Area Sales Manager

We are the internal recruitment partner for our client, a well-established, independent, family-owned enterprise that has been a cornerstone of the UK food-service distribution sector for five decades.

They are seeking an Area Sales Manager to develop and grow customer relationships while identifying new business opportunities across the south west. This is a field-based role, working closely with the Telesales team to focus on face-to-face account development, category growth, and new business acquisition. The role is contracted at 45 hours per week, offers flexibility to meet customer needs, and requires effective diary management rather than a traditional 9-5 approach.

Responsibilities:

Represent the company professionally and deliver a high level of service to all customers
Develop existing customer relationships, identifying opportunities to introduce new products and categories
Proactively identify, target, and open new business accounts
Respond to incoming sales leads and work closely with the telesales team
Plan and manage a structured customer visit schedule across your territory
Drive category growth across ambient, frozen, fish, fats, and oils
Support the Accounts team in maintaining agreed credit terms
Maintain accurate daily call reports and CRM records
Monitor and report on competitor activity within your territory
Produce regular sales activity and performance reports
Support company-wide sales campaigns and attend weekend exhibitions when requiredThe successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

Proven field sales experience (minimum 2 years)
Strong relationship-building skills with owner-managed and independent businesses
Excellent organisation and time-management skills to manage a flexible, field-based working pattern
A clean UK driving licence
Foodservice or food industry experience is advantageous but not essentialIn return we are offering:

Salary £37,000 - £39,000 per annum
Quarterly commission, with earning potential of up to £2,500 per quarter (up to £10,000 per year), with realistic earnings around £500-£1000 per quarter.
Additional new business incentives
Company car
Mobile phone & laptop
Monday to Friday working
28 days holiday including Bank Holidays
Pension scheme
Life Assurance
Employee Assistance Programme
Cycle to Work Scheme
Staff discounts
Learning and development opportunitiesInterested? Then APPLY now for immediate consideration