Area Sales Manager

Position Title: Area Sales Manager

Function: Sales

Key Stakeholders:

Internal:

Direct Reportees : TSI / SO, Marketing, Sales Admin, Production, HR, Replenishment,

Finance External:

Authorized Wholesalers, Institutions & Consumers

Educational Qualification: MBA/Graduate

Experience: For M.B.A. (2-5 year of sales experience), For Graduate (6-8 years of sales experience)

Desired Competencies:

- Understanding of channel

- S&D operations

- Leadership skills

- Communication skills

- Basic IT skills

- Objective Orientation

- Business Development

- Process Management

- Commercial Acumen

- Negotiation skills

- Market execution

Key Responsibilities:

Market and Sell:

Manage Sales Infrastructure : Firm up S&D plan for the year based on RSM priorities. Fix quarterly phasing in discussion with TSIs and build the plans at a PJP level. Analyze potential areas in assigned geography where A/W or Distributor appointment would enhance business prospects.

- Interview parties shortlisted by TSIs and evaluate them on financial strength, infrastructure, experience, market standing and alignment with vision. Complete and sign on the AW Evaluation format and forward to the General Sales Manager for approval.

- Coordinate separation of non-performing A/Ws with Full and Final settlement and collect No Dues Certificates.

- Coordinate collation of AW Stock & Sales statements at PJP Level. Finalize activity plan and individual TSI itinerary at the depot meeting based on month/ business objectives, communicate these to the Field Force

- Coach the TSI Team on the Call procedure execution and demonstrate the process during Field contact, make provision for mid-course changes. Draw out S&D/ business/ TSI contact priorities for the month, monitor Field Force activity, make changes to Tour plan due to additional projects/ business exigencies for PJP planning and execution

- IN ORDER TO ensure that the sales infrastructure in the assigned areas meets defined norms

- Produce and deliver products and services - Manage Downstream Logistics

- Facilitate movement of Modern Trade estimate with the MT Team.

- Discuss issue on availability at the A/W level, especially regarding trade promotions and gift / promo items. Dialogue with A/Ws to expand coverage of CRS systems specially using I-point. Prepare liquidation plans for SKUs where PKD is beyond 2 months and seek approval from the RSM.

- Assist the depot team in ensuring compliance with receivable norms and improvement in related systems. Increase the coverage of Channel Financing by facilitating interaction between the bankers and A/Ws. Co-ordinate with Sales Admin to issue or reverse Stop Invoice instruction based on bank advice to channel financing execution

- IN ORDER TO strengthen downstream logistics with performance meeting or exceeding norms in Availability, Collection and A/W satisfaction

Market and sell - Sales and Operations Planning:

- Review S&OP docket sent from the EO. Review S&OP volumes in light of the proposed marketing initiatives. Identify areas where own estimates are below S&OP. Draft Local Trade promotion plans to fulfill gaps or where potential exceeds S&OP.

- Deploy the same to TSIs in the depot meetings and review A/W wise secondary sales objectives. Communicate SKU estimates where the depot level S&OP forecasts are more than 20% lower than to own estimates.

- IN ORDER TO coordinate potential secondary sales and supplies

Market and sell- Manage Sales Support Activities :

- Design a Visibility plan and set up visibility standards for Key and other General Trade accounts. Identify activation opportunity with respect to a brand, occasion or an event; invite and shortlist external agencies for a pitch if the activity cannot be handled in house.

- Communicate activity objectives/ success metrics and execution plan. Inform Team on the objectives of the activation and individual roles in the same.

- Provide feedback to Sales Development on the current TOT status and competitive TOT, review effectiveness of the TOT with the Key Account TSIs. Review SKU-wise sales Trends in Modern Trade.

- Devise tentative promotion plan with set objectives, sales swings estimated and spends; Send the detailed proposal to the KAM in agreement with the MT ASM and MT SO; Finalize Execution details and delegate execution to the Local MT SO

- Shortlist Trade promotion alternatives, arrive at mechanism options and operation period.

- Submit Proposal in pre-defined format. Measure activity performance at periodic intervals on objective parameters. Check for adherence of A/W claims to initial Trade Promotion and sign off claim settlement.

- Communicate to the Team on the final codification, facilitate roll-out in the market place and track progress for the same.

- Develop and manage human resources - Manager Talent :

- Set KRAs for the TSIs based on ASM KRAs and other local objectives. Conduct mid year discussions and provide feedback to TSIs.

- Assign ratings and discuss the BAT assessment with the employee. Identify learning and development areas, document these and inform TSI's of appropriate training programs. Support the implementation of the Sales Training Program developed by Sales Development.

- Coordinate recruitment of TSIs in the assigned area with HR. Review shortlisted CYs and conduct preliminary interviews. Provide orientation to selected employees

Others Responsibilities:

- Review and Reporting: Collate data and prepare reports to track various parameters e.g.

- Sales Efficiency, Sales Achievement and Champion's Scorecard and discus ASM MIS and the Champion's Scorecard with the Team.

- Consumer Promos (Design and Execution) Communicate to the Team on the objectives of the consumer promotion, KSFs and the execution details

- Business Solution Development : State requirement for developing system/ automation solution to streamline/ accelerate manual processes that can be standardized/ automated; provide feedback on the developed system while using in real time environment

- Annual Budget ing (Sales Budget) : Project category and growth trends based on competition activity/ intelligence and local trends, provide input at Regional Level on the extent of S&D expansion planned and the estimated impact on sales as a result, add inputs to the Regional Sales Planning exercise in shaping the state S&D plan, provide inputs on the manpower requirements for the next year at the Area level

- Customer Complaint Handling Resolve customer issues by meeting the consumer along with the T.S.I. if the natur e of the complaint is serious or on escalation, Revert to the consumer on the on with the Action Taken Report

- Market Returns: Evaluate the summary of Market Returns AW wise, investigate on A.W.s where Market returns show variance on the higher side and fin ally submit the summary for approval.