Job Description: National Sales Manager - General Trade (FOOD INDUSTRY)

NOTICE PERIOD - IMMEDIATE JOINERS ONLY

Position Overview: The National Sales Manager will be responsible for leading and managing the general trade sales channel. The primary objective is to drive profitable growth, enhance market share, and ensure the achievement of sales targets across all regions

Key Responsibilities:

1. Sales Strategy:

- Sales planning and forecasting

- Achieve growth objectives by generating demand through market interventions effective merchandising, incentive programs, loyalty programs, sales trainings, BTL activities etc

- Identify new market opportunities and expansion strategies

- Focus on driving profitable growth by optimizing pricing, promotions & trade spends

2. Sales operations:

- Manage and optimize the general trade channel, ensuring effective distribution and coverage

- Optimize sales processes and workflows to improve efficiency and effectiveness

- Ensure efficient inventory management - minimize stock-outs and excess inventory

3. Channel management:

- Channel strategy, market infrastructure management and expansion

- Activate market infrastructure by building and maintaining strong relationships with channel partners - Super stockists, distributors, wholesalers, Institutional players and retailers

- A good understanding of digital marketing as well, as channels like QCom that are a blend of marketing and sales

4. Market Analysis:

- Competitive Analysis: Conduct regular analysis of market trends and competitor activities to inform sales strategies

- Market Opportunities: Identify new market opportunities and develop strategies to capitalize on them

5. People capability development & team management:

- Implement cost-effective sales initiatives and programs

- Lead, mentor, and motivate the sales team to achieve sales targets and objectives

- Conduct regular performance reviews and provide coaching and development opportunities

- Identify Learning & development (L&D) needs for the team and fulfil them

- Foster a high-performance culture within the sales team

6. Customer Relationship Management:

- Key Accounts: Develop and maintain strong relationships with key accounts and major customers

- Customer Feedback: Gather and analyze customer feedback to improve products and services

7. Technology enablement to drive savings:

- "Digital first mindset" - familiarity with digital tools to run sales as a function and with digital channels

- Set-up performance monitoring and reporting of sales metrics

- Implementation of technology solutions to manage processes like inventory replenishment, optimizing sales team visits and coverage, real time sales & inventory reporting, access to real-time data & dashboards for reporting of sales team KPIs etc.

Measurable outcomes:

- Increase brand market share

- Ensure widespread product availability and efficient distribution

- Channel partner acquisition & retention

- Lead and develop a high-performing sales team

- Improve profitability

- Enhance brand visibility

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

- Market share growth

- NPI sales target achievement

- Market penetration / Numerical distribution

- Days of inventory / stock availability rate

- Net profit / gross profit

- Channel partner retention

- Sales team target achievement

Preferred Candidate Profile:

- Experience: Minimum 10 years of experience in sales, with at least 5 years in a leadership role within the FMCG industry.

- Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field. MBA preferred.

- Skills:

- Ability to work in unstructured environment

- Strong leadership and team management skills.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.

- Strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities.

- Proven track record of achieving sales targets and driving profitable growth.

- In-depth knowledge of the general trade channel and FMCG market dynamics.