Job Description

Reporting to the Head of Sales, the Area Sales Manager will be responsible for handling the Company’s
strategic group of clients in the region assigned, while offering first class customer service
management to ensure that sales targets are achieved as per the sales objectives.

The job holder will also provide leadership & coaching to the sales team in the area assigned and ensure they are delivering an optimized brand portfolio/price in each outlet across the regions they are managing.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Build relationships with key retail customers to support sales and brand building
• Develop and cultivate long-term relationships with prospective consumers and other related industries to help strengthen partnerships.
• Carry out daily, weekly & monthly performance reviews to monitor progress and ensure the team meets their set targets within the required timelines
• Consistently manage high service level in the trade to ensure company and customer satisfaction
• Demarcate sales territories to be covered by the distributors and Sales/Merchandising team
• Drive continuous expansion of our weighted and numeric distribution across the market
• Effective demand planning to ensure zero stock outs and effective category management which include non-overstocking of slow-moving products
• Effectively organize distributor reps’ itineraries and constantly review for positive
• Enhance the GT coverage by monitoring & mapping outlets in the region
• Ensure route plans are fully implemented and followed by the distributor reps
• Ensure timely delivery of sales reports from the team and take necessary action where possible
• Ensure weekly sales reconciliations by the sales / merchandizer team
• Ensure weekly statements are presented to customers and sales status to management
• Frequent visits and or communication to customers in a more consistent and prescribed sequence and record feedback at each visit
• Manage all the territory costs and ensure the same is within the given budget
• Manage the region’s team performance by enhancing their skills and competencies
• Management of the Distributor Sales Team
• Motivate the team to reach targets and take appropriate action for those with persistent poor performance standards
• Review the Distributors’ monthly performance, hold review meetings and plan for sales improvement 
• Total product management and full roll out of the market returns policy
• Understand the business strategies, products and activities and be able to undertake productive business discussions from an informed perspective.
• Strategic reporting on all sales activities including sales and prospecting activities, sales calls, presentations, closed sales, and follow-up activities.

Minimum Requirements:

• Degree in sales & marketing or business-related field
• 5+ years’ sales experience in FMCG of which 2 years must have been as an Area Sales Manager in the region
• Demonstratable experience of working with targets for self, team and distributors
• Good understanding of the GT retail landscape & Distributor management