Produce Specialist

Sysco•Ocoee, FL

About The Position

This is a professional sales position responsible for growing new business within the fresh produce category and achieving assigned business goals while enhancing the customer experience. The role involves maintaining industry- and category-specific certification status and directly selling the category to customers. Specialists prioritize time, targets, and team-selling efforts based on market insights and data analytics.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED and at least 3 years of sales experience in a retail, broker, wholesale, or distribution environment, with deep technical expertise in produce categories.
Proficiency in produce knowledge and trends; internal and external certification may be required.
Analytical problem-solving skills, including familiarity with analyzing reports and deriving insights from data.
Ability to express information in terms of profit and loss, food cost, and expense ratio.
Strong financial acumen and ability to plan and execute business plans.
Flexible, receptive to change, and open to new ideas.
Track record of success in consultative selling, networking, and negotiations.
Proficient communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with and influence a variety of key stakeholders.
Experience building trust with prospective customers and securing new business.
Strong business and restaurant operations acumen to manage sophisticated customers.
Ability to learn proprietary CRM tools for planning and forecasting sales growth.
Proficiency in Microsoft Applications Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Proactive and self-directed, with the ability to structure a weekly schedule for success.
Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and produce accurate, thorough, high-quality deliverables.
Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to execute multiple initiatives simultaneously.
Understanding of marketing principles, product lines, ordering procedures, and Sysco’s credit terms.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent educational level.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute targeted produce sales strategies to achieve regional and individual annual business goals and drive profitable sales growth and penetration across the fresh produce category, specialty segments, and Sysco brand.
Identify customer and prospect needs and assemble product mixes that deliver solutions and help achieve business objectives.
Use data analytics to prioritize produce opportunities.
Seek, qualify, and support conversion of top prospects to Sysco.
Stay informed about market conditions, product innovations, and competitors’ products, prices, and sales, and share relevant information with customers as a value-added service.
Track activities and results, collaborate on opportunities, and champion team selling through Salesforce, Sysco’s CRM tool.
Use sampling in a solutions-oriented manner to close sales.
Provide feedback to specialty companies and merchandising on product quality, product integrity, product mix, customer satisfaction, perceived value, and competition.
Develop and maintain relationships with customers, chefs, and sales team members.
Support prioritized sales strategies through direct selling and engagement with customers and prospects at Sysco events, including food shows and industry events.