Sales Consultant - Fine Wines - NYC - Retail

Empire Merchants Metro Career Center; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Empire Merchants Metro Career Center is seeking a driven sales professional to maximize supplier brands within its trade territory through strategic planning, effective selling, and compelling merchandising.

You will call on accounts, deliver presentations, manage inventory, and collaborate with management to meet distribution and volume targets while maintaining brand visibility. The role requires at least two years in sales, a high school diploma, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• Bachelor’s degree in related field and/or equivalent training and work experience preferred.
• Ability to hold a Solicitor’s Permit required.

Responsibilities

• Strategizes and preplans on how best to achieve sales and merchandising objectives by understanding pricing and product programming information monthly.
• Calls on accounts and covers daily routes with an established, efficient pattern.
• Analyzes account base, visits each account, identifies opportunities and ensures compliance where applicable.
• Delivers professional sales presentations to customers, explaining display ideas, new products, promotions and placements.
• Monitors inventory levels, notifies management of fluctuations in demand, and assists with stock planning.
• Works with management to achieve distribution, volume and activity goals for supplier brands.
• Maintains brand visibility within accounts using current point of sale materials.
• Restocks product levels in accounts where permissible and collects payments when required.
• Educates account staff on priority brands and supports account openings with opening orders.
• Manages account receivables, processes credits/returns, and communicates aged receivables.
• Addresses customer issues and complaints, escalating as needed and maintaining professional vendor relationships.
• Attends weekly sales meetings and participates in ongoing training and development.

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

Responsible for maximizing the sales of supplier brands to the trade through effective territory planning, selling, merchandising and communication that enables the achievement of company and supplier objectives.

ESSENTIAL POSITION RESULTS

• Strategizes/preplans on how best to achieve sales and merchandising objectives by understanding company pricing and product programming information on a monthly basis and maintaining accurate historical account purchase information.
• Calls on accounts and covers daily routes by creating an established and efficient routing pattern.
• Analyzes entire account base by visiting each account and identifying opportunities; completes all necessary surveys and ensures national account compliance where applicable.
• Prepares and delivers professional sales presentations to customers by balancing the company’s priorities and customers’ needs to include selling display ideas, new products, cold box, shelf, well and back bar placements and resets, drink and wine lists, and promotions.
• Understands and works with management on inventory levels by being aware of current inventory and out of stock situations and by alerting management to possible fluctuations in demand
• Attains standards of performance goals by achieving the distribution, volume and activity goals of supplier brands as set by management.
• Ensures maximum brand visibility within accounts by maintaining account standards as determined by management and using effective and current point of sale materials when appropriate.
• Maintains product levels in accounts by taking inventory and restocking shelves (where legally permissible).
• Obtains payments for company by collecting and delivering checks or other remittance from accounts where legally permissible.
• Educates account staff on priority brands by administering educational staff training seminars.
• Supports account openings by developing opening orders for new accounts in collaboration with Field Sales Manager.
• Manages customer account receivables by timely processing of credits and returns and communicating with accounts on aged receivables.
• Services accounts by delivering products to customers in extenuating circumstances, handling customer issues and complaints and referring these issues, as appropriate to management.
• Maintains professional relationships with all suppliers by participating in effective supplier work with sales calls, and sales blitzes.
• Remains informed of company/supplier activities and updates by attending and actively participating in weekly sales meetings.
• Completes all necessary training programs by attending, participating, and passing all required tests as defined by management. (e.g. Sales Skills, Pocket Advantage).
• Maintains professional and industry knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publication and establishing personal networks.
• Maintains customer confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Maintains a safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules and regulations.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no supervisory responsibilities

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education, Certifications and /or licenses:

• High School diploma or equivalent required.
• Bachelor’s degree in related field and/or equivalent training and work experience preferred.
• Ability to hold a Solicitor’s Permit required.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years in sales or industry related experience required.

Compensation:

Commission Range $70,000 - $75,000

Knowledge/Skills:

• An understanding of wine and spirits is preferred. Individuals with strong accounting, computer, customer service and interpersonal expertise preferred.
• Must be a results oriented professional with excellent verbal/written communication skills using diplomacy and discretion as well as strong customer service skills.
• Ability to multi-task, work independently and/or within a team, pays attention to detail and meet deadlines.
• Proficient PC skills using MS Office and other various computer systems including presentation software.
• Familiarity with assigned territory is a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the associate is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk or hear. The associate frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, and climb or balance. The associate must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an associate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job the associate is regularly exposed normal business office environment. The ability to share workspace, travel by car or train, dress in proper business attire, attend evening meetings and meet deadlines are all requirements of this position. Associate is often required to be in the market and may require exposure to inclement weather.