New Business Developer

About the Role

This is a professional sales position responsible for improving Sysco’s market position and achieving financial growth by executing long-term strategic goals. The role prioritizes advanced analytics and lead generation while leveraging Sysco’s Salesforce platform to negotiate contracts and secure new business. Using a team-selling approach, the New Business Developer engages a cross-functional team to create comprehensive strategies that meet prospect needs and transitions accounts to the sales force during onboarding.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the agreed-upon new business plan in alignment with the region’s financial goals.
• Work with regional sales leaders to develop a comprehensive business development strategy.
• Leverage advanced analytics insights to prioritize opportunities and develop business development strategies.
• Prioritize intel opportunities recommended by other sales team members (processed through Sysco Salesforce with leadership approval).
• Build creative and effective sales plans to capitalize on multi-segment opportunities identified by advanced analytics.
• Utilize the expertise of a cross-functional sales team to address prospects’ unique concerns, build trust, and shorten sales cycles.
• Coordinate the proposal process for local contracts that address client needs, concerns, and objectives.
• Collaborate with the sales team to expand business development efforts, including assisting in securing key accounts to achieve the annual profit plan.
• Review weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales objectives and results for target accounts, and prepare action plans where improvement is needed.
• Participate in continuous training and education opportunities on key areas such as business development certifications and executive training.
• Gather information on emerging market and foodservice industry trends to understand the competitive landscape and position Sysco effectively.
• Stay current with developments in the field through seminars, workshops, and industry publications.
• Develop strong working relationships with brokers, distributors, and foodservice industry peers as an active member of the foodservice community.
• Adapt to new challenges and seek growth opportunities through feedback and self-improvement.
• Ensure accurate data entry and management of prospect accounts within Sysco’s Salesforce platform.
• Identify opportunities for promotions, additional services, and distribution avenues to increase sales.
• Present to and consult with senior-level management on foodservice industry trends.
• Attend sales meetings, food shows, customer events, and provide feedback.
• Stay current with Sysco’s value-added offerings and technology solutions, including customer-facing reporting tools.

Requirements

• Minimum: High School diploma or GED, and 3+ years of relevant sales experience in a business-to-business professional sales environment, with 2+ years of proven track record in new business development.
• Preferred: Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent educational level.

Skills

• Solid 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 ratios.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to plan and execute business plans.
• Flexibility and openness to change and new ideas.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with and influence a variety of key stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills for internal and external teams.
• Ability to understand and manage compliance with contracts.
• Proficiency in learning proprietary CRM tools for planning and forecasting sales growth.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver against deadlines and produce high-quality results.
• Proficient in Microsoft Applications Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, including managing multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Business and restaurant operations acumen to manage sophisticated customers.
• Demonstrated experience in building trust with prospective customers and securing new business.
• Consultative selling, networking, and negotiation skills.
• Proactive, self-directed, with the ability to structure a weekly schedule for success.
• Understanding of marketing principles, product lines, ordering procedures, and Sysco’s credit terms.