Customer Manager

Advantage Sales & Marketing dba Advantage Solutions•Kansas City, KS

About The Position

Customer Manager The Customer Manager is a salesperson responsible for being the sales expert for a designated Customer(s), providing strategic customer insights. The Customer Manager works to ensure joint business plans are executed by the customer. This role works closely with Key Account Managers (KAMs) within that assigned department, as well as order entry, claims, schematics, and retail sales associates to ensure all Client and Customer standards are met. The Customer Manager (CM) must possess the ability to bridge the relationship between the Key Account Management Team (KAM Team) and all stakeholders at assigned customer(s). Our clients are defined as the manufacturers, vendors, or brands who have contracted Advantage as their sales force. Our customers are defined as retailers, wholesalers, or distributors, to whom we sell our clients’ brands. This teammate will collaborate with customers to develop strategic plans to accomplish the business goals and work with retailer associates (such as buyers, category managers, replenishment managers, and others) on Headquarter calls to implement the programs. The Company is one of North America’s leading sales and marketing agencies specializing in outsourced sales, merchandising, category management, and marketing services to manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of food products and consumer packaged goods. The Company services a variety of trade channels including grocery, mass merchandise, specialty, convenience, drug, dollar, club, hardware, consumer electronics, and home centers. We bridge the gap between manufacturers and retailers, providing consumers access to the best products available in the marketplace today.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
2-4 years in sales or retail experience and knowledge of CPG industry
Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously
Excellent written communication and verbal communication skills
Ability to motivate and inspire
Good interpersonal skills
Demonstrate conflict management skills
Excellent decision-making skills
Ability to exercise sound judgment
Ability to work effectively with management
Ability to ensure a high level of service and quality is maintained
Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browsers

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and experience with designated customers preferred

Responsibilities

Drive our clients’ business at assigned customer. Increase distribution, grow sales dollars/units/share/other KPI’s, while staying within budget guidelines
Manage and coordinate Sales Activities, through sales analysis of customer data, sales planning, and sales presentation.
Conduit between Customer(s), Key Account Managers and Clients through product line presentations, new item presentations, display selling.
Manage and delegate KAM and Client Divisional Initiatives (i.e. achieving parity pricing vs. inline and competition, maintain up to date Team Business Trackers, photo request presentation, and special requests).
Secure/ensure timely and accurate responses from customer(s) to KAM Team/Clients which includes promotion forecast.
Manage selling recommendations from the customer(s) to grow and build the business long-term.
Attend and present in client meetings at designated customer(s)
Attend and present in Management Team meetings.
Conduct and manage customer(s) meetings focusing on client promotional events, displays, etc.
Build relationships with buyers and support departments at customer, works with KAM to recommend growth plans, execute plans, assist with tactical issues such as PO’s, cost changes, contract execution and ensuring retail/merchandising execution.
Develop and leverage relationships with key influencers and decision makers in assigned customers.
Sell displays, period promotions, present business reviews, and new item introductions.
Build and present product distributions based on previous performance using the customer scan data.
Present pricing disparities in assigned customer based on client recommendations; achieve parity pricing inline and vs. competition.
Take weekly photos based on client request and needs.
Acquire weekly pricing for clients based on their product (s).
Meets or exceeds Client’s goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume
Launches strategies to pursue new opportunities
Achieve sales goals by managing and maximizing manufacturer marketing and promotional funds while staying within financial guidelines
Ensure that all retail pricing and indirect order guides within the division is updated by regularly correcting discrepancies
Secure Client approved schematics for all Clients’ brands by providing direction and communication to our schematic, reset, and retail departments
Ensure incremental sales through distribution of new products and maintenance of existing SKU’s
Collaborate with category management team to develop retailer presentations by using database rationale such as SKU optimization, efficient promotion causal data, and lift analysis
Manage accounts to achieve the targeted ACV on Innovation Business / Category Reviews
Builds and maintains effective client and retailer relationships in order to ensure customer access and client perspective that we are connected and engaged with key stakeholders
Demonstrates sales accomplishments and areas of opportunity by developing sales presentations for Customers and Clients
Implements Customer HQ Calls and demonstrates an ability to penetrate key positions at the retailer
Offers strategic input pursuant to annual business plans, problem solving, ongoing customer management. Finds the intersection of retailer and client objectives and drive win/win scenarios