Outside Food Sales Representive

Gordon Food Service - Providence, RI

Full-time - Entry Level

Providence, RI

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

About the position

As an Outside Food Sales Representative at Gordon Food Service, you will play a crucial role in supporting the Providence territory. This position requires you to reside within or just outside the designated area, ensuring you are well-positioned to engage with customers effectively. Gordon Food Service has a rich history of over 120 years in the food distribution industry, and as the largest family-operated broadline food distribution company in North America, we pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence, expertise, and quality products. Our mission is to prioritize our customers, and in this role, you will be instrumental in cultivating relationships, developing new business opportunities, and providing innovative solutions that help our customers achieve their goals. In this position, you will be responsible for managing sales and relationships with both existing and prospective customers within your assigned territory. This includes actively pursuing new customers, deepening relationships with current clients, and effectively managing your sales territory. You will engage in research to understand industry and market trends that impact restaurants in your area, identify potential customers, and develop tailored sales strategies that showcase the products and services offered by Gordon Food Service. Your role will also involve regular visits to customers, conducting business reviews to assess their needs, and providing ongoing training on our product offerings. Gordon Food Service is dedicated to your success, especially during your first 90 days. You will participate in comprehensive training programs that include e-learning, classroom sessions, video roleplays, job shadowing, and mentorship from experienced sales representatives. This training will equip you with the necessary skills to utilize our systems and tools, understand our product range, and master the sales process for engaging new customers. You will learn best practices for relationship building and strategies for effective territory management, ensuring you are well-prepared to excel in your role as an Outside Food Sales Representative.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate relationships with existing and prospective customers within the assigned territory.
• Research industry and market trends impacting restaurants in the territory.
• Identify and research prospective customers within the territory.
• Develop and present sales strategies that highlight products, services, and solutions offered by Gordon Food Service.
• Visit all customers within the assigned territory on a regular basis (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly).
• Conduct business reviews to assess existing customers' needs and identify areas for sales growth.
• Provide ongoing training to customers on Gordon Food Service product offerings.
• Identify opportunities within existing customers' businesses to add value through products and services.
• Balance new customer acquisition with strengthening existing customer relationships.
• Coordinate visits to prospective and existing customers.
• Communicate order status and processing updates to customers.

Requirements

• Must reside within or just outside the assigned territory.
• Strong relationship management skills.
• Ability to research and analyze market trends.
• Experience in sales strategy development and presentation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in the food service industry.
• Familiarity with sales management tools and software.
• Previous experience in customer training or support.

Benefits

• Generous 401(k) matching program above industry standards.
• Performance compensation structure including salary, commission, and bonuses.
• Low-cost health benefit options for employees and their families.
• Automobile expense reimbursement plan.
• Cell phone reimbursement plan.