Field Outside Sales Representative

PEPL has been engaged to place a Field Outside Sales Representative for a well established manufacturing organization. The Field Outside Sales Representative is responsible for developing, managing, and growing customer and distributor relationships within an assigned territory or market. This role is focused on driving profitable revenue growth through value-based selling, consultative customer engagement, and strong follow-through on customer needs and opportunities. 

This position is expected to position the company as a long-term technical, service, and solutions partner rather than simply a product supplier. The Field Outside Sales Representative must understand customer operations, identify business opportunities, communicate the value of the company’s products and services, and work cross-functionally to ensure customer expectations are clearly understood and effectively supported. 

The role requires strong communication, presentation, negotiation, planning, and relationship-building skills, along with the ability to sell based on value, performance, reliability, safety, service capability, technical support, total cost of ownership, and long-term customer impact rather than price alone. 

Key Responsibilities 

Customer Relations and Value-Based Engagement 

• Build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with new and existing customers and distributors to increase loyalty, improve retention, and support profitable revenue growth. 

• Position the company as a long-term technical and service partner, not simply a product supplier. 

• Lead customer conversations around value, performance, reliability, safety, total cost of ownership, service capability, product quality, technical support, and long-term business impact rather than price alone. 

• Proactively communicate with customers and distributors to understand their operational needs, challenges, buying drivers, future requirements, and opportunities for improvement. 

• Conduct regular customer site visits to better understand customer operations, application needs, pain points, and opportunities to provide solutions that improve customer outcomes. 

• Use customer visits to strengthen relationships, identify new business opportunities, gather market feedback, and reinforce the company’s technical expertise, service support, and product differentiation. 

• Proactively identify customer concerns, service issues, competitive threats, or business risks and work with internal teams to resolve them quickly and professionally. 

• Maintain a high level of customer satisfaction by ensuring timely follow-up, clear communication, and effective resolution of customer needs. 

• Facilitate customer interactions including quotations, contract discussions, pricing agreements, and service commitments while protecting company margin and reinforcing the value of the full offering. 

Sales Strategy and Business Development 

• Develop and execute territory and account sales strategies that emphasize value selling, customer problem-solving, product performance, technical differentiation, service reliability, and total cost of ownership. 

• Lead sales efforts with a disciplined focus on profitable growth rather than price-based selling or transactional order-taking. 

• Identify customer-specific value drivers and tailor sales messaging to demonstrate how the company’s products, services, technical support, manufacturing capability, and reliability create measurable value. 

• Develop business plans for assigned territories, markets, or accounts based on customer potential, market analysis, competitive positioning, growth opportunities, and margin objectives. 

• Use market research, customer feedback, sales data, and pipeline analysis to establish realistic sales forecasts, growth targets, and account priorities. 

• Monitor progress against sales objectives and take corrective action when needed to address risks, improve performance, and capture growth opportunities. 

• Identify and pursue sales and service opportunities that align with company strategy, production capabilities, and profitable growth objectives. 

• Participate in trade associations, industry events, customer meetings, and networking opportunities to increase company visibility and develop new business relationships. 

• Provide regular updates to leadership on sales performance, customer activity, market trends, competitive activity, pricing pressure, pipeline development, and strategic initiatives. 

Interdepartmental Collaboration 

• Partner closely with Marketing, Technical, Inside Sales, Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and leadership to align customer needs with company capabilities. 

• Work with internal teams to develop customer solutions that support value selling, including technical recommendations, service support, production capabilities, quality performance, and delivery commitments. 

• Coordinate and support manufacturing plant tours for customers and distributors to showcase product quality, technical capability, vertical integration, service support, and other differentiators. 

• Communicate customer expectations, market feedback, competitive activity, and business opportunities to internal stakeholders to support decision-making and continuous improvement. 

• Work cross-functionally to ensure commitments made to customers are realistic, clearly understood, and effectively executed. 

Effective Communication 

• Communicate clearly, professionally, and persuasively in customer meetings, internal discussions, presentations, negotiations, and written communications. 

• Present the company’s value proposition in a compelling way that connects product and service capabilities to customer needs, operational challenges, and business outcomes. 

• Build trust and credibility with customers, distributors, colleagues, and stakeholders through strong communication, preparation, responsiveness, and follow-through. 

• Effectively explain technical, commercial, and service-related information in a way that is clear, practical, and relevant to the audience. 

• Demonstrate confidence and professionalism when negotiating, presenting recommendations, addressing concerns, or resolving conflicts. 

Time Management and Organization 

• Manage time, priorities, travel schedules, customer follow-up, and internal responsibilities effectively. 

• Maintain strong attention to detail in customer communications, quotations, documentation, reporting, CRM activity, and follow-up actions. 

• Ensure consistent follow-through on customer commitments, internal requests, sales opportunities, and strategic initiatives from start to completion. 

• Communicate progress, risks, and obstacles transparently to stakeholders to ensure expectations are managed effectively. 

• Identify opportunities to improve sales processes, workflows, reporting, and customer engagement practices. 

Sales Reporting and CRM Documentation 

• Maintain accurate and timely CRM records, including customer interactions, call plans, call reports, journal entries, opportunities, follow-up activities, and pipeline updates. 

• Prepare and submit weekly, monthly, semi-annual, and other required reports documenting sales activities, customer engagement, sales volume, revenue, margin opportunities, and pipeline progression. 

• Use sales reports, CRM data, and market information to identify trends, risks, customer opportunities, and areas for improvement. 

• Ensure customer data, sales activity, pricing discussions, and follow-up items are documented clearly to support visibility, accountability, and continuity across the organization. 

Team Support and Professional Conduct 

• Support fellow account managers and sales team members by sharing customer insights, market knowledge, and value-selling best practices. 

• Promote a collaborative, professional, and solution-oriented team environment. 

• Demonstrate accountability, professionalism, and ownership when representing the company internally and externally. 

• Maintain professional behavior during working hours, while traveling for business, while on company or customer sites, and at all times when representing the company. 

Safety Compliance 

• Prioritize safety at all times when working internally, visiting customer sites, traveling, or participating in plant tours. 

• Follow all company, customer, and site-specific safety requirements, including required PPE and safety procedures. 

• Promote a strong safety culture and represent the company professionally while on company, customer, supplier, distributor, or partner sites. 

Qualifications and Experience Requirements 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, or related field required. 

• 5–10 years of experience within manufacturing, industrial, OEM, distribution, or a related business environment required. 

• Demonstrated experience in value-based selling, consultative sales, customer relationship management, and revenue growth. 

• Demonstrates a proactive approach to sales with exceptional communication and presentation skills. 

• Ability to effectively convey ideas, negotiate terms, and address customer needs with clarity and persuasiveness. 

• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to quickly identify issues and implement effective solutions to overcome challenges. 

• Adaptable and resourceful in navigating complex sales scenarios and resolving customer concerns. 

• Proven track record of establishing strategic partnerships and alliances to expand customer bases and enhance revenue streams. 

• Skilled in building and maintaining long-term relationships with customers, distributors, vendors, and industry stakeholders. 

• Results-oriented with a focus on driving profitable revenue growth and maximizing opportunities for success. 

• Ability to cultivate strong internal and cross-functional relationships, leveraging teamwork to deliver exceptional customer service and support. 

• Proficient in negotiation techniques and strategic planning activities to secure favorable terms and agreements with customers and partners. 

• Skilled in conducting research, analyzing market trends, evaluating customer needs, and developing comprehensive plans to drive sales and business growth. 

• Ability to position products, services, technical support, and company capabilities based on value, performance, reliability, total cost of ownership, and customer business impact rather than price alone. 

Skills and Competencies 

• Strong value-based selling and consultative sales skills. 

• Strong customer relationship management and business development skills. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

• Strong presentation, negotiation, and persuasion skills. 

• Strong planning, organization, time management, and follow-through skills. 

• Ability to identify customer needs, business risks, buying drivers, and growth opportunities. 

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use sales data, CRM activity, market research, and customer feedback to support business decisions. 

• Ability to manage pricing discussions while protecting margin and reinforcing value. 

• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to resolve customer concerns professionally. 

• Ability to work independently in the field while maintaining strong alignment with internal teams. 

• Professional, collaborative, and customer-focused approach. 

Travel and Other Requirements 

• Travel ~50% to company, customer, supplier, distributor, trade association, conference, and other business locations throughout North America, including overnight travel. 

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and passport without restrictions. 

• Ability to work at customer sites, manufacturing facilities, supplier locations, and industry events as required. 

• Perform any other duties deemed necessary by management to support business needs, customer relationships, and sales objectives.