Retail Sales Lead (Charlotte, NC)

Job Description

Job Overview

OVERVIEW

The Retail Sales Lead (RSL) leads, motivates and develops a team of Retail Sales Representatives (RSRs) within an assigned geographic area to successfully sell displays and implement retail distribution, shelving, merchandising and pricing objectives. As a RSL you will ensure consistent communication flow between our direct customer teams and retail organization within defined territories, collaborate with internal customer teams and external 3rd party broker partners, and manage resource deployment within budget to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Responsibilities

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Responsible for delivering selling execution excellence of customer and retail team business strategies, best display plans, new product, established distribution, shelving, merchandising, and pricing priorities

• Collaborate with Retail Customer/Area Manager (RCM/RAM) to develop account & market based retail business plans aligning retail execution with General Mills’ priorities and account specific needs.
• Introduce business strategies to retail sales team with the depth and clarity necessary to take action within the field
• Own the retail conditions for their defined geography
• Minimum of 3 days per week in the field (split between working w/ reps, store audits & time with account teams)
• Work with customer teams identifying the proper processes and store level tools that not only support General Mills’ needs but partner with our customers to leverage their identity in the marketplace.

Establish the key link between the direct customer teams and Retail organization at assigned accounts within geography to achieve maximum retail effectiveness. The manager is expected to be the expert at their assigned accounts.

• Achieve selling, display, distribution, shelving, merchandising and pricing results in store.
• Each RSL will be the leader of insuring retail execution at assigned customers
• Execute planning sessions with point of contact accounts:
• Establish ongoing routine Skype communication with direct account managers to establish priorities and communicate progress vs. priorities while staying current with changes at the account.

Lead, motivate and develop Retail Sales Reps (RSRs) to build an effective retail team

• Interview and hire candidates with the right skills and motivation to represent General Mills
• Project a compelling and positive vision of the company to attract desired candidates.
• Monitor and coach development and performance through work-withs, individual skills development plans, and performance assessment:
  • Strive to attain a minimum of 3 work-withs per year with each RSR on your team.
  • Apply due diligence to properly identify appropriate time with each RSR given their performance level
• Complete work-with forms and enter them into database

Effectively deploy retail resources

• Apply appropriate management judgment to enhance the retail deployment model provided by the National Retail Organization (NRO)
  • Ensure RSRs are operating within the NRO’s continuity coverage approach.
• Manage Broker/Agency retail resources to meet key account activities
• Redeploy resources to cover staffing shortages/personnel gaps to achieve priorities.
• Deliver call objectives based on deployment model.
• Execute a resource strategy that enables the proper balance of our targeted retail resources where they can best support and enhance General Mills’ Strategic Business Plans

Monitor and provide feedback concerning the quality and timeliness of new item information from direct Account Teams to Customer Teams for which the RSL is assigned

• New item code numbers, direction on new item shelf placement, and updated distribution list
• Collaborate with 3rd party partners for retail executions. Areas include merchandising programs, new item surges and open territory coverage.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• 3-4 years business experience including account management
• Bachelor's Degree