What you'll do
New Business Development & Sales Hunting
- Aggressively prospect for new retail, off-premise, and other qualified accounts throughout the assigned territory.
- Spend the majority of field time identifying and pursuing new business rather than simply servicing existing accounts.
- Build a consistent prospecting routine using in-person cold calls, territory canvassing, phone and email outreach, referrals, networking, distributor relationships, and market research.
- Identify owners, buyers, managers, and other decision-makers and create opportunities to present our brands.
- Conduct compelling sales presentations, communicate product value and differentiation, overcome objections, negotiate opportunities, and ask for the sale.
- Open new accounts and secure initial orders, new placements, and expanded distribution.
- Build and maintain a healthy, qualified pipeline with clear next steps and disciplined follow-up.
- Develop a territory route and prospecting strategy that maximizes productive selling time and new-account coverage.
- Take ownership of individual sales goals and proactively create the activity necessary to meet or exceed them.
Account Growth & Incremental Sales
- Build credible relationships with account owners, buyers, managers, and key decision-makers.
- Maintain existing accounts while continually looking for incremental sales opportunities.
- Develop account-specific growth plans based on customer needs, sales performance, and account potential.
- Identify opportunities to increase SKU count, order frequency, average order size, displays, shelf or cooler placement, distribution, and promotional activity.
- Regularly visit accounts to identify opportunities, solve issues, strengthen relationships, and drive incremental sales.
- Monitor account performance and use available sales data and market insights to identify areas for growth.
Field Execution & Market Development
- Pre-plan account visits with clear objectives, selling opportunities, and desired outcomes.
- Work closely with distributor partners and sales representatives to identify new doors, improve selling, expand distribution, and execute against opportunities.
- Ensure products are properly represented, priced, positioned, and available within active accounts.
- Represent the brand professionally during account visits, distributor work-withs, retail events, tastings, and other approved market activities.
- Educate buyers, retailers, staff, and consumers on product benefits, positioning, and points of differentiation.
- Complete merchandising, sampling, promotional, or other field-support duties when they directly support sales and account development.
- Maintain a strong understanding of the assigned market, including priority accounts, competitive brands, pricing, promotions, emerging trends, and whitespace opportunities.
- Identify new channels, neighborhoods, account types, and market opportunities that can contribute to sales growth.
Pipeline, Reporting & Accountability
- Maintain accurate and timely CRM records for prospects, account visits, opportunities, follow-ups, account plans, and results.
- Track prospects through the sales process and consistently follow up on open opportunities and customer commitments.
- Report new accounts opened, pipeline status, sales progress, market feedback, competitive intelligence, and challenges to the Regional Sales Manager.
- Track performance against agreed-upon activity and sales goals and adjust territory strategy as needed.
- Participate in sales meetings, training, distributor meetings, events, and other business activities as appropriate.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of sales growth, market development, and company objectives.
Qualifications
- Minimum 1 year of professional field sales experience preferred, ideally in beverage, energy, alcohol, CPG, or a related industry.
- Demonstrated ability or strong aptitude for prospecting, cold calling, opening new accounts, growing existing accounts, and closing sales.
- A true hunter mentality: competitive, persistent, self-motivated, resilient, and comfortable hearing “no” while continuing to pursue the next opportunity.
- Strong communication, relationship-building, negotiation, presentation, and closing skills.
- Entrepreneurial and self-directed, with the ability to work independently in the field with limited supervision.
- Highly organized and capable of managing a large prospect pipeline, follow-ups, and multiple account opportunities simultaneously.
- Comfortable using CRM systems and sales data to manage activity, prioritize opportunities, and measure results.
- Ability to identify opportunities rather than simply service existing business.
- Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel throughout the assigned territory and visit multiple accounts per day.
- Availability Monday-Friday 9am-6pm during the hours key decision makers will be in the accounts
- Ability to cover approved business expenses, which will be reimbursed in accordance with company policy.
- Ability to obtain a solicitor’s permit if required.
- Must be 21 years of age or older.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.
- Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
- Must be located within the assigned territory (Hillsborough County)
Contractor Requirements
- This is an independent contractor opportunity focused primarily on new business development, field sales, and market development.
- The contractor is responsible for managing their territory, developing and executing a prospecting strategy, generating new business, growing accounts, and achieving agreed-upon sales objectives.
- The contractor is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and take personal ownership of activity, pipeline development, territory coverage, and sales performance.
- This role is designed for an individual who is motivated by measurable sales performance and the opportunity to directly influence their success through business development.
Physical & Travel Requirements
- Ability to travel regularly throughout the assigned territory.
- Ability to drive to multiple customer accounts in a single day.
- Ability to stand for extended periods and work in retail environments.
- Ability to lift and carry products or materials weighing up to 35 lbs.
- Ability to ascend and descend stairs and navigate retail, warehouse, and distributor environments.
Reporting To: Regional Sales Manager/Territory Sales Manager
Location: Remote / Field-Based within Assigned Territory
Employment Type:Independent Contractor
Department:Conventional- Florida