Area Sales Manager - Commercial Knife Sharpening

Zwilling JA Henckels•Pleasantville, NY

About The Position

The Area Sales Manager will lead the growth and expansion of ZWILLING's professional knife sharpening services within an assigned geographic area. This player-coach role combines sales leadership with direct business development. The manager will lead and develop a team of Field Sales Representatives while maintaining an assigned sales territory and overseeing regional key account development. The role is accountable for overall area sales performance, including new customer acquisition, revenue growth, pipeline development, and coordination between sales and operations.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in business development, field sales, account management, or related commercial roles.
Previous experience leading, coaching, and developing a field sales team.
Demonstrated success acquiring new business, developing customer relationships, and achieving sales targets.
Strong leadership, communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
Ability to balance team leadership with individual sales responsibilities.
Strong organizational skills and a data-driven approach to sales management.
Proficiency with CRM systems; Salesforce preferred.
Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently in a field-based environment.
Valid driver's license and clean driving record.
Willingness to travel regionally to meet customers, coach team members, and attend industry events.

Nice To Haves

Experience in food service, hospitality, or related industries.
Experience developing multi-location or key accounts.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop Field Sales Representatives to achieve individual and team objectives; establish expectations, provide feedback, conduct field coaching, and support professional development.
Manage area sales performance by establishing priorities, monitoring activity and results, identifying performance gaps, and taking action to improve productivity and meet sales targets.
Identify, develop, and secure new business within an assigned territory while maintaining an active market presence.
Oversee development of regional and multi-location accounts, including identifying opportunities, supporting negotiations, building customer relationships, and coordinating agreements and location rollouts.
Coach and support team members involved in key account development while ensuring clear ownership and accountability.
Drive prospecting, territory planning, and follow-up practices; ensure accurate Salesforce reporting of sales activities, opportunity stages, next steps, and revenue potential.
Build and maintain relationships with key customers and decision makers to support satisfaction, retention, and additional business.
Identify opportunities to expand the range of ZWILLING products and services sold to commercial customers.
Partner with sharpening operations and regional service teams to support customer onboarding, reliable service delivery, and alignment between sales commitments and operational capabilities.
Monitor competitive activity, customer feedback, and market trends to identify opportunities and refine sales strategies.
Coordinate with ZWILLING leadership to support local implementation and expansion of national and strategic key accounts within the assigned area.