Outside Sales Rep - Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Chesapeake, VA

Sam Rust Seafood (SRS) is a well-established processor and distributor of exceptional live, fresh and frozen seafood. We create and maintain collaborative relationships with our customers, including white tablecloth restaurants to buffets, supermarket chains, hotels, caterers, healthcare facilities and natural food markets. Our focus on seafood allows us to go above and beyond our customers expectations for high quality seafood and develop strategies to help our customers succeed in a competitive market.

This is an outside sales position responsible for maintaining and expanding our reach in the Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth area market through promoting Sam Rust products and developing working relationships with key decision makers at current and potential customers. Our goal is to help our customers succeed in a competitive market through offering high quality seafood at sharp prices. The qualified candidate is a self-motivated individual that understands the wholesale seafood industry, enjoys relationship building and able to identify new business opportunities as well as maintain current customers.

The territory for this position includes Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and surrounding cities.

**Candidates will need to reside in the immediate area.**

Essential Functions:

• Sells SRS products to restaurants, hotels, caterers, retail establishments, etc.
• Develops new business and penetrates existing business in order to achieve sales growth within the territory.
• Works to anticipate problems before they occur and solves major customer issues/problems quickly when/if they occur.
• Assists in the development of annual sales objectives. Responsible for achieving sales objectives within established budget.
• Maintains and develops outstanding customer relationships primarily through interpersonal communication, sales calls (site visits), phone calls and secondarily through e-mail and written correspondence.
• Maintains an acceptable level of A/R, involvement where/when needed in collections.
• Integrity of Sam Rust Seafood, Inc. must be demonstrated in all job actions.
• Professionalism of Sam Rust Seafood, Inc. must be demonstrated in all job actions.
• Attends sales meetings, training, etc. as/when offered.
• Maintains confidentiality of all Company and customer information.
• Travels to current and potential customer sites on a regular, recurring basis.
• Maintains excellent attendance to ensure products are sold, orders processed and delivered, and customers are satisfied.
• Normal Monday to Friday workweek, with occasional late night, holiday and/or weekend work required.
• Requires ability to travel to customer sites, sit for extended periods, stand, bend, walk up and down stairs, read English, listen and speak with diverse audience, and occasional lifting of packages weighing up to 25 pounds.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS:

• Performs additional duties as requested by Sales Manager or Senior Management.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School diploma or general education degree (GED)
• 3 years of either inside or outside sales experience in wholesale food service or culinary products
• Reside in the designated territory
• Must possess good computer skills and be proficient in the use of e-mail, word processing, MS Outlook
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must pass pre-employment and post-offer testing

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality; or Culinary Arts
• 1 year experience in seafood sales