Area Sales Manager at The Coca-Cola Company

Job Description  

Following the in-country business and sales strategy, the Area Sales Manager will be responsible for delivering volume and revenue growth in all channels, grow the customer base, manage accounts, manage third party distributors, and deliver brilliant execution and sales through the sales team.

Key Duties & Responsibilities    

• Distributor management DOSA
  • Responsible for key distributor effectiveness and distributor operating standards compliance for all the distributors in the area of jurisdiction.
  • Responsible for pack mix management at the distributor store through order generation, stock control and route loading processes.
  • Responsible for distributor investment in proper and adequate storage space, glass holding, route to market equipment and adequate skilled personnel at the distributor store and on route.
  • Enforce company operating procedures and standards in offloading of products and loading of empty glass at the distributor stores and be responsible for any inefficiencies occasioned to the delivery system by the distributor omissions or commission.
  • Manage distributor targeting, route allocation, route weighting and route coverage and completion.
  • Monitor distributor operations to ensure profitability and volume achievement including drawing a monthly profit and loss account for every distributor in the area.
  • Ensure the required floor stock holding is achieved and maintained, stock rotation is effected, and house-keeping at the distributor store is at top notch.
  • Establish and maintain monthly review meetings with distributors with minutes and clear action points.
  • Responsible for distributor debt and incentives management.
• Sell in management and execution
  • Set and agree with the distributor on monthly, weekly and daily sell-in targets and enforce.
  • Ensure timely order generation based on floor stock standards, stock control records and adhoc strategies as may be directed by the top management and maintain consistent flow of stocks into the distributor store.
  • Establish and maintain a system at each distributor store that ensures readiness and smooth clearance for every order placed.
  • Properly manage order generation to drive both revenue objectives and full availability of the products across the range.
  • Provide daily sales projections to the regional sales manager and ensure actualization.
• Sell-out management and execution
  • Ensure all established market and sales routines are applied per excellence to tap into daily opportunities in the market.
  • Drive outlet by outlet focused selling to ensure a continuous flow of products from the plant to the consumer.
  • Oversee distributor salesmen effectiveness in their daily selling by ensuring that such salesmen are fully trained and inducted into the company’s way of selling.
  • Monitor and drive corrective actions on Salesmen route truck loading, route coverage, route completion, order generation and success rate.
• Trade Execution RED
  • Responsible for the application of all established PICOS that drive the selling business
  • Ensure vertical and horizontal market development and growth through excellent execution.
  • Ensure RED is understood by Ads, applied, tracked and maintained above targets
  • Drive RED execution of above 80% to ensure a ready market for the intake of more products.
  • Market share growth and protection
  • Ensure creation of new outlets and their inclusion in the Company’s active EDS as may be targeted from time to time.
  • Achieve numeric distribution standards in the sales area.
  • Monitor, document and report competitor activities in the market within the company’s prescribed format.
  • Propose initiatives aimed at protecting market share in the sales area.
• HR Performance Management
  • Coach and manage Account developers in the Area of jurisdiction.
  • Ensure route design and mapping is optimized at all times and work with the Distributors to ensure timely resourcing for growth and expansion.
  • Maintain monthly performance evaluation and Quarterly appraisals for the Account Developers in the area to maintain high standards of performance.
•  Risk Management and Asset care
  • Ensure 100% verification of all company assets in the market on quarterly basis
  • Maintain an updated risk tracker in the sales area and ensure all proposed risk mitigation measures are put in place and maintained.

Reporting

• Prepare and forwarding to the regional sales manager regular sales reports including but not limited to
• Daily sellout report per distributor
• Weekly sell-in report per distributor
• Weekly competitor activity report
• Weekly Execution corrective action tracker
• Monthly distributor investment report
• RED performance per AD – Corrective Action
• DOSA report and Corrective actions
• Weekly BOM Volume and Revenue recovery initiatives

Skills, Experience & Education  

• Bachelors’ Degree in Sales and Marketing or related.
• 6 years or more experience in selling of FMCG, 3 of which must be at Manager level.