Area Sales Manager

It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!

We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.

JOB SUMMARY

The Area Manager for Food & Beverage plays a direct role in ensuring customer satisfaction by servicing a majority of the existing Zee accounts in his or her area. This includes ensuring Zee products are performing as expected, chemical allocation equipment is performing properly, and responding to any other customer inquiries as necessary. This Area Manager also contacts prospective customers to sell chemicals, equipment, and services to the processing industry. He or she writes and reviews analyses, and contact customers to recommend products and services. Attempts to resolve problems encountered with customer's products and services.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Service existing accounts by planning by calling on existing customers (e.g. QA managers, food safety managers, plant managers, etc.) and providing 100% customer service on a daily basis.
• Monitor ongoing service of the account including visits during sanitation operations; which will oftentimes be after normal business hours.
• Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
• Identify prospective customers by using business directories, following leads from existing clients, participating in organizations and clubs, and attending trade shows and conferences.
• Instruct customer sanitation crew on proper chemical usage and provide training classes to the sanitation crews when necessary.
• Completes field reports covering sanitation concerns, plant status and employee safety.
• Establishing new accounts by planning and organizing work and travel schedules to call on existing or potential customers (e.g. QA managers, food safety managers, plant managers, etc.).
• Proactively networking with key industry contacts to build long-lasting business relationships.
• Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts. Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
• Emphasize product features based on analyses of customers' needs, and on technical knowledge of product capabilities and limitations.
• Prepare sales contracts for orders obtained, and submit orders for processing.
• Maintain customer records, using automated systems.
• Monitor customer preferences and utilization to determine focus of sales efforts and appropriate stock levels.
• Completes special projects upon requests, and other duties may be assigned

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Required: Must possess strong customer service focus, social and interpersonal skills, active listening skills, and effective communication skills. Must be able to excel in a fast paced environment and meet time-sensitive deadlines. Ability to travel ≥75% of the time (mostly by car) to visit customers and work with distributors throughout sales territory. Ability to worknights (2nd or 3rd shift) with sanitation crews to provide product training and service.

Preferred: Beneficial to have strong critical thinking, persuasion, and comprehension skills. Mechanical aptitude highly desirable. Knowledge of the composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

EDUCATION:

Required: Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in experience and education

Preferred: Post-secondary education preferred.

EXPERIENCE:

Required: 1-3 years of previous sales experience.

Preferred: 1-3 years of experience working in chemical, sanitation, food protection, food manufacturing or related field. Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel highly preferred.

PAY AND BENEFITS:

The successful candidate will receive a competitive salary ranging from $55,000 to $78,000 and receive sales commission. The overall benefits package includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, as well as 401k with company contributions. A monthly auto allowance and expenses for overnight travel and customer activities are provided.

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If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!