The Sales Manager is responsible for driving business growth through proactive customer acquisition and market development while leading and coaching a team of sales professionals. This is a highly hands-on sales leadership role, requiring approximately 80% of the time to be dedicated to prospecting, developing new business opportunities, and expanding the customer base, while the remaining time focuses on team leadership, coaching, performance management, and employee development.
Key Responsibilities
- Dedicate approximately 80% of working time to prospecting and business development activities next to their team, including identifying new customers, building strategic relationships, generating qualified opportunities, and expanding market presence.
- Develop and execute sales strategies to achieve territory growth and revenue objectives.
- Lead by example through active field engagement and direct customer interaction.
- Manage, coach, and develop the sales team to maximize performance and customer engagement.
- Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, and development discussions with direct reports.
- Support team members in customer visits, negotiations, and complex sales opportunities.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer focus.
- Monitor market trends, competitor activities, and emerging business opportunities.
- Ensure achievement of sales targets, strategic objectives, and business growth plans.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to support customer success and business expansion.
Candidate Profile
- Proven track record in sales, business development, and customer acquisition.
- Culinary background
- Strong hunter mentality with demonstrated success in identifying and securing new business opportunities.
- Experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing sales teams.
- Ability to balance an active sales role with people leadership responsibilities.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Results-oriented mindset with a strong focus on growth and market expansion.
- Ability to motivate teams while remaining personally engaged in prospecting and customer-facing activities.
Success in the Role
The successful candidate will be a hands-on Sales Manager who spends the majority of their time in the market identifying and developing new business opportunities while simultaneously leading, coaching, and supporting their team to achieve sustainable growth and outstanding customer engagement.
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE:
- At least 3 years leading sales teams in large companies of kitchen equipment or food & beverage industry.
- Proven record of sales achievements.
- CRM Experience (Salesforce Preferred)
- Good culinary knowledge or has an affinity towards cooking.
- Experience in analysing financial figures and drawing the right conclusions out of it.
- Knows the current marketing methods and instruments and uses them successful
- Has outstanding presentation skills and knows how to present things in all hierarchal levels in an attractive way
- Has an excellent work organization (thoroughly, disciplined, detailed)
- Has good leadership skills
QUALITIES:
- Radiates self-confidence and a naturally authority
- Has fast powers of comprehension
- Comes up with solutions for problems and pushes them actively
- Is a positive person and can encourage and inspire
- Is able to enforce himself in resistances and can overcome them
- Is flexible
- Can handle high dynamic, speed and time pressure
EDUCATION AND OTHERS:
- Studies in business administration or similar
- Proven experience with state of the art IT application (e.g. MS Office, Salesforce)
- Proven working experience in a kitchen as a chef or cook is beneficial
- Travel frequency for the company (approx. 30%), normally within “your” region
LANGUAGES:
- English proficiency
German and other languages are advantageous