Feed Sales Specialist

United Cooperative; Shawano (WI); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

United Cooperative in Shawano, WI is seeking a motivated individual for a full-time sales position. The role involves promoting feed and forage products, building relationships with cattle and livestock operations, and providing nutritional consultations to customers.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in an agricultural field, strong people skills, and proficient computer skills. Opportunities for professional development and training are provided.

Qualifications

• Strong people skills and ability to learn new information quickly.
• Self-motivated, organized, and proficient in computer skills.

Responsibilities

• Promote and sell feed and forage products.
• Provide nutrition and production-management services.
• Build relationships with dairy and livestock operations.

Skills

Strong people skills

Persuasiveness

Persistence

Self-motivated

Organization

Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Education

Four-year degree in an agricultural field or equivalent

Job description

Job Location: Shawano Feed Grain and Energy - Shawano, WI 54166

Position Type: Full Time; Job Shift: Day

Position Summary

Promote and sell United Cooperative’s feed and forage products to customers and prospects throughout the United Cooperative trade territory, in a manner which increases United Cooperative’s market share and achieves United Cooperative’s goals of customer satisfaction and profitability.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Actively make sales calls to both existing feed patrons and new prospects to increase product sales and market share within the assigned geographical area. Make 8-10 effective sales contacts per day. Take written orders and Contract feed and other products on an ongoing basis. Build a client base of credit-worthy producers. Grow feed product sales to reach annual budget goals of the Feed Division.
• Increase use and sales to existing and new customers of specialized products, including preservative products, animal health products, plastics for forage and feed storage, feed additives, specialty feed products, and other product lines that generate new sales and margin.
• Build relationships on dairy and livestock operations and seek opportunities to bid on feed and mineral mixes and loads of commodity feed products. Follow up in a timely manner on all bids and price quotes provided to prospects. Track comparison of bids won and lost.
• Maintain and manage a target call list of 100-150+ accounts, actively contacting this group to assess purchasing patterns and how United Cooperative can become their supplier of choice. Work with sales management to develop account strategies to grow market influence.
• Provide a high level of technical production service to customers: rations, record analysis, inventory management, feed budgets, etc.
• Provide nutrition and production‑management services to the client base according to client preference.
• Monitor and document production and profitability improvements for dairy producer clients implementing program and product recommendations. Ensure documentation is reviewed with the producer.
• Be an active participant of a sales team to grow United Cooperative’s influence within the assigned sales region. Effectively utilize internal and supplier resources to increase market influence and grow market share.
• Monitor and work within the United Cooperative credit policies and work with management to enforce credit policy while maintaining customer relationships.
• Help provide newsletter articles and/or direct mailer pieces to targeted livestock producers on timely topics relevant to the United Cooperative market territory.
• Assist other divisions with leads on prospects and communication of situations that are occurring with producers you work with.

Self-Development and Professional Improvement

• Attend training and professional development meetings, informational meetings, and seminars as directed or approved by supervisor.
• Set and attain written sales goals. Develop individual strategic sales plans for targeted accounts. Provide written reports as requested by management.
• Implement concepts learned at training to improve the service, value, and sales potential of United Cooperative to member owners and prospective patrons.

Other Expectations

• Maintain a high degree of integrity and honesty with customers, fellow employees, suppliers, and management. Strive to consistently improve professional performance and the image of the cooperative. Maintain confidentiality of all business information. Support direction and decisions of the United Cooperative board and management. Provide other duties as may be assigned or requested by management.
• Abide by United Cooperative’s “Standards & Expectations” for your position and strive to achieve United Cooperative’s “Sales Success Measures & Benchmarks.” These documents are provided and maintained by sales management.

Qualifications

• Strong people skills, including persuasiveness and persistence; ability to learn new information quickly; self‑motivated and organized. Computer skills necessary, including proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Four‑year degree in an agricultural field or the equivalent combination of farm experience and prior sales experience required.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to bend, stoop, and stand for long periods of time.
• Must be able to work in indoor and outdoor weather conditions.