Culinary Sales Specialist- Chattanooga, Tennessee

Culinary Sales Specialist: Job Description

Work as a team to manage, expand, and compete for IGF’s share of the food distribution market.

Serve as subject matter experts on how to sell IGF’s products and work together to identify sales opportunities in the marketplace.

Meet and exceed individual and department targets and KPIs.

Develop, manage, and grow IGF’s customer base within designated markets.

Proactively pursue new business: cold-call and regularly follow up on inquiries, leads, and prospects.

Expand existing customer accounts and relationships to: Increase overall sales volume, Sell a broad range (high percentage) of products IGF carries, Increase IGF’s market share.

Actively manage existing accounts, Maintain an accurate portfolio of accounts, including customer contact information, targets, and updates, Stay up to date on customers’ businesses and needs, Visit customers in person to check in and introduce new products.

Develop and continuously improve industry and product knowledge.

• Negotiate and manage contract rates, terms, and payment arrangements
• Cook customers’ contract terms and fees with Accounts Receivable to ensure payment and avoid lapses in service
• Collect customer payments
• Submit credit and product-return requests

Serve as customers’ IGF point of contact.

Effectively communicate internally to resolve service issues.

Effectively communicate issue resolutions to customers.

Attend sales meetings as required.

Comply with company and department policies and procedures.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications (Required)

• A minimum of three years of hospitality or food industry experience
• A proven track record of success in the food sales and services industry
• Ability to deal with customers, vendors, and all channels of distribution to assess and analyze situations
• Demonstrated ability to effectively negotiate contracts and terms, and close deals
• Ability to build and maintain relationships across teams, departments, customers, vendors, and service providers
• Must be able to sit and drive for several hours a day and able to walk around to client establishments
• Must be able to bend and lift (at least 40 lb.)
• Requires bending, sitting, standing, walking, use of hands, arms, legs, eyes, and voice

Qualifications (Preferred)

• Five or more years of hospitality or food industry experience
• Bilingual communication skills

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to sit and drive for several hours a day and able to walk around to client establishments
• Must be able to bend and lift (at least 40 lb.)
• Requires bending, sitting, standing, walking, use of hands, arms, legs, eyes, and voice

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401K
• Paid time off
• Company-paid life insurance
• Short-term disability
• Referral program
• Employee discount
• Health savings account

Compensation

Salary plus performance-based bonus eligibility beginning in Year 2