Route Sales Trainee - Houlton, Maine - $23.50/Hr

The Route Sales Trainee (RST) will be trained to be able to order, sell, deliver, and merchandise a slate of nationally and locally branded fresh baked products. The RST will be trained to develop relationships with customers’ managers and other personnel. The position is assigned to a company route trainer to learn how to service retail customers, restaurants, and institutions with the goal of maximizing sales opportunities by meeting customer expectations and following established best practices.
The position will require the RST to work with their trainer to service accounts during customer designated service windows, which may require RST to work non-traditional business hours, weekends, or holidays.
The position requires an incumbent with an eagerness to gain industry knowledge and to learn the skills necessary for success.

Job Responsibilities

• Safely and efficiently operate a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) more than 10,000 pounds
• Obtain authorization (“sell in”) from accounts’ key decision makers for promotional product displays. Properly place and assemble displays to maximize exposure to consumers and to increase sales penetration
• Review key performance indicators to reduce cost and drive sales
• Perform all required daily vehicle inspections, maintain accurate vehicle records, immediately report vehicle maintenance issues, and complete daily driver’s logs and time records as required
• Adhere to all company policies, Department of Transportation (DOT) policies, as well as local and federal regulations
• Adhere to the fresh market policy by appropriately rotating product and removing damaged or out-of-code product as necessary
• Must be able to obtain DOT medical certification to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV)
• Learn to adhere to the company assigned route structure, stop sequence, and established service times to drive efficiency and to ensure continued customer satisfaction and consistent service times
• Ensure compliance with all company policies and procedures (Safety, Equal Employment Opportunity, Harassment, Sarbanes – Oxley, etc.)
• Must meet the Fleet insurance Guidelines in relation to your MVR (Motor Vehicle Record)
• Perform an accurate weekly inventory in the handheld computer device at select accounts on specific days designated by the company
• Learn to increase sales through shelf space expansion and the sale/use of in-store promotions and displays
• Ensure shelf life is maximized with proper rotation of products to ensure that backstock is rotated and stocked first before the next fresh delivery is merchandized on shelves/displays
• Know and follow all retailer/account standard operating procedures, including, but not limited to, check in/check out and service windows
• Learn to leverage internal sales data and company marketing plans to drive growth with customers through proper planning, ordering, and execution
• Secure and organize inventory in the truck to prevent product damage
• Follow shelf-life cycle of each brand/product
• Perform other duties deemed by management to be an integral part of the position, including but not limited to fulfillment of work schedules, adherence to attendance policies, and other applicable operating rules, policies, and procedures
• Review weekly route analysis to identify voids and sales opportunities
• Master the best practices of the Route Sales training program
• Learn to establish and maintain strong customer relations to effectively communicate sales solutions and improve customer satisfaction
• Support the introduction of new products to the marketplace based on the retailer playbooks and gain additional shelf space and promotional displays to execute the rollout and drive consumer trial
• Learn to order product using an online state-of-the-art order planner to ensure customers are receiving the freshest product possible
• Adhere to required customer shelf schematic/plan-o-gram to ensure customer compliance and to meet the objectives of brand teams
• Maintain cleanliness of an organized workspace and vehicle
• Perform daily route settlement requirements: verifying product quantities, accurately invoicing the proper account, and adhering to the cash collection policy

Desired Experience

Minimum of 1-year related experience in retail sales, DSD sales, and/or business-to-business sales.

Desired Education

High school diploma or GED