Feed Sales Specialist

Land O'Lakes•Gainesville, GA

About The Position

The Feed Sales Specialist represents Purina Animal Nutrition products to dealers, co-ops, and direct-to-producer customers in an assigned market or territory, primarily covering horse, cattle, family flock, and exotic markets in South Carolina and Georgia. The role manages dealer and co-op relationships, drives product growth at dealer and farm-gate levels, and expands distribution. The specialist builds on existing relationships while identifying and pursuing new sales opportunities. Candidates must live in the territory. The role manages a defined set of accounts or territories, supports customer needs and inventory awareness, and may coordinate Purina Animal Nutrition staff at designated accounts. The specialist uses CRM, reporting, and analytics tools to manage customer interactions, track sales activity, analyze information, and identify opportunities. They collaborate with sales, marketing, customer operations, peers, and managers, while continuing to develop sales skills and product knowledge. This sales role has a target compensation mix of base salary plus commission. The stated base salary range is $72,000–$88,000, dependent on experience and tenure, with a target bonus of $20,000. In most cases, candidates offered employment can expect a pay rate near the middle of the salary range.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science or a related field.
Typically 3–5 years of relevant sales and/or animal nutrition experience.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including effective sales presentations.
Ability to analyze sales data and customer information to support decision-making.
Strong organizational and time-management skills to manage multiple accounts and priorities.
Ability to develop plans and goals to accomplish tasks efficiently and effectively.
General management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Solid understanding of animal husbandry, management practices, and nutritional guidelines.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and virtual collaboration tools.
Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with customers and internal stakeholders.
Willingness to travel overnight approximately 10–20%.
Must live in the South Carolina and Georgia territory.

Responsibilities

Build and grow relationships with assigned dealers and co-ops to promote Purina Animal Nutrition products.
Understand customer and market needs and communicate how Purina Animal Nutrition’s product portfolio addresses them.
Identify and pursue new business opportunities through proactive relationship management in the assigned territory.
Manage sales calls ranging from routine follow-ups to moderately complex situations, with moderate supervision.
Qualify, pursue, and close new opportunities independently as needed.
Establish and maintain relationships with a defined set of accounts or territories.
Understand and help manage dealer and co-op inventory levels and provide accurate product availability updates.
Serve as an account quarterback at designated accounts when multiple Purina Animal Nutrition staff are involved, as applicable.
Address customer needs, recommend solutions, and ensure customer satisfaction.
Use CRM systems such as Salesforce to manage customer interactions, track sales activities, and maintain accurate records.
Use reporting and analytics tools such as Power BI to support sales activities and identify improvement opportunities.
Analyze sales data and customer information to inform decisions and recommendations.
Apply business skills and basic financial literacy, including revenue, costs, pricing, profit and loss, and ROI.
Use company-provided tools and technology to obtain relevant insights and demonstrate understanding of the organization’s mission, values, goals, and objectives.
Work with sales, marketing, and customer operations teams to align strategies and achieve results.
Participate in team meetings, sharing customer insights and progress toward sales goals.
Collaborate with peers and managers on challenging sales situations and share customer feedback and best practices.
Participate in training and workshops, incorporate feedback, and seek mentorship to develop sales skills and product knowledge.
Travel overnight approximately 10–20%.