Sales Representative – Paint Industry (Nairobi)

Role Overview

This is a field-based sales position focused on building demand for the company's product range across dealers, distributors, contractors and the tradespeople who specify and apply the products every day. The person in this role spends most of their week on site and in trade outlets — opening new accounts, reviving quiet ones, and making sure dealers have both the stock and the support needed to keep products moving off their shelves. Success here directly drives revenue and market share, because in building materials the sale is rarely won at a desk; it is won through consistent coverage, trusted relationships and being present when a project is being planned.

Key Responsibilities

• Cover an assigned territory by regularly calling on dealers, distributors, painters, applicators, contractors and end customers to promote the product range and keep it top of mind.
• Hunt for demand by identifying new construction sites, upcoming projects, institutions and developments, then positioning the company's products early in the specification and purchasing cycle.
• Build and maintain working relationships with the influencers who shape product choice — painters, applicators, contractors and developers — so recommendations flow naturally toward our brands.
• Generate leads and convert them into new accounts, while actively re-engaging dormant customers and rebuilding them into consistent, repeat buyers.
• Support dealers with sell-through activity: joint visits, product knowledge, stock recommendations and follow-up that lifts secondary sales rather than just filling the warehouse.
• Run product presentations, demonstrations and awareness sessions for trade audiences, and translate customer requirements into the right product recommendation.
• Track competitor pricing, new product launches and promotional activity in the market, and feed that intelligence back to the Sales Manager in a timely, useful form.
• Keep disciplined records of visits, leads, project pipelines and sales activity, and submit weekly and monthly reports covering sales performance, site coverage and demand-generation progress.
• Handle customer enquiries and complaints professionally and promptly, escalating internally where needed and following through until resolved.
• Work alongside Sales & Marketing and other internal teams so territory activity aligns with campaigns, launches and overall business objectives.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Diploma or bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering or a related discipline.
• 2–3 years of sales experience, ideally gained in the building materials industry or a comparable trade-focused sector.
• Demonstrated selling and negotiation ability, with a track record of meeting assigned targets.
• Strong communication, presentation and interpersonal skills — comfortable engaging everyone from a site foreman to a dealer owner.
• Customer-focused and target-driven, with the persistence to follow up consistently over long project cycles.
• Solid organisational skills and the ability to manage a busy visit schedule, pipeline and reporting routine without close supervision.
• Practical problem-solving instincts and the confidence to handle objections and complaints in the field.
• Working knowledge of local market dynamics and customer requirements within the territory.
• Willingness to travel and work predominantly in the field; a valid driving licence is an added advantage.
• Self-motivated and capable of working independently while staying connected to the wider sales team.