General Summary
Essential Job Functions
Develop new sales opportunities within assigned territory by prospecting and pursuing targeted new business. Negotiate and close new patrons to increase customer base year-over-year. Follow up on sales leads. Call or visit potential customers, initiate mailings and other related activities.
Develop and leverage customer relationships with businesses and industry entities such as real estate companies, home builder associations and other trades and organizations to cultivate new business prospects.
Participate in trade shows and other related events; actively participate in industry and civic organizations to continually build a professional network.
Perform cold calling of prospects generated by external sources or leads.
Follow-up on new accounts to gauge customer satisfaction.
Manage existing customer relationships with regular courtesy contacts to ensure ongoing customer satisfaction with guidance from management
Attend and participate in service and safety training and other educational programs offered by the company.
Develop a unified working relationship with local store management and service/delivery personnel focused on customer service and growth as a top priority. Products will be sold at current store tier pricing levels unless otherwise approved by the store manager.
Develop an account retention program that builds customer loyalty by conducting periodic visits with key accounts.
Diligently document activity in Southern States' CRM system to drive successful sales calls.
Qualifications
Education: Some college or equivalent in experience & education (business related Bachelor's Degree preferred).
Experience: Two years related work experience in logistics, distribution, equipment sales or a comparable field preferred.
Requirements
Basic computer skills: Word, Outlook, Excel
Must be able to achieve minimum sales goals
Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license
Ability to work outdoors and in various weather & driving conditions
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively with existing and potential customers
Flexibility of schedule to meet the demands of the business
Positive thinker and a team player a must
Work Environment
Job functions are performed primarily in a field environment calling on prospective residential, commercial and agricultural customers.
While traveling may have contact with hazardous materials and drive/travel and work in adverse weather conditions
Physical Activities & Requirements
While performing the essential job functions of this position, the following is required:
Continuously balance, bend, manual dexterity (fingers and hands), use hands in repetitive motion, sit, utilize eye/hand coordination
Frequently stand, walk, turn and twist head/neck and back/waist
Occasionally drive, crouch, kneel, pull, push, lift, carry up to 25 pounds
Must be able to speak to co-workers and customers regarding day-to-day business operations.
Tools & Equipment Supplied
Company vehicle, computer, printer, phone
Southern States Cooperative is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against individuals based on their race, color, religion or belief, national or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, family medical history or genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state or local laws, or regulations.
Skills Required
- Some college or equivalent combination of experience and education
- Business-related bachelor's degree
- Two years of related work experience in logistics, distribution, equipment sales, or a comparable field
- Basic computer skills, including Word, Outlook, and Excel
- Ability to achieve minimum sales goals
- Valid driver's license
- Ability to work outdoors and in various weather and driving conditions
- Clear and effective communication with existing and potential customers
- Flexible schedule to meet business demands
- Ability to work as a positive, team-oriented employee
- Ability to drive and travel in a field sales environment
- Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds
Southern States Cooperative Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Southern States Cooperative and has not been reviewed or approved by Southern States Cooperative.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage sits alongside wellness, disability, life, AD&D, FSAs, and an EAP, forming a broad health and protection suite. Insurance quality is singled out positively in multiple roles.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, company holidays, and a vacation buy-back option offer meaningful time-away flexibility. PTO is characterized as better than average in several accounts.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match and a long-standing savings and retirement plan for certain employees support long-term financial security. These programs are regularly highlighted as core elements of total rewards.
Southern States Cooperative Insights
What We Do
Welcome to Southern States Cooperative's Company Page! You can also visit www.southernstates.com for special updates, our library of articles and more! Ask us for expert advice on farming, raising livestock, gardening and more. Our Mission Our mission is to be customer-focused and the best at providing products, services and growing solutions for farms and around the home...Farmer owned since 1923. Our Values Embrace our agricultural heritage. We recognize the deep roots we share with the farming communities in which we operate. As such, we will continue to embrace the people, the rural way of life, and the leadership opportunity we've been given for the stewardship and preservation of farming, the environment and our rural communities. Do our best, no matter what. Determination. Initiative. Reliability. The cornerstones of a good day's work. We recognize the trust our customers place in us and we realize there will always be challenges. With this in mind, we never let obstacles get in our way and we hold ourselves accountable as we strive to do our best every single day. Always be neighborly. We are committed to honor and practice the values we share with our farming communities: integrity, high ethical and moral standards, and respect for the land, patrons and for our associates. -- Southern States Cooperative reserves the right to collect User Generated Content such as submitted photos and videos to use in marketing materials where appropriate and to remove any and all inappropriate post content. Our team strives to answer your questions as quickly and accurately as possible through all of our social networks.
