The National Sales Manager is primarily responsible for the development and implementation of national sales plans to generate sales with existing customers and develop opportunities with new customers to ensure achievement of sales profitability and growth. This role is a key part of The Spotted Trotter’s leadership team, working closely with other leaders to help create and support the vision of the company through strategic growth planning, market analysis and providing product, consumer and category management expertise to the customer both in Retail and Food Service.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Expected that the National Sales Manager will eventually grow a team for both Retail and Food Service.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Sales Management:
• Manage customer relationships
• Build, manage and promote strong, long-lasting customer relationships by maintaining goodwill, checking on customer satisfaction, partnering to understand their needs, and attending in person or virtual key distributor shows and other customer-focused events
• Consult regularly via category and business reviews with the customer category managers and key account management personnel to affect business growth
• Manage sample and PO requests as well as follow-ups after the sale been made
• Maintain updated customer information files and leads through CRM program
• Manage the sales funnel process from presenting new products, sales programs and materials to new and existing customers to managing closing strategic opportunities
• Manage promotional commitments and budget
• Assist customers with promotional activities or deviations from existing programs
• Determine discount rates or special pricing plans
• Monitor customer pricing and recommend pricing updates when appropriate
• Manage Brokers
• Effectively train and enroll brokers
• Create and communicate retailer specific sales strategies
• Track and manage Broker performance including conducting quarterly and year-end performance evaluations

Strategy:

• Work closely with other departments to develop a strategy for proper growth into new expanded facility with greater curing and processing capacity
• Develop and execute a foodservice and retail sales strategy based on the growth goals, the local/national market, competitive landscape and consumer needs.
• Identify potential new customers and markets and develop programs to attract and retain customers
• Use data to develop annual sales objectives and goals for regions, sales channels, key customers and brokers.

Reporting and Analysis:

• Development of sales forecast by market and product to drive accurate financial and production planning
• Evaluate sales statistics to determine the sales potential and inventory requirements of products. Help project expected volume for new products.
• Monitor market developments and shifts, competitor activity, consumer patterns, and product quality nationwide
• Develop and Expand KPI’s to understand market share for distributors, retailers, and foodservice accounts to educate about product line and category
• Manage reporting from distributors and key retailers
• Present quarterly reports outlining sales volume, potential sales, existing efficiencies, all areas of development, and opportunities for growth and market/competitor activity

Collaboration, Leadership, and Team Growth:

• Collaborate with leadership to develop and execute above strategies. Provide timely information to all stakeholders to meet the customer requests and needs
• Develop strategies for the sales team once in place to operate efficiently to surpass short- and long-term sales targets.
• Eventually build a cross-functional team of Inside Sales and Customer Retention Sales Team.
• To identify new customers to target in order to expand the client base
• Point of Sale and industry materials creation and brand management
• Help plan and execute regional and channel priorities that include product rollouts, objectives, promotional campaigns, trade shows, etc.
• Coordinate with other Spotted Trotter team members to resolve customer problems and ensure high quality customer experience
• Regularly evaluate and make suggestions about how the business can adapt to ensure a better customer experience
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Skills & Abilities:

• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Excellent active listening skills.
• Excellent sales and customer service skills.
• Extensive knowledge of the merchandise sold.
• Ability to anticipate customers’ needs.
• Ability to recommend merchandise to customers.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Excel (or Google Docs).
• Positive and professional demeanor.
• Availability to work days, nights, weekends, and special events when needed.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field and a minimum of four years of proven customer service or sales experience. In certain circumstances, a longer history of proven sales experience can set aside the degree requirement.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of standing and walking while meeting with customers
• When in-office, position is primarily sedentary in nature
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times intermittently
• Must be comfortable working with meat
• Must be able to and available to travel nationally by plane as required and attend food shows and other priorities out of town, sometimes numerous times per month. Locally, must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.