Regional Sales Manager Job Opening

Job Location

This position is one within the Commercial group interacting with and selling directly to customers in a defined geographical region. Account sizes can range from small to very large within any sector in the food and pet food industries. The position reports to the VP, Sales & Marketing.

This person is responsible for growing sales by working with and building business relationships with R & D, New Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain groups at all types of food and beverage manufacturers.

The Regional Sales Manager must be able to develop a thorough understanding of the customer’s business plan and operation, and to utilize our supplier’s expertise to continually bring new solutions to our customers to help them develop new products and solve problems.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Meet divisional sales goals, usually 10% gross profit growth annually
• Build, retain and expand strong multi-level and cross functional relationships with key decision makers within the customer base including Purchasing, R&D, Marketing, Operations, and Quality, etc.
• Develop a thorough understanding of customers’ business plan and operation
• Bring together needs of various departments or functions in the customer organization to create a strong compelling reason to take action and formulates the unique value PCI can provide
• Foster contacts and business at new customers requiring extensive networking and sometimes cold calls.
• Utilize vendors and their expertise to continually bring new ideas to customers and solve problems for them
• Communicate results of customer visits via weekly reports to division management
• Work internally to build strong business relationships within all PCI departments

Sales Goals and Objectives

• Develop and execute a detailed sales strategy plan, with input from the VP, Sales and Marketing, to and meet divisional financial goals. The plan should be based on assigned accounts/geography based on understanding of market, first hand customer information, and alignment with PCI strategy.
• Ensure that sales revenues, volume, growth and contribution margin are achieved or exceeded through
• Update project pipeline monthly
• Meet measurable personal objectives developed around annual divisional goals

Market Sales Activities

• Conduct customers calls, in person and over the phone, in a customer friendly manner that reflects knowledge of the customer and industry and occasionally,
• Uncover customer’s need for offerings PCI can provide
• Fully investigate all sales leads with feedback provided through weekly reports
• Communicate to customer any pricing schedules and changes
• Use the full capabilities of PCI which are valued by the customer (i.e., products and services from multiple functions and business units) to differentiate an offering from the competition
• Manage contract performance, as required
• Investigate and initiate cross selling opportunities within the Skidmore Group of companies.
• Develop and lead customer specific technical and marketing projects, leading them to productive completion
• Identifies where opportunities lie in the pipeline and takes effective action to move opportunities through the pipeline
• Execute negotiations creating and maintaining a cooperative atmosphere, making absolutely sure all sides have a perfect understanding of what is agreed upon and testing for understanding
• Demonstrate solid and strong ability to develop presentations using best practice presentation skills—integrating needs and benefits to address needs, including appropriate steps to move on, setting audience expectations, and using variety and emphasis through intonation
• Bring the customer through the buying cycle by establishing or building relationships with receptive people, gain access to those who own problems or issues, and navigating to people who have power to make a decision
• Plan for prospecting by effectively obtaining and using referrals, and prioritizes suspects and prospects
• Use customer-focused messages to move new opportunities forward, link PCI’s capabilities to current business issues, and asks questions to make customers think about or struggle with answers

Sales Communications

• Keep tentative travel plans in shared Outlook Calendars at least three weeks out
• Prepare meeting agendas for all customer visits
• Submit sales call report within Weekly Reports including, at least:
  • Contacts and titles
  • Overall customer business review
  • Pertinent opportunities with impact on GP$
  • Any competitive information

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Positive energetic attitude
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills
• Excellent time-management skills/ability to prioritize and deliver planned results in a fast paced and dynamic environment
• Efficient in MS Office Suite of programs, particularly with Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Particular attention to detail
• Committed to producing accurate and high-quality results