Area Sales Manager - General Trade - FMCG

Role Overview :

As an Area Sales Manager for General Trade, you will be the primary driver of our market footprint in Mumbai. This role involves managing the end-to-end distribution lifecycle, from onboarding and nurturing channel partners to ensuring product availability across traditional retail outlets.

You will work closely with distributors, sales representatives, and regional leadership to execute trade strategies, monitor competitive activity, and ensure that our brand maintains a dominant shelf presence. Your efforts will directly influence the company's top-line growth and strengthen our competitive positioning in one of the most dynamic retail markets in the country.

Key Responsibilities :

- Drive primary and secondary sales targets within the assigned territory to ensure consistent revenue growth and market share expansion.

- Manage and optimize the distribution network by identifying high-potential partners and ensuring efficient stock replenishment cycles.

- Execute Route-to-Market strategies to penetrate new retail outlets and increase the depth of distribution for the product portfolio.

- Monitor competitor pricing, promotional activities, and product placement to provide actionable market intelligence to the leadership team.

- Lead and mentor a team of sales representatives to ensure high performance, adherence to beat plans, and effective retail coverage.

- Resolve operational bottlenecks at the distributor level to maintain a seamless supply chain and high service levels for retail partners.

Required Skillset :

- Demonstrated expertise in managing General Trade operations within the FMCG sector, with a strong understanding of local market dynamics in Mumbai.

- Proven ability to build and maintain long-term relationships with distributors and retail stakeholders to drive business loyalty.

- Strong analytical skills to interpret sales data, track KPIs, and forecast demand accurately to prevent stock-outs or overstocking.

- Excellent communication and negotiation skills, essential for managing channel conflicts and driving trade schemes effectively.

- Ability to thrive in a high-pressure, on-field environment, requiring significant travel across the assigned territory.

- A minimum of 2 to 4 years of relevant experience in FMCG sales, with a track record of meeting or exceeding aggressive sales targets.

- A graduate/master's degree in business management or a related field from a reputable institution is preferred.