Area Sales Manager

The Area Sales Manager will be responsible for driving sales and expanding the market for Xolopak India's cake-base products across the west region. The role involves developing new business opportunities, managing distributor and institutional relationships, achieving sales targets and identifying market trends to strengthen the company's presence in the bakery and food service segment.

The core responsibilities for the job include the following:

Lead Generation and Business Development:

• Identify and develop new business opportunities in bakeries, cake shops, cafes, hotels, restaurants, cloud kitchens and food manufacturers.
• Appoint and manage distributors, wholesalers and channel partners in the assigned territory.
• Negotiate commercial terms and successfully close sales deals.

Client Needs Analysis and Relationship Management:

• Understand customer requirements and recommend suitable Cake Base products based on application and volume.
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with key customers and distributors.
• Resolve customer queries and coordinate with production and logistics teams to ensure timely deliveries.
• Gather customer feedback and identify opportunities for product improvement and portfolio expansion.

Achieving Sales Targets:

• Achieve monthly, quarterly and annual sales and revenue targets.
• Develop and execute territory-wise sales plans to maximise market penetration.
• Monitor primary and secondary sales performance and implement corrective actions where required.
• Ensure timely payment collections and maintain healthy receivables.

Forecasting and Market Research:

• Prepare monthly sales forecasts and demand plans to support production scheduling.
• Conduct market research on customer preferences, pricing, competitor activities and emerging bakery trends.
• Identify new market segments and growth opportunities.
• Submit regular sales reports, pipeline updates and competitor intelligence to management.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Achievement of sales volume and revenue targets.
• New customer acquisition and distributor appointments.
• Lead-to-order conversion rate.
• Customer retention and repeat business.
• Timely payment collections.
• Forecast accuracy and market share growth.
• Expansion of the bakery, HoReCa, and institutional customer base.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, food technology, marketing or a related field.
• 5-7 years of experience in FMCG, bakery ingredients, food ingredients or institutional food sales.
• Experience in handling distributors and key accounts within the bakery or HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and cafs) segment will be preferred.
• Strong B2B sales and business development skills.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and relationship management abilities.
• Good understanding of bakery products and food service markets.
• Analytical skills for sales forecasting and market analysis.
• Proficiency in MS Office and CRM software.
• Willingness to travel extensively within Mumbai and surrounding regions.