Hersheys - Area Sales Manager - General Trade

Position Title: Area Sales Manager- GT - West Bengal & Orissa

Location: Kolkata, WB, India

Summary:

The Areas Sales Manager is responsible to develop plans to increase sales, customer base and expand distributors across all Hershey India products in an assigned geographical area as per sales targets.

The key responsibilities of the role include connecting with distributors to increase customer base, setting targets for each sales officer, evaluating performance of the sales team and analyzing sales figures.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

Manage Sales Infrastructure:

- Able to firm up S&D plan for the year based on territory priorities and execute effectively

- Fix quarterly phasing in discussion with SOs and build the plans at a PJP level

- Analyze potential areas in assigned geography where Distributor appointment would enhance business prospects.

Distributor management:

- Understands how to appoint right Distributors and evaluate them on financial strength, infrastructure, experience, market standing.

- Make channel partner adequacy plan and ensure execution of the same

- Lead distributor performance review and objective setting

- Manage Distributor hygiene

Sales and Operation Management:

- Ability to give right demand forecast

- Analyze past trends on demand FC and course correct

- Draft Local Trade promotion plans to fulfill gaps or where potential exceeds FC.

- Review team on months secondary sales objectives

Review and Reporting:

- Collate data and prepare reports to track various parameters e.g. Sales Efficiency, Sales Achievement and EDGE Scorecard and discus Sales MIS and EDGE Scorecard with the Team.

Sales Development:

- Ability to design and execute trade promotion plan

- Identify activation opportunity with respect to a brand, occasion or an event Communicate activity objectives/ success metrics and execution plan.

- Ensure effective merchandising in Key outlets

Manage Talent:

- Coach the Territory Heads on the Sales Execution and Territory Management

- Ensure complete staffing

- Identify Learning and Development areas for the team and lead implementation of the Sales Training Program

- Set KRA for Self and team in line with organization priorities and ensure cascade of company objectives within team and with channel partners

Minimum knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform major duties/responsibilities:

Knowledge:

- Must be from FMCG industry.

- Must have Kolkata experience

- Experienced in handling multiple categories.

- Must have experience in Modern trade.

- Awareness of the regional language of area assigned preferred.

- Experience in the market assigned.

Skills:

- Good analytical and problem solving skills

- Good communication skills

- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications

- Excellent management, leadership and organizational skills

- Exceptional customer service skills

- Outstanding negotiation and consultative sales skills

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

- Education: Graduate, MBA preferred, Candidates from Business Schools are preferred

- Experience: 6 - 8 years of Experience. Has worked in FMCG industry in sales