Sales Representative General Trade

Role Overview

This territory-based sales position is accountable for growing sales revenue across an assigned patch while keeping existing outlets supplied, visible and well serviced. Day to day, the role combines planned customer calls, negotiation of listings and display space, price compliance, and execution of promotional activity with prospecting for new accounts. It matters because consistent in-store availability, strong customer relationships and disciplined use of trade assets directly determine how well the company’s priority brands perform in the market.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver agreed volume and revenue targets for the territory by following the territory plan and maintaining required call rates through journey plan adherence.
• Secure new listings and negotiate distribution targets for priority brands, improving numeric coverage by channel and brand category.
• Protect availability by managing forward share inventory, minimising out-of-stocks and negotiating cold and ambient space in line with operational targets.
• Enforce recommended retail price guidance across outlets and channels to maintain affordability and price consistency.
• Identify and agree promotional, cycle and tasting opportunities with customers, then execute them on schedule and assess their commercial return.
• Ensure orders reach customers within agreed service windows and without shortfalls, resolving customer queries related to quality control and stock levels.
• Expand sales coverage by using segmentation tools to find new prospects and by keeping an accurate customer database on the field sales automation system.
• Look after trade assets such as fridges, vehicles and merchandising stock, monitor cash and credit resources for own area and customer accounts, and feed market intelligence, competitor activity and improvement ideas back to the Area Sales Manager.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Marketing, Business Administration or a related discipline.
• At least three years of sales experience in the fast-moving consumer goods sector.
• A clean, valid driving licence.
• Professional marketing qualification such as CSMP, CIM or equivalent is advantageous.
• Demonstrated ability to hit sales targets with a results-driven mindset and genuine enthusiasm for selling.
• Strong relationship-building and lead-generation skills, with the ability to understand and respond to customer needs.
• Competence in analysing data, negotiating terms and contracts, and making sound, timely decisions.
• Good task and resource organisation, including route planning and management of trade assets.
• Self-awareness, empathy, logical reasoning and critical thinking for handling diverse customer and team situations.
• Clear communication with different audiences and a proactive approach to innovation, process improvement and market feedback.