Area Sales Manager (ASM) – Pune

Zoho; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Zoho is recruiting an Area Sales Manager to own state-level growth with strong focus on Primary and Secondary sales to distributors and markets. The role targets C/D/E category retail outlets, while scaling Wholesale, HoReCa, and Institutional channels.

Expect extensive field work and management of distributor lifecycle, revenue, collections, and execution metrics. The candidate should bring 12–15+ years FMCG field sales experience, proven ownership of large-scale sales, and excellence in

Qualifications

• 12–15+ years FMCG field sales experience (Snacks/Beverages/Impulse preferred).
• Proven ownership of Primary + Secondary sales at large area/state level.
• Strong experience in Distributor lifecycle management (onboarding, governance, deboarding).
• Deep execution experience in C/D/E category retail (high outlet density, high frequency, low ticket).
• Demonstrated success in Wholesale, HoReCa, and Institutional BD.
• Strong collections and credit discipline; zero tolerance for leakage.
• Comfortable with high travel and 6-day field intensity.
• Proficient in Excel and CRM systems.

Responsibilities

• Own full-state Primary & Secondary sales targets with sustainable month-on-month growth.
• Build and execute state business plan: district/town prioritization, distributor network design, coverage model, and channel mix.
• Cascade targets into TL/FOS-level goals and drive execution.
• Onboarding: Appoint and ramp distributors across the state (target 50–60 distributors or as per state map).
• Finalize distributor terms: territory, margins, credit limits, dispatch SLAs, claims/returns, and reporting compliance.
• Ensure distributor readiness: infrastructure, delivery capability, salesman strength, working capital, data reporting.
• Maintenance & Governance: conduct distributor reviews covering primary, secondary, stock, fill rate, ageing, returns, claims, overdue.
• Enforce pricing and scheme discipline; prevent leakage in C/D/E outlets.
• Deboarding: identify non-performing distributors and execute clean deboarding with settlements.
• C/D/E Category Retail Expansion: drive aggressive distribution and repeat sales in C/D/E retail outlets; implement beat planning; counter placement and impulse conversion.
• Wholesale Growth Ownership: identify high-potential clusters, drive volume through case deals, maintain discipline to avoid leakage.
• HoReCa & Institutional BD: build pipeline, negotiate commercials, ensure repeat business and throughput.
• Team Leadership & Execution Discipline: hire, coach Team Leads and field teams; train on pitches, objections, and negotiations.
• Collections, Credit Control & Contribution: manage collections, enforce policy, control ageing, optimize trade spends.

Skills

Distributor lifecycle management

Field sales leadership

Channel development

Forecasting

Tools

Excel

CRM systems

Job description

Area Sales Manager (ASM) – State Owner (Primary + Secondary)

Department

Reporting To

Zonal Head / Head of Sales

Location

State-level role (Extensive field travel)

Employment Type

Full-Time

Role Objective

Own and drive the complete state-level growth engine by managing Primary (Company → Distributor) and Secondary (Distributor → Market) sales with a strong execution focus on C/D/E-category retail outlets , while scaling Wholesale, HoReCa, and Institutional channels.

This role carries end-to-end accountability for distributor lifecycle, revenue, collections, field productivity, execution metrics, and contribution .

Key Responsibilities

A. State Business Ownership (Primary + Secondary)

Own full-state Primary & Secondary sales targets with sustainable month-on-month growth (no artificial primary loading).

Build and execute state business plan : district/town prioritization, distributor network design, coverage model, and channel mix.

Cascade targets into TL/FOS-level goals and drive execution through weekly performance cadence.

Onboarding

Appoint and ramp distributors across the state (target 50–60 distributors or as per state map).

Finalize distributor terms: territory, margins, credit limits, dispatch SLAs, claims/returns, and reporting compliance.

Ensure distributor readiness: infrastructure, delivery capability, salesman strength, working capital, data reporting.

Maintenance & Governance

Conduct weekly/monthly distributor reviews covering: primary, secondary, stock, fill rate, ageing, returns, claims, overdue.

Enforce pricing and scheme discipline; prevent leakage/undercutting (especially in C/D/E outlets).

Maintain healthy stock norms: prevent stock-outs and dead stock.

Deboarding

Identify non-performing/non-compliant distributors and execute clean deboarding with settlement, stock liquidation, and territory transition.

C. C/D/E Category Retail Expansion (Core Focus)

Drive aggressive distribution and repeat sales in C/D/E retail outlets (kirana, theke + chakna counters, small impulse outlets).

Implement structured beat planning for high-density, low-ticket outlets.

Counter placement, micro-visibility, impulse conversion

Correct SKU assortment and pack-price ladder by outlet type

Implement retailer retention through revisit norms, service levels, and complaint resolution.

D. Wholesale Growth Ownership

Identify and scale high-potential wholesale clusters.

Drive volume through case deals with disciplined pricing.

Ensure wholesale does not become a GT pricing leakage channel.

E. HoReCa & Institutional Business Development

Build and own BD pipeline for:

Institutions (canteens, corporates, hospitals, schools/colleges, hostels)

Negotiate commercials, payment cycles, and delivery cadence.

Ensure repeat business and throughput (no vanity onboarding).

F. Team Leadership & Execution Discipline

Hire, manage, and coach Team Leads (TLs) and field teams (FOS).

Coach teams on sales pitch, objection handling, competitor switching, scheme communication, and negotiation.

G. Collections, Credit Control & Contribution

Own collections and outstanding across distributors and key accounts.

Enforce credit policy, ageing control, and stop-supply rules.

Own contribution and ROI: optimize trade spends and manpower cost.

Ensure clean and accurate data: distributor ledgers, claims/returns, outlet master, outstanding, scheme accounting.

Metric Ownership (ASM Accountability)

Primary Sales (₹) vs target

Primary–Secondary alignment and stock health (Days of Inventory)

C/D/E Retail Metrics

Outlet additions, activations, and repeat rate (15/30 days)

Key SKU availability % and stock-out rate

Strike rate, AOV, and SKU mix

Field Productivity

Outlets covered per FOS

Cost per FOS vs contribution

Collections ageing and overdue %

GM% protection and leakage incidents (near-zero tolerance)

BD Channels

Wholesale throughput (cases/month) and active accounts

Requirements

Candidate Profile

12–15+ years FMCG field sales experience (Snacks/Beverages/Impulse preferred).

Proven ownership of Primary + Secondary sales at large area/state level.

Strong experience in Distributor lifecycle management (onboarding, governance, deboarding).

Deep execution experience in C/D/E category retail (high outlet density, high frequency, low ticket).

Demonstrated success in Wholesale, HoReCa, and Institutional BD .

Strong collections and credit discipline; zero tolerance for leakage.

Comfortable with high travel and 6-day field intensity .

Proficient in Excel and CRM systems .

First 90 Days Success Indicators

State fully mapped with 50% distributor onboarding completed .

TL/FOS productivity system installed with visible improvement in coverage, AOV, and strike rate.

Reduced stock-outs and stabilized forecasting.

Improved ageing and active leakage controls.

BD pipeline created with first scalable wins (not one-offs).