Senior Sales Representative

At La Colombe we believe that being a good coffee partner means more than just offering a great cup of coffee. The Wholesale Team supports the city’s most dedicated chefs, restaurateurs, cafes, offices and hotels to ensure they complete consistent, high quality coffee programs. The Sales Representative plays a crucial role in this mission. The Sales Representative will be responsible for the customer experience, assisting clients to craft and implement a coffee program that meets La Colombe’s standard of excellence. Handle a portfolio of legacy clients, allocating company resources appropriately to fulfill the clients’ needs. Source, convert, and onboard new clients to meet business targets. Develop ownership of relationships with key hospitality professionals. Assist account management team with day-to-day needs pertaining to the book of business. Work directly with the regional sales manager to target and win grand accounts

The Senior Sales Representative will display patience under pressure, eagerness to undertake difficult tasks, and a sense of urgency when needed. At La Colombe, no task is too small and the Senior Sales Representative should embody this in all client interactions.

Areas of impact

SALES Build target list of potential Grand Accounts. Apply yours and others networks to move these potential accounts along in the sales process. Senior Sales Representatives should not rely heavily on inbound leads to meet their yearly sales targets. Work to develop potential national accounts. Negotiate and complete contracts in line with the equipment lending model. Build customized proposals to convert qualified leads into new clients and win business. Use CRM tools to track leads through the sales process and use La Colombe methodology to qualify leads. Maintain CRM to communicate, track, and onboard new deals.

ONBOARDING & TRAINING Collaborate with Market Sales Manager and Regional Sales Director to build training materials; one pagers, guides, other resources. Evolve our current La Colombe Sales Representative Training Program. Work directly with Sales Representatives in the region to further develop their sales skills including grand accounts playbook execution, outbound sales, program consulting, articulating La Colombe Value Proposition. Support Sales Representatives in the region at key tastings and negotiations.

LEADERSHIP Set a positive example for the team: assist local teams in their day-to-day activities, providing mentorship, insight, and assistance with client requests. Be timely and prepared for meetings both internally and externally. Contribute to discussions, bringing a thoughtful point of view. Take ownership of your book of business.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Provide consultation on all aspects of the coffee business; coffee equipment, product choice, layout design, and general business insights. Communicate and interact optimally with internal departments including client services, technical services, production, marketing, and retail. Work with the Food Service and National Accounts teams to implement sophisticated deals. Maintain a flexible schedule allowing for, when needed, periodic travel, weekends, and after-hours work.

COMMUNICATION Develops productive working relationships with members of other departments including technical services, client services, marketing, ops team, and retail team. Identify key partners to move deals and projects forward, while being conscientious of their time and resources. Update Market Sales Manager on deals, leads, and health of book of business on a regular basis. Bring Market Sales Manager into fold for large opportunities.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Deliver the highest degree of customer service at every stage in the customer experience with detailed, reliable, and timely responses. Communicate in a professional manner with client partners at manager, executive, and ownership levels. Anticipate and proactively take charge of difficult situations finding solutions for clients in line with La Colombe’s resources.

INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE Stay current on new restaurant and hotel openings both locally and nationally. Participate in coffee related events including trade shows, throw-downs, seminars, and other after hours events. Seek out new coffee products, equipment, and industry trends. Establish relationships with chefs, managers, and hospitality staff to improve your network.

Requirements

• Passionate about coffee.
• 2 - 5 years sales experience in the hospitality, foodservice, or specialty coffee industry.
• Proven track record of success in your professional career.
• Positive and professional communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Strong listening skills; ability to interact with all levels of internal and external contacts.
• Must be a self-starter, a quick learner, and will have the ability to efficiently manage various high-priority responsibilities while keeping management advised.
• Ability to work occasional non traditional hours
• Occasionally assist lifting, moving, and/or carrying coffee equipment
• Ability to travel locally (40 miles) and regionally (100+ miles), (70%, 30%, respectively)
• Ability to travel for 3 consecutive nights once or twice per month
• Valid driver's license
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Fine dining, specialty coffee, or 4-star hotel experience.
• Experience using sales tools (salesforce, HubSpot, etc.)
• Experience with microsoft/google suite (excel, word, powerpoint or equivalents)
• Problem solving, technical acumen and desire to learn.