Regional Sales Manager (East Malaysia)

The Regional Sales Manager is responsible for managing sales operation to build an effective sales team (both exclusive & general); and developing customers (i.e.: retailers & sub-distributors) within assigned territory to deliver mutual business growth & profitability.

Responsibilities

Sales Force Effectiveness & Team Development

• Lead and motivate field sales team to maximize coverage of all active stores serviced by both main & sub-distributors, optimizing route with the right call frequency, ensuring outlet servicing is up to expectations.
• Conduct regular store audits and route analysis to identify areas for improvement in call frequency, store servicing, and overall sales effectiveness.
• Equip the sales team with the necessary tools and resources to achieve their KPIs.
• Develop and mentor a high-performing sales team by providing regular feedback, coaching, and training.
• Effectively communicate and cascade sales activation plans, bulletins, and company initiatives to the field sales team.
• Conduct regular performance reviews with sales supervisors/executives on operations & field sales team to identify areas of improvement.
• Define and communicate clear, measurable, and achievable sales targets and objectives to the sales team, ensuring alignment with overall business goals.
• Drive Perfect Store execution, complying with set KPIs, ensuring availability of the right products in the right channel, with the right amount of space on shelf.
• Drive development of direct report to strengthen leadership and development capability.

Customer & Distributor Development

• Conducts regular business reviews with key customers & distributor partners to assess risks & opportunities with factual data & sales analysis, to ensure mutual business objectives are met.
• Negotiate and implement effective trade activation plans and selling programs in collaboration with customers, ensuring in-store execution meets agreed-upon objectives.
• Collaborate with sub-distributors on demand forecasting, order fulfillment, and inventory management to ensure optimal stock levels and minimize stockouts.
• Work closely with distributor to improve logistics & delivery performance, to ensure high customer service level with minimal late deliveries & dropped orders.
• Constantly identifies opportunities for coverage expansion to maximize census and reach as many pet parents as possible, with on-ground market intelligence & market research data insights.

Sales Planning & Strategy

• Collaborate closely with Trade Marketing to develop and execute impactful trade activation plans and selling programs for key retailers and distributors.
• Analyze ROI of trade execution initiatives and adjust strategies accordingly to maximize return on investment.
• Develop and implement regional sales strategies aligned with overall company objectives and market trends.
• Provide timely inputs on Demand Planning on bottoms-up forecast projection, incorporating activity-based building blocks (e.g.: trade activation plans) on-top of baseline, alongside with TE projection.
• Plans & execute product listings & distribution expansion for new product launch and distribution drive, with effective execution & adequate support for field sales.
• Conduct thorough evaluations of key initiatives and "big bet" activities to assess their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and customer behavior to identify potential threats and opportunities, and escalate relevant information to management and Trade Marketing.

Business Performance Deliverables

• Achieve and exceed key performance indicators (KPIs), including sales revenue, key product portfolio/ customer growth, distribution targets, trade spend management, non-sellable returns management, team’s productivity performance & retention.
• Be accountable for the overall performance of the regional sales team and ensure alignment with company objectives and strategic priorities

Qualifications

• Relevant university education – Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum 5-6 years’ experience in sales, preferably in FMCG
• Strong background in managing a field sales team.
• Fluent in both English & Bahasa Melayu (Knowledge of local dialects would be added advantage)
• Computer literate, proficient in Microsoft Excel
• At least 3 years of team management and 5 years in sales positions
• Strong commercial and business acumen with good negotiation skills
• Possess valid driver’s license & own transport. Willing to travel outstation frequently.