Sales Representative

Pinnacle Recruitment; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Pinnacle Recruitment in Chicago is seeking a Sales Representative to expand our foodservice distribution network. You will develop new business, nurture existing accounts, and collaborate with major distributors to drive product movement and customer growth.

The ideal candidate has background in foodservice or distribution, excels at relationship-based selling, and thrives in an entrepreneurial, growth-focused environment. Travel around 25% may be required.

Qualifications

• Experience selling in foodservice or distribution is required.
• Strong relationship-based sales and account development skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple opportunities and a growing pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow existing customer relationships through proactive account management.
• Develop new business through outbound prospecting, inbound leads and referrals.
• Build and maintain relationships with major distributors (Sysco, US Foods, Gordon Food Service, PFG, FreshPoint).
• Move opportunities through a long sales cycle with distributors and end users.
• Coordinate samples and oversee the full sales cycle from lead to close.
• Attend distributor meetings, customer visits and industry events.

Skills

Sales experience

Foodservice distribution

Relationship building

Prospecting

CRM proficiency

Pipeline management

HubSpot CRM

Tools

HubSpot CRM

Excel

Job description

A growing foodservice organization is seeking a motivated Sales Representative to help expand its presence within the foodservice distribution channel. This individual will be responsible for developing new business, growing existing customer relationships, and working closely with major foodservice distributors to increase product movement and customer volume.

The ideal candidate has experience selling within foodservice, distribution, produce, fresh food, or a related industry and understands how to navigate longer sales cycles involving distributors and end users. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys relationship-driven sales and wants to join an organization that is actively investing in its commercial growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow existing customer relationships through proactive account management and consistent follow-up.
• Develop new business through outbound prospecting, inbound lead follow-up, referrals, and other business development activities.
• Build and maintain relationships with major foodservice distributors, including Sysco, US Foods, Gordon Food Service, PFG, FreshPoint, and regional distribution partners.
• Work through the foodservice distribution network to increase product movement and generate pull-through demand.
• Convert marketing-generated and qualified leads into long-term customer relationships.
• Identify opportunities to expand product offerings and increase volume within existing accounts.
• Conduct cold calls and proactively identify new customer opportunities.
• Coordinate product samples and manage opportunities throughout the complete sales cycle.
• Attend distributor meetings, customer visits, trade shows, and industry events.
• Develop relationships with both distributor partners and foodservice end users.
• Understand customer needs and collaborate with internal teams to identify appropriate product solutions.
• Maintain accurate customer activity, opportunities, follow-up, and pipeline information within the CRM.
• Provide consistent communication throughout longer sales cycles to maintain customer engagement and move opportunities forward.

Qualifications

• Previous sales experience within foodservice, food distribution, produce, fresh food, commodities, or a related industry.
• Strong understanding of relationship-based sales and account development.
• Experience working with foodservice distributors is highly preferred.
• Strong prospecting and new business development capabilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and follow-up skills.
• Ability to independently manage a pipeline and multiple opportunities at different stages of the sales cycle.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Self-motivated, persistent, and comfortable working in an entrepreneurial, growing environment.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% based on customer and business needs.

Preferred Experience

• Established relationships within the foodservice distribution industry.
• Experience working with regional or national restaurant chains.
• Existing foodservice book of business.
• Produce, fresh food, or commodity sales experience.
• Experience selling proprietary, branded, or semi-custom food products.
• Retail account experience.
• Familiarity with supply chain and commodity-driven sales environments.

Technology

• Experience working within a CRM environment; HubSpot experience preferred.
• Proficiency in sales pipeline management, lead tracking, and customer activity documentation.

What Makes Someone Successful

This opportunity is well suited for someone who is relationship-driven, persistent, curious, and comfortable taking initiative. The organization is continuing to build its commercial sales function and is looking for an individual who enjoys developing business, asking questions, solving customer problems, and building long-term relationships.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working through lengthy sales cycles and collaborating with both distributors and end users while taking ownership of their sales pipeline and results.