Hershey's Territory Sales Lead (Rockford IL)

At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey’s enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long-standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands-on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom.

About the role

The Territory Sales Lead (TSL) ensures flawless execution of store-level sales and promotion plans with customer retailers in the assigned territory, which consists of high-volume food chain grocers and mass merchandiser customers. The TSL masters retail execution plans by driving incremental sales, implementing and maintaining best-in-class promotional and merchandising strategies, and ensuring 100% distribution on authorized Hershey items across all classes of trade.

Responsibilities

• Consultative Business Partnering & Customer Relationship Development:
  • Build and maintain consultative business relationships with customer Key Decision Makers (KDMs) at all levels.
  • Partner and collaborate with KDMs to develop and execute action plans to increase sales.
  • Cultivate a network of influential contacts at all levels of customers to achieve sales objectives.
  • Leverage strategic relationships with KDMs to influence and negotiate customers’ assistance in the merchandising of Hershey products.
• Data Analysis:
  • Obtain and analyze relevant store, product, and market data and leverage trends and analytics to build the business.
  • Utilize and complete pre-call planning methods and other company tools.
  • Review and make recommendations to modify routes that maximize business efficiencies for all sales calls within territory.
  • Effectively solve problems by analyzing information, utilizing consumer trends and customer insights to guide decision-making and influence others to act.
• Sales:
  • Engage in forward selling via consultative sales techniques using provided data sources, technology, processes, and procedures.
  • Maximize sales and display opportunities by conducting store walk-throughs and gaining commitment by KDMs on successful outcomes.
  • Tailor strategies to influence KDMs to order additional products to increase incremental sales and to obtain best-in-class quality of merchandising locations.
• Merchandising:
  • Achieve all merchandising objectives executing customer-specific promotional plans to the sales floor using forward selling.
  • Build, maintain, and execute product on the sales floor, including merchandising and maintaining permanent secondary displays and other display vehicles.
• Administrative Responsibilities:
  • Complete and submit reports of daily and weekly activities, expenses, competitive activity, account changes, promotions, and all administrative functions within assigned territory using company-approved methods and technology.

Requirements

• GED or HS Diploma.
• 2-year Associate/Community College degree required OR 3 years of previous sales experience. Bachelor's degree strongly preferred.
• Valid US state-issued driver’s license.
• Must reside or be willing to commute within territory boundaries.
• Ability to drive to make multiple sales calls on a daily basis.
• Ability to lift 10-60 lbs. on a regular basis with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Ability to bend, kneel, stoop down, and demonstrate manual dexterity on a frequent basis with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Occasional ability to climb ladders and use equipment such as crushing balers, handheld electric trucks.
• Ability to use tablet and other wireless technology; some roles will require an intermediate level of computer skills with Microsoft Office products.
• Daily access to wireless internet.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changes in territory coverage.
• Occasional weekend work may be required during peak seasons, and select territories may require occasional overnight stays.

Pay

Employees can expect to be paid a starting base salary of $54,000. Additional compensation may include overtime and incentives.

Benefits

• Health care
• Vision
• Dental
• Retirement
• Vacation
• Sick leave