Customer Manager

Advantage Solutions hires a Customer Manager to drive sales and growth for its clients’ brands at assigned retail customers. The role develops customer strategies, coordinates sales activities and presentations, builds retailer relationships, and ensures business plans and client goals are achieved.

Responsibilities:

• Drive our clients’ business at assigned customer. Increase distribution, grow sales dollars/units/share/other KPI’s, while staying within budget guidelines
• Manage and coordinate Sales Activities, through sales analysis of customer data, sales planning, and sales presentation
• Conduit between Customer(s), Key Account Managers and Clients through product line presentations, new item presentations, display selling
• Manage and delegate KAM and Client Divisional Initiatives (i.e. achieving parity pricing vs. inline and competition, maintain up to date Team Business Trackers, photo request presentation, and special requests)
• Secure/ensure timely and accurate responses from customer(s) to KAM Team/Clients which includes promotion forecast
• Manage selling recommendations from the customer(s) to grow and build the business long-term
• Attend and present in client meetings at designated customer(s)
• Attend and present in Management Team meetings
• Conduct and manage customer(s) meetings focusing on client promotional events, displays, etc
• Build relationships with buyers and support departments at customer, works with KAM to recommend growth plans, execute plans, assist with tactical issues such as PO’s, cost changes, contract execution and ensuring retail/merchandising execution
• Develop and leverage relationships with key influencers and decision makers in assigned customers
• Sell displays, period promotions, present business reviews, and new item introductions
• Build and present product distributions based on previous performance using the customer scan data
• Present pricing disparities in assigned customer based on client recommendations; achieve parity pricing inline and vs. competition
• Take weekly photos based on client request and needs
• Acquire weekly pricing for clients based on their product (s)
• Meets or exceeds Client’s goals for sales, distribution, share, pricing, shelving, and promotional volume
• Launches strategies to pursue new opportunities
• Implements retailer headquarter calls and penetrate key positions at the retailer to:
• Achieve sales goals by managing and maximizing manufacturer marketing and promotional funds while staying within financial guidelines
• Ensure that all retail pricing and indirect order guides within the division is updated by regularly correcting discrepancies
• Secure Client approved schematics for all Clients’ brands by providing direction and communication to our schematic, reset, and retail departments
• Ensure incremental sales through distribution of new products and maintenance of existing SKU’s
• Collaborate with category management team to develop retailer presentations by using database rationale such as SKU optimization, efficient promotion causal data, and lift analysis
• Manage accounts to achieve the targeted ACV on Innovation
• Builds and maintains effective client and retailer relationships in order to ensure customer access and client perspective that we are connected and engaged with key stakeholders
• Demonstrates sales accomplishments and areas of opportunity by developing sales presentations for Customers and Clients
• Implements Customer HQ Calls and demonstrates an ability to penetrate key positions at the retailer
• Offers strategic input pursuant to annual business plans, problem solving, ongoing customer management. Finds the intersection of retailer and client objectives and drive win/win scenarios

Requirements:

• Education Level: (Required): Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 2-4 years in sales or retail experience and knowledge of CPG industry
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent written communication and verbal communication skills
• Ability to motivate and inspire
• Good interpersonal skills
• Demonstrate conflict management skills
• Excellent decision-making skills
• Ability to exercise sound judgment
• Ability to work effectively with management
• Ability to ensure a high level of service and quality is maintained
• Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, and web-browsers
• Knowledge and experience with designated customers preferred