Culinary Sales Specialist - Nashville, TN

INTERNATIONAL GOURMET FOODS INC•Nashville, TN

6d•Remote

About The Position

IGF is a family-owned food distribution company that prioritizes quality and customer service. This position will allow for a largely untapped territory and customer base to be built out and offers huge potential for growth. We are seeking an individual that will flourish in an environment ripe with opportunity to open and develop new business in a competitive environment while creating lasting and meaningful relationships with customers. If you are adaptable, self-motivated and able to vigorously pursue opportunities as soon as they surface, you are a fit for this position. We are looking for someone with an entrepreneurial mindset that is eager to make their mark and excited by the challenge or turning a virgin territory into a healthy and thriving market. If this is you, then we want to hear from you. IGF Mission: To deliver quality service and cultivate community around the table. Sales Department Mission: To deliver quality by building relationships, resolving issues, and making it easy to be an IGF customer. Sales Department Objectives: IGF’s Sales Department members work strategically to approach markets with the objectives of securing strong business relationships and dominating the independent food sector within targeted areas.

Requirements

Must live in the area and have strong local connections
A minimum of three years of hospitality or food industry experience with a track record of success
Ability to deal with customers, vendors, and all channels of distribution to assess and analyze situations and needs
Ability to build and maintain relationships across teams, departments, customers and vendors
Ability to work independently or as part of a team – changing gears when required and effectively managing time and prioritizing multiple responsibilities
Must be able to travel up to 75% to visit clients within the designated sales region, and 15% for out-of-market travel
Proactive, quick-thinking, problem-solving approach to work
Excellent communication and organization with a keen focus on customer needs
A high level of energy and self-motivation, as well as a passion for the food industry
Strong attention to detail
Must possess a strong set of data entry skill as well as being proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (especially Dynamics, Excel, Teams, and Word) and other tech skills, including use of email, and text

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of hospitality or food industry experience
Bilingual communication skills

Responsibilities

Work to manage, expand, and compete for IGF’s share of the food distribution market
Serve as subject matter experts on how to sell IGF’s products, identify sales opportunities in the marketplace and close business transactions
Meet and exceed individual and department targets and KPIs
Develop, grow and manage IGF’s customer base within designated markets
Proactively pursue new business: cold-call and regularly follow up on inquiries, leads, and prospects
Expand existing customer accounts and relationships to increase overall sales volume, sell a broad range (high percentage) of products that IGF carries, and increase IGF’s market share
Actively manage existing accounts
Maintain an up-to-date portfolio of accounts, including customer contact information, targets, and updates
Stay up to date on customers’ businesses and needs
Visit customers in person to check in and introduce new products
Develop and continuously improve industry and product knowledge
Negotiate and manage contract rates, terms, and payment arrangements
Coordinate customers’ contract terms and fees with Accounts Receivable to ensure payment and avoid lapses in service
Collect customer payments
Submit credit and product-return requests
Serve as customers’ IGF point of contact
Effectively communicate internally to resolve service issues
Effectively communicate issue resolutions to customers
Attend sales meetings as required
Comply with company and department policies and procedures
Perform other duties as assigned