Sales Representative - Wine & Spirits

Empire Merchants North • City of Plattsburgh, NY

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Empire Merchants North is seeking a highly motivated Sales Representative for Clinton, Essex, and Warren Counties (North Country, Plattsburgh area). Our Sales Representatives maximize the sales of supplier brands to the trade and consumer through effective territory planning, selling, merchandising, and communication that permits achievement of company and supplier objectives.

Requirements

• Highly motivated
• Effective territory planning, selling, merchandising, and communication skills
• Ability to develop positive customer relations
• Ability to prepare and present professional sales presentations
• Knowledge of company and competitive brand pricing
• Understanding of features and benefits of supplier products and programs
• Proficiency in electronic tools e.g., Diver and Liquid
• Ability to maintain territory and account records
• Ability to turn in accurate recaps in a timely manner
• Ability to obtain and submit a signed and notarized credit application
• Ability to determine account classification
• Ability to obtain levels of distribution
• Ability to obtain sales tax certificate
• Must adhere to all federal, state, local laws, rules, and regulations.

Nice To Haves

• Sales Skills and Fundamentals Training
• Experience with monthly pitch or program books, tasting notes, sell sheets
• Experience with P.O.S. materials, sales tools, supplies and merchandising materials

Responsibilities

• Calling on accounts daily, by following an established and efficient route which ensures assigned accounts are visited and serviced in compliance with company frequency standards; keeping route sheets up to date; and developing positive customer relations with owners, managers, and all other account employees.
• Analyzing the total territory and each account to determine the priority selling and merchandising opportunities.
• Preparing and presenting professional sales presentations to the retailers that are tailored to current supplier programs and the needs of the customer.
• Interact with ADS’, Supplier Representatives, and Promotional Agency Representatives to achieve said objectives.
• Mandatory attendance at Company and/or Supplier sponsored training, i.e., training classes, wine education classes, etc.
• Keeping up to date on company and competitive brand pricing, and all other pertinent information which includes knowing the features and benefits of supplier products and programs compared to competition.
• Follow the principles of our Sales Skills and Fundamentals Training (Prepare, Present Effectively, and Activate your business).
• Presenting the portfolio and current programs you are responsible for in each account to increase salesperson's sales and generate maximum revenue and case volume.
• Maintain and effectively use the monthly pitch or program book, tasting notes, sell sheets, and information from suppliers either in print or electronically.
• Off Premise: Obtaining the appropriate off-premise distribution of supplier brands, types, and sizes as directed by management, by communicating to all owners, managers, clerks, stock persons and anyone concerned with the sale of products. Obtain maximum sell-through by conducting staff trainings, achieving supplier shelf standards, adjacencies, facings, cold box presence, etc.
• Gaining feature price, promotion, and display merchandising support from off-premise accounts by using sales trends, retailer inventory, and special activities (holidays, advertising, merchandising, displays, seasonal etc.).
• On Premise: Obtaining the appropriate on-premise distribution of supplier brands, type and sizes as directed by management by communicating to all owners, managers, beverage managers, bartender(s), wait staff, key kitchen personnel and all concerned with the sale of products to maximize business.
• Gaining wine list presence, internal servicing skills, execution of wines-by-the-glass and features, conducting wait-staff trainings, gaining back bar distribution, and proper merchandising of the back bar. Obtain distribution support from on-premise accounts by using sales trends, retailer inventory and special activities (holidays, advertising, merchandising, displays and seasonal activities, etc.).
• Requesting permanent P.O.S. materials for accounts to ensure brand visibility and account dominance (e.g., bar rails, napkin holders, table tents).
• Work with supplier representatives with 48-hour notice and/or company managers with 24 notice and booked during business days (Monday-Friday). These are supplier and/or supervisory accompanied workdays and are designed to train and teach the salesperson advanced selling skills and methods to assure their usage is being practiced and correctly presented.
• Knowing their account needs and opportunities for each supplier work-with.
• Represent our products, our company and our suppliers in a positive way while always maintaining a professional relationship with every supplier. This includes following up with accounts after a supplier work-with regarding any commitments made to those brands.
• Installing point-of-sale material within accounts. Coordinating with merchandisers to enhance our position on the floor, shelf, window, counter, and cold box.
• Suggesting shelf/cold box resets that achieve supplier and company standards
• Working towards ensuring proper rotation of our products in accordance with State and Federal law to sustain sales.
• Keeping accounts merchandised by organizing and voluntarily conducting in-store consumer wine and spirit tasting(s) on a rotating account basis.
• Keeping current on which items are in stock and which items are out of stock for brands in our inventory and notify/inform accounts accordingly.
• Being proficient in all electronic tools e.g., Diver and Liquid, with proper training.
• Having available a defined agenda for all supplier work-withs.
• Keeping management informed daily, on all aspects of their territory, which includes turning in accurate recaps in a timely manner.
• Submitting sales reports and performance goals to salesperson's manager as requested, i.e., POS, product, pre-sells, surveys, and performance results against goals, etc.
• Collection of wine lists, cocktail lists and cordial lists in all accounts requested by management.
• Maintaining adequate, well-organized inventories of P.O.S., sales tools, supplies and merchandising materials needed to support territory activities.
• Attend and actively participate in sales meetings as directed by management in accordance with Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Maintaining professional relationship with all suppliers. Making proper use of supplier time during work-withs and reacting appropriately to all supplier work-withs.
• To obtain and submit to the company's credit manager a signed and notarized credit application from the account at least 72 hours prior to submitting an opening order.
• Determine with Field Sales Manager the account classification
• Obtain levels of distribution for on and/or off premises account per division standards
• Obtain sales tax certificate.
• All reports, and surveys submitted must be accurate. There shall be no falsification of any report or survey.
• To assure accuracy, understanding, delivery and receipt of all the Company's forms, including but not in limitation, review with commentaries, and field evaluations/work withs, are always to be dated and signed by the Company, and the Sales Representative will be entitled to add in writing their commentary with specificity if they disagree with any review or field evaluation at the time, they receive them.
• Sales Representative must know, understand, and adhere to all federal, state. local laws, rules, and regulations.
• The failure (i) to meet the requirements of the job description; or (ii) to sign the company's forms will result in progressive disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

Benefits

• Commission-based / paid weekly
• Eligible for sales incentives
• Paid Holidays
• Health and Welfare Plan (medical, dental, vision, disability coverage, life insurance via Union benefits)
• 401K plan
• PTO
• Vacation accrual
• Flexible Spending Account
• Industry certifications (WSET)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed