The Route Sales Manager Is responsible for identifying sales opportunities, maximizing profitability, maintaining merchandising standards and order replenishment activities within the assigned territory/route. This role will lead a team of four to six Merchandisers / Order Replenishment Merchandisers that will maintaining merchandising standards and order replenishment activities within a designated geographic area.
Duties and Responsibilities
Lead a team of Merchandisers/Order Replenishment Merchandisers (ORMs) to maintain merchandising standards, lead order replenishment and PIcOs execution in an assigned geographic territory
Maximize profitable sales opportunities by thoroughly understanding the complexities of the channel or customer's business and building enduring relationships based on trust and integrity with that customer's management team.
Successfully sell customer plans that include annual CMA's, strategic and tactical pricing plans along with promotional plans.
Evaluate outlet opportunities. Ability to collaboratively sell and overcome customer objections.
Lead customers in reaching sales potential on company products by offering creative merchandising ideas.
Propose appropriate brands, packages, and equipment to satisfy customer and consumer needs while fully leveraging national and local marketing initiatives with customers.
Execute channel and customer promotions/programs that leverage national brand ideas/thinking and consumer insights to drive increased consumer preference and customer activity.
Sell-in and implement promotional strategies for the introduction of new brands and packages
Activate Coca Cola Southwest Beverages system (e.g., cross-functional team members, segment resources) to develop and implement business plan/solution that meets customer needs and drive beverage category profit and volume, contributing to overall sales growth for the customers' entire business.
Solve issues that arise during execution and eliminate barriers.
Track daily, weekly and monthly call activity and performance measurements against assigned goals and expectations.
Conduct post promotional analysis measuring the success levels of promotions making any necessary changes.
Proactively arrange time and territory to achieve optimum face-to-face selling opportunities.
Train, evaluate and develop team of Merchandisers / ORMs
Build Merchandising Team Capabilities for future career advancement
Supervise the daily sales and align merchandising/order replenishment activities through collaboration with Field Sales teams
Main "Point of Contact" responsible for ordering, transmissions, missed deliveries, dispatch, hot shots, off day deliveries and CSTs
Build relationships with store managers and outlet team members
Routinely visit accounts to monitor adherence to merchandising/order replenishment standards and back room management
Manage labor and OPEX merchandising budgets
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience with a high school diploma required
3+ years' experience in consumer products/direct store delivery sales required.
Requires experience managing people/budgets.
2+ years supervising sales staff.
Packaged goods experience preferred; Some beverage experience an asset.
Strong presence and persuasive presentation skills
Intermediate computer and database application skills. Ability to multitask handling multiple customer accounts
Strong attention to detail and follow-up skills. Excellent planning and organization skills
Ability to operate a manual/powered pallet jack or lift product
Valid driver's license and driving record within MVR policy guidelines
Must have a personal vehicle for use during working hours
Must have current vehicle liability insurance
Bilingual ability preferred (Spanish)
Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.
