Area Sales Manager

Live Connections Placements Pvt. Ltd.; Ernakulam; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Live Connections Placements Pvt. Ltd. is seeking an Area Sales Manager to drive regional sales, guide distributors, and lead Territory Sales Managers toward strong business growth. The role blends strategic planning with hands-on execution in FMCG and retail channels.

The ASM will mentor TSMs, monitor performance, and ensure credit discipline while leveraging data-driven decisions to expand market presence and optimize channel operations across the assigned region.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in sales, distribution management, and team leadership, preferably in FMCG, General Trade, or Retail Sales.
• Strong understanding of primary and secondary sales, trade schemes, and distributor/channel management.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor sales teams (TSMs & SOs) with a focus on achieving sales targets.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a territory-wide sales strategy to achieve regional sales targets.
• Oversee primary and secondary sales targets across multiple territories.
• Expand market share by increasing product penetration, retail presence, and distributor efficiency.
• Ensure efficient order management from order placement to billing and timely delivery.
• Appoint, onboard, and manage distributors to drive business growth.
• Monitor distributor performance, ensure policy compliance, timely collections, and credit control.
• Ensure distributors perform secondary billing through the company’s software with zero gaps.
• Conduct distributor reviews to track sales hygiene, stock levels, and market demand.
• Expand retailer network by guiding TSMs to increase market coverage and new outlets.
• Build relationships with high-value retailers and alternate channels to maximize counter share.
• Drive range selling strategies and optimize product placement to reduce returns.
• Plan and oversee promotional activities to boost brand visibility.
• Lead and mentor TSMs, align with sales targets and company objectives.
• Conduct regular performance reviews for TSMs and guide incentives.
• Assist TSMs in executing trade schemes and resolving issues.
• Conduct joint market visits with TSMs for hands-on training and feedback.
• Gather and analyse market trends, customer feedback, and competitor activities for informed decisions.
• Act as liaison between market and senior management to communicate field insights.

Skills

Sales leadership

Distributor management

Territory sales

Team mentoring

Market intelligence

Credit management

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Business Administration

Tools

Excel

AI tools

Job description

Your role

The Area Sales Manager (ASM) is responsible for driving sales performance, managing distributor networks, and leading Territory Sales Managers (TSMs) to ensure business growth in the assigned region. The ASM plays a crucial role in strategic planning, sales execution, and market expansion while ensuring seamless coordination between the company, distributors, and retailers. This role requires strong leadership to manage and mentor TSMs, monitor sales progress, and provide actionable insights to enhance productivity. The ASM must ensure effective distributor management, credit control, and adherence to company policies while leveraging technology for data-driven decision-making. The successful candidate should possess a solid background in sales management, distributor/channel operations, and team leadership.

What will you do?

1. Sales Strategy and Execution

• Develop and implement a territory-wide sales strategy to achieve regional sales targets.
• Oversee the achievement of primary and secondary sales targets across multiple territories.
• Expand market share by increasing product penetration, retail presence, and distributor efficiency.
• Ensure efficient order management, from order placement to billing and timely delivery.

2. Distributor and Channel Management

• Appoint, on-board, and manage distributors to ensure optimal investment, infrastructure, and engagement in business growth.
• Monitor distributor performance, ensuring compliance with company policies, timely collections, and effective credit control.
• Ensure all distributors are doing secondary billing through the companys software and maintain secondary billing accuracy with zero gap against sales order.
• Conduct regular distributor business reviews to track sales hygiene and performance, stock levels, and market demand.

3. Market Development and Retail Expansion

• Expand the retailer network by guiding TSMs to increase market coverage and penetrate new outlets.
• Build strong relationships with high-value retailers and alternate channels to maximize counter share.
• Drive range selling strategies, ensuring optimal product placement to reduce damage returns and increase sales.
• Plan and oversee promotional activities to enhance brand visibility and product awareness.

4. Team Leadership and Performance Management

• Lead and mentor TSMs, ensuring alignment with sales targets and company objectives.
• Conduct regular performance reviews for TSMs, providing guidance to enhance their productivity and incentive potential.
• Assist TSMs in executing trade schemes, resolving retailer or distributor issues, and maintaining market coverage.
• Conduct joint market visits with TSMs to provide hands‑on training, strategic direction, and performance feedback.

5. Market Intelligence and Competitive Strategy

• Gather and analyse market trends, customer feedback, and competitor activities to drive informed decision-making.
• Provide actionable insights to counter competitive strategies and enhance the company's market position.
• Act as a liaison between the market and senior management, ensuring timely communication of field insights.

6. Financial and Credit Management

• Oversee market credit and ensure timely collections within agreed terms.
• Ensure distributors follow proper credit discipline and align with company policies to mitigate risks.

What do we look for?

• Education: Bachelors or Master’s degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum 8 years of experience in sales, distribution management, and team leadership, preferably in FMCG, General Trade, or Retail Sales.
• Sales Expertise: Strong understanding of primary and secondary sales, trade schemes, and distributor/channel management.
• Leadership Skills: Proven experience in managing and mentoring sales teams (TSMs & SOs) with a focus on achieving sales targets.
• Analytical Ability: Proficiency in data analysis, market research, and sales forecasting using Excel and AI tools.
• Communication & Negotiation: Excellent interpersonal skills with a strong ability to negotiate and build relationships with distributors and retailers.
• Mobility: Willingness to travel extensively within the assigned region for market visits and distributor engagement.