.
• Attend and present in client meetings at designated customer(s)
• Attend and present in Management Team meetings.
• Conduct and manage customer(s) meetings focusing on client promotional events, displays, etc.
• Build relationships with buyers and support departments at customer, works with KAM to recommend growth plans, execute plans, assist with tactical issues such as PO's, cost changes, contract execution and ensuring retail/merchandising execution.
• Develop and leverage relationships with key influencers and decision makers in assigned customers.
• Sell displays, period promotions, present business reviews, and new item introductions.
• Build and present product distributions based on previous performance using the customer scan data.
• Present pricing disparities in assigned customer based on client recommendations; achieve parity pricing inline and vs. competition.
• Take weekly photos based on client request and needs.
• Acquire weekly pricing for clients based on their product (s).
• Meets or exceeds Client's goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume. Launches strategies to pursue new opportunities.

Minimum Qualifications Education Level: (Required): Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience

- 2-4 years in sales or retail experience and knowledge of CPG industry

Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously

Knowledge and experience with designated customers preferred

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Excellent written communication and verbal communication skills
• Ability to motivate and inspire
• Good interpersonal skills
• Demonstrate conflict management skills
• Excellent decision-making skills
• Ability to exercise sound judgment
• Ability to work effectively with management
• Ability to ensure a high level of service and quality is maintained
• Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browsers

Environmental & Physical RequirementsOffice / Sedentary Requirements: Incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of the job. Work is performed primarily in an office environment. Typically, requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time (66%+ each day), ability to hear telephone, ability to enter data on a computer and may require the ability to lift up to 10lbs.

Advantage Unified Commerce