Sales Representative

Sales Representative

Salary: TT$10,000

Location: Country Wide

JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for servicing and maintaining existing customer base and identifying profitable opportunities for new business. Evaluates customer’s needs and makes recommendations to ensure premium pricing and enhancement of bottom-line profit.  Requires selling skills to enhance the customer’s supply chain effectiveness with convenient and reliable transportation solutions and strives to exceed yearly budgetary targets.

JOB SCOPE

No supervisory or budgetary responsibilities

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Performs on-site sales visits regarding maintenance of existing accounts, targeted accounts and/or newly assigned accounts to exceed yearly revenue and budgetary expectations. Completes and updates account profiles on each customer. Performs follow-up sales visits as required. 
2. Develops preliminary customer needs analyses and qualifies targeted customer prior to conducting sales visits. Prepares and researches each account for history and recently activated accounts to ensure understanding of customer needs, competitive situation and shipping patterns. Determines specific objective to be achieved with sales call and plans in detail the sales call activity. 
3. Makes product presentations and closes on business. Makes appropriate product presentations considering features, facts, and benefits. Identifies real customer needs and reaches agreement relative to the product meeting those needs. Gets commitment to business by overcoming customer objections.  
4. Follows up on sales calls by establishing credit, sending out expected correspondence and completing post-transaction follow-up to assist the customer. Updates account profiles to keep current and reviews call notes regarding duties to be completed. Follow up on all outstanding accounts receivable.
5. Prepares weekly sales report and sales itineraries. Updates account profile system and highlights sales calls in CRM system. 
6. Actively required to utilize the resources, reporting and data entry functions of the CRM system.
7. Actively participates in sales calls/sales efforts in outports and sales blitzes within assigned market area or areas. Communicates with appropriate sales representative or sales management in local market to encourage continued sales growth. (This may include traveling to offshore locations)
8. Actively participates in required Sales Training Program, comprehending sales and marketing theory, demonstrating the application of sales techniques in the field.
9. Identifies, reports and establishes strategy to achieve new business from Focus Accounts. 
10. Performs follow-up on sales visits such as rate quotations, sales leads, letters, PAD suggestions, and any other special arrangements. 
11. Attending sales meetings, trade shows or other functions representing the company.
12. Seeks information regarding competitors and their product offerings. Stays abreast of market and competitive trends by reviewing Journal of Commerce (JOC) statistics, keeping close to the business and reviewing sales variance reports. 
13. Performs research activities including the preparation of the account profile, completion of customer activity reports and review of JOC reports to determine goods shipped within assigned territories. Gathers other competitive and customer research utilizing newspapers, trade magazine sources, and customer information regarding future ports of destination.  
14. Maintains technical & professional proficiency as required by corporate guidelines.
15. Performs all other assigned duties.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

(Education and experience minimums can be substituted with any equivalent combination of training and experience)

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ABILITIES

• Skills in word processing, graphics presentation and spreadsheet applications.
• Skills in typing.
• Skills in the operation and use of a calculator and computer.
• Skills in selling and persuasive discourse and knowledge of sales principles.
• Skills in reading comprehension.
• Skills in public speaking.
• Skills in planning and organizing.
• Skills in oral and written communications.
• Skills in negotiations.
• Skills in mathematics, and an understanding of formulas for pricing theory.
• Skills in formulating and implementing sales presentations.
• Skills in decision making.
• Skills in analytical thinking.
• Knowledge of Windows environment and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of Tropical’s strengths and challenges vs. Competition Knowledge of sales principles.
• Knowledge of regulatory practices
• Knowledge of pricing procedures and market strategies.
• Knowledge of operations, sales, and traffic.
• Knowledge of intermodal concepts
• Knowledge of ocean transportation industry including shipping terminology, tariffs, and other legal requirements.
• Knowledge of How to Relate to Customer's Profitability
• Knowledge of features, benefits, and advantages of Tropical Shipping’s products/services Knowledge of container and vessel stow capabilities.
• Knowledge of business practices and financial concepts, inventory, and cost of money.
• Knowledge of competitive position prior to sales call
• Knowledge of competition, various transportation and related industries.
• Knowledge of company services, competition, tariffs, regulations, equipment, and islands history and geography. 
• Knowledge of cargo logistics.
• Ability to write legibly.
• Ability to work within a team structure.
• Ability to work under deadline pressure and perform tasks as required.
• Ability to work on multiple assignments.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to work effectively with people.
• Ability to utilize effective internal communication to deliver market and/or customer information to  the correct person(s) in a timely manner and assure follow through to closure.
• Ability to use the principles of the sales process to secure business.
• Ability to use office time productively to maximize efficiency to increase frequency of face-to-face sales calls.
• Ability to use judgment to work ahead within limits of authority.
• Ability to use appropriate written communication to follow up with clear and concise language using error free content in a professional manner.
• Ability to use appropriate nonverbal communication techniques including eye contact during Sales calls.
• Ability to understand the customer’s needs and sell to those needs.
• Ability to treat others with courtesy, respect and dignity and always maintains professionalism.
• Ability to take notes during a sales call to record/relay information afterwards.
• Ability to submit sales reports on time, accurately, and complete.
• Ability to speak clearly and concisely using appropriate language which is free from jargon and acronyms to ensure comprehension by the listener Ability to solve customer problems by working interdepartmentally.
• Ability to solicit feedback.
• Ability to set priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to set goals and objectives for assigned territory.
• Ability to sell minimal exceptions to standard product features.
• Ability to sell a (premium) value added service and close on business.
• Ability to select and prioritize profitable accounts which are consistent with company objectives Ability to seek opportunities to reinforce customer relationships outside the business environment and work week.
• Ability to review, create and utilize Account Profiles Ability to respond to sales leads within 72 hours.
• Ability to resolve customer problems using appropriate company resources to their satisfaction.
• Ability to regularly call on major accounts.
• Ability to recognize customer's interests (i.e., personal, nonbusiness)
• Ability to react constructively to criticism.
• Ability to qualify accounts and obtain basic information before a planned sale call Ability to present/sell E-Commerce solutions/tools.
• Ability to pre-qualify accounts.
• Ability to prepare and submit completed market reports/information on time Ability to prepare and deliver client presentations for public speaking opportunities Ability to perform with minimum management supervision.
• Ability to pay attention to detail.
• Ability to overcome objections and provide alternative solutions.
• Ability to maintain a well-groomed professional appearance and dress appropriately for the situation, thereby creating a positive impression.
• Ability to display a knowledge level of major accounts and activity within assigned account base Ability to handle particular focus clients.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities simultaneously (multitask)
• Ability to clearly explain the benefits that Tropical Shipping offers the customer and seek. 
• agreement that these benefits satisfy the customer’s needs Ability to establish working relationships within the company. Ability to establish effective action plans to acquire business.
• Ability to establish call objectives.
• Ability to effectively utilize the Tropical Shipping Sales Presenter to show a customer how we can meet their needs.
• Ability to effectively use icebreaker (build rapport) and transition as sales process tools Ability to effectively persuade others.
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and/or written following a sales call based upon the  results (i.e., send sales leads, route orders, letters, phone conversations, etc.) Ability to do the proper research on customers’ Ability to develop and maintain customer relations.
• Ability to develop a comfortable rapport with most assigned customers.
• Ability to demonstrate interest in job.
• Ability to demonstrate honesty, a caring nature and sincerity.
• Ability to blend interpersonal communication and negotiating techniques.
• Ability to be tactful, diplomatic along with demonstrating honesty, caring and sincerity Ability to be flexible.
• Ability to be customer sensitive and demonstrate good listening skills.
• Ability to be consistently on time or early for scheduled appointments and prepared to obtain the business. 
• Ability to influence events or achieve goals.
• Ability to ask for business at every opportunity.
• Ability to arrange daily sales calls logically, schedule appointments and consider location of accounts to minimize downtime.
• Ability to analyze data, create reports and generate sales leads.