ABOUT THE COMPANY
Founded in 1994, Straus Family Creamery is a mission-driven, family-owned-and-operated business dedicated to making premium organic dairy products, with minimal processing. The Straus Dairy Farm was the first certified organic dairy farm west of the Mississippi River and Straus Family Creamery was the first 100% certified organic creamery in the United States.
Land stewardship and sustainable farming are deeply rooted principles in our certified organic farming practices, and sustainability is a foundational principle of our Creamery operations. We actively prioritize climate positive impact in our business practices. We are working with the Straus Dairy Farm to implement a carbon neutral dairy model by 2023 and to expand that to the rest of our network dairy farms by 2030.
For more information visit https://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/.
ABOUT THE POSITION
As our Business Development Manager, Foodservice in Southern California, reporting to our Director of Specialty Channels, you’ll help us achieve this goal by accelerating the growth of our SoCal foodservice business. By driving sales & awareness of our values and priorities, you will directly impact our mission to sustain organic family dairy farms.
The BDM is our lead revenue driver in the Southern California foodservice industry, directly contributing to our 10-year growth plan. You will cultivate & strengthen relationships with chefs and culinary professionals and facilitate closing business with our distributor partners.
You will also be our brand ambassador to the culinary industry, serving as our eyes and ears on the street to inform trends, competitive intelligence, and greater opportunities in the marketplace.
This position will be based out of a remote/home office based within commuting distance of Los Angeles, California with +/- 75% time spent in the field. Daily presence in Southern California is required, with most time being spent in Greater Los Angeles and San Diego areas. Occasional travel to Northern California office required.
ABOUT YOU
You are:
- Passionate about organic food and cooking. You have a culinary or foodservice background and can speak to the value of our products from a knowledgeable viewpoint.
- Goal-oriented, revenue-focused, and motivated by SFC’s mission to support organic dairy farms and promote a climate positive food system.
- Experienced with values-based selling strategies.
- Professional and able to quickly establish relationships and develop credibility with prospects, with excellent follow-through.
- Disciplined, organized, with exceptional communication skills and an ability to work independently and geographically apart from the corporate office.
- Able to discuss the economics of running a business in differing scenarios (such as restaurant vs. corporate café) and can discuss pricing, margins and discounts with distributors and customers.
Please note that because this position involves tasting food, we cannot accommodate significant food allergies, especially dairy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Outside Sales & Account Management
- Drive new revenue development. Meet/exceed monthly and annual sales targets, growing market share in line with SFC’s strategic growth priorities.
- Build and diligently manage the sales pipeline. Identify new prospects through research and cold calling. Make frequent and repeated follow-up with prospects, a key success factor in this role. Qualify leads, and drive opportunities to closed sales by working closely with distributor sales representatives. Comfort with phone, text, and email and video communications.
- Use consultative sales tactics. Lead sales meetings that include the SFC story – our mission, values and product differentiation, relying on the concept of the true cost of food vs. product price comparisons alone. Manage sales conversations by listening more than talking, seeking alignment in goals between SFC and customer. Lead product tastings and competitive cuttings with customers.
- Develop relationships. Work closely with distributor teams and customers, establishing credibility as a trusted ally who shares in our customers’ goals to successfully manage their business.
- Provide excellent customer service. SFC is recognized in the industry as a relationship driven supplier who is present, available and responsive to customers’ needs. Follow up on requests for assistance by collaborating with distributors and internal SFC staff to resolve any issues or concerns that arise.
- Represent SFC in the marketplace. Attend trade shows, tabling events and other marketing events. Available to attend occasional weekend and evening events.
Brand Awareness & Customer Education
- Share our story. Evangelize SFC mission, values, business practices, and sustainability priorities, along with SFC’s superior product quality and performance features at every opportunity.
- Educate and train. Collaborate with distributors sales representatives to inform them on SFC mission, sustainability practices and product knowledge via formal presentations, ride-alongs, and in ad hoc conversations.
- Recommend marketing opportunities. Identify and recommend co-marketing/partnership opportunities as they arise. Capture images that can be used to promote the brand on social channels. Coordinate with SFC marketing team as needed.
