Distributor Manager

Job Description

Job Description:

Job Purpose

This position is responsible for managing distributor business in the assigned sales territories by building business partnership with distributors to achieve profitable growth both to the company and distributors, providing training and coaching distributors’ sales force to equip them with professionalism and ability to manage existing stores and develop new stores, conducting business plan and business review with distributors mainly in terms of numeric distribution, primary location of permanent and secondary display as well as how to win in stores with effective operational costs, carrying out analysis of sales data and providing recommendations to distributors to drive business results and maintain business advantage in the market.

Context and Scope

• Sell the products to distributor (sell in – Mars to distributors), work with key distributors (key customers) and van sales teams to fix fundamentals and boost sales performance, help distributors develop indirect stores and sell products to stores (sell out – distributors to stores) and monitor indirect customers
• Manage distribution performance of each distributor under responsibility by working closely with key customers, van sales and credit van sales to achieve distribution targets in all stores both in-width and in-depth distribution

In-width distribution

• Exploring opportunities and contact potential customers for new store opening
• Managing store coverage according to plan
• Achieve effective calls (repeat orders from visits)

In-depth distribution

• Managing SKUs in stores based on store types according to guidelines
• Manage merchandising and display performance of each distributor by working closely with key customers, van sales and credit van sales to achieve merchandising and display targets in all stores to ensure that
• Permanent product displays are set up on normal shelf according to plan-o-gram and share of shelf is maintained
• Secondary displays in stores are established and maintained
• Point of sales materials (POSM) are utilized in alignment with campaign timeline
• Monitor DSO performance of distributors in the following areas:
• Payment by distributors to Mars must be carried out on time
• Payment by indirect stores to distributors must be carried out according to the process and timeline
• Distributor’s credit salespeople deposit payment cheques collected from indirect stores in the bank account and return all documents to distributors
• Distributor’s van salespeople transfer cash payment after receiving cash from cash customers
• Provide recommendation and advice leading to the improvement of distributor’s operations; namely,
• Warehouse and inventory (such as safety stock)
• Customer service (customer service system)
• Accounting
• System support for invoicing, reporting and data processing and support distributors by conducting meetings and communication sessions with distributor owners, van and credit salespeople; namely
• Periodic sales cycle briefing
• Communication of messages and updates from Mars to distributors
• Coach and train distributors’ sales teams in the field and in classroom sessions in order to enhance their professionalism and performance especially in the sales process and selling skills; namely,
• Itinerary setting which must align with store coverage and frequency of purchase
• Visit and call targets
• On-time payment collection and process
• Reporting (such as order processing, scorecards, market reports)
• Excellent execution in stores
  • Call sequence (preparation, introduction, outlet checks, presentation, merchandising and display and administration)
  • Win in stores
  • Shelf shares in primary traffic area
  • 2nd display or permanent display
  • Store visibility
  • Product freshness in stores and effectively build team and boost sales force’s engagement and morale while ensuring that they work in line with the company’s expectations
• Prepare and provide sales information and analysis to related parties by
• Conducting sales performance analysis and performing business review with key customers on a periodic and quarterly basis for business development
• Providing sales area managers and related department with information to support decision making as well as recommendation and action plans in order to keep the competitiveness in the market
• Completing and submitting the following reports to related functions: Scorecard reports, Market reports
• Coordinate with other functions to ensure all priorities related to sales and customers are carried out appropriately
• Customer service/logistics
• S&F (Account Receivable)
• Marketing & Trade Marketing
• Manufacturing, etc.