Econo Foods is a South African food distributor and retailer specializing in frozen and chilled foods, groceries, and fresh produce. It has both retail stores for the public and a wholesale food service division that supplies the hospitality and food service industry. The company was founded in 1996.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

• We are in search of a highly motivated Outbound Sales Representative with a background in the food industry, to join our dynamic team in South Africa. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in maintaining existing customer relationships, identifying new markets, and driving sales growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and Maintain Client Relationships: Build robust relationships with clients to understand their needs and preferences.
• Sales and Business Development: Drive sales growth by identifying new business opportunities and implementing effective sales strategies.
• Market Analysis: Conduct thorough market research to stay informed about market trends, competitor activities, and consumer behaviour.
• Product Promotion: Effectively promote our food products to potential clients in the informal market through product demonstrations and presentations.
• Achieve Sales Targets: Meet and exceed sales targets by effectively managing sales pipelines and converting leads into sales through a relationship-based approach.
• Demonstrate Products: Showcase products to existing and potential customers, assisting them in selecting those best suited to their needs.
• Establish and Maintain Business Relationships: Develop and maintain business relationships with current and prospective customers to generate new business for EconoFoods products.
• Reporting: Supply management with oral and written reports on customer needs, problems, interests, competitive activities, and potential for new products and services.
• Market Awareness: Keep up to date with new products, market conditions, advertising, and promotional trends through the reading of relevant literature and consulting with the marketing department.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Matric certificate or equivalent qualification.
• Proven experience of at least 2 years in an outbound sales representative role, with a preference for experience within the FMCG Retail industry.
• FMCG roles often require working in fast-paced environments, so experience in such settings can be advantageous
• Valid driver’s license.
• Strong understanding of the South African food industry
• Willingness to travel within South Africa and work flexible hours as required.

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

• Building and maintaining relationships with strong interpersonal skills – living out the company values and unique HO HOLA culture.
• Friendly, helpful, confident yet humble, and able to work well in a team.
• Ability to work in a highly competitive, fast past and dynamic environment.
• Ability to communicate fluently in English (written and verbal).
• Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft.
• Strong communication skills.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Conduct sales activities to generate leads and drive revenue.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Collaborate with team members to develop effective sales strategies and achieve targets.
• Provide exceptional customer service and support throughout the sales process.
• Strong negotiation and persuasion abilities.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.