Territory Sales Manager

1. PRIMARY SALES AND DISTRIBUTOR DEVELOPMENT

• Deliver assigned monthly, weekly and daily primary sales volume, value, product-mix and priority-SKU targets for the assigned territory.

• Identify and recommend the right distributor or wholesale distributor required to provide effective coverage of the assigned area, in line with the company's appointment criteria and subject to ASM approval.

• Assess distributor capability, including financial capacity, infrastructure, warehouse, manpower, vehicles, market reach and willingness to invest, and support the onboarding process after approval.

• Prepare practical distributor-wise and SKU-wise order plans based on secondary sales, stock norms, market demand and agreed business targets.

• Generate and follow up distributor orders, payment readiness, dispatch and delivery while maintaining healthy stock levels and avoiding stock-outs, excess stock and ageing.

• Review primary and secondary sales alignment and agree corrective actions with the distributor and Area Sales Manager.

2. SECONDARY SALES AND REDISTRIBUTION

• Supervise distributor sales representatives to achieve daily and monthly secondary sales, load-out, strike-rate, lines-sold and productivity targets across assigned routes.

• Translate territory targets into clear route-wise, salesperson-wise and SKU-wise targets and review achievement every day.

• Ensure all sales and payment transactions are accurately captured through approved SFA/DMS tools and reconciled daily.

• Drive effective redistribution from distributor to wholesale and retail outlets, ensuring availability of the right assortment and pack sizes.

3. ROUTE-TO-MARKET, COVERAGE AND RETAIL DEVELOPMENT

• Implement approved Permanent Journey Plans, route and beat plans, call frequency and outlet coverage standards within the assigned territory.

• Ensure field teams work the approved days and routes, use SFA devices in trade, achieve the required calls and maintain strong productive-call levels.

• Expand numeric distribution by continuously identifying, recruiting and activating new wholesalers, retailers, stockists and other priority outlets.

• Drive availability, visibility, merchandising, price compliance, range selling and execution of approved sales drivers in covered outlets.

• Ensure trade schemes, promotions and new-product initiatives are executed only as approved and are clearly communicated to distributors and field teams.

4. DISTRIBUTOR AND CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT

• Maintain regular engagement with assigned distributors and conduct structured weekly performance reviews covering primary sales, secondary sales, stock, collections, route productivity and service issues.

• Ensure distributor infrastructure, manpower, vehicles, working capital and operational readiness are adequate for the assigned business.

• Build professional relationships with key wholesalers and retailers and ensure prompt resolution of service, claim and complaint issues.

• Ensure distributor and customer transactions comply with the company's commercial policies, approved pricing, schemes and control requirements.

5. PEOPLE SUPERVISION AND FIELD EXECUTION

• Lead daily alignment or gate meetings with distributor sales representatives to communicate targets, focus SKUs, schemes, routes and execution priorities.

• Conduct regular joint fieldwork, on-the-job coaching and performance reviews with assigned sales representatives.

• Monitor attendance, route adherence, productivity, discipline and reporting quality; address performance gaps and escalate repeated non-compliance to the ASM.

• Provide accurate input on manpower requirements, onboarding, training needs, incentives and deployment within the territory.

6. DMS, STOCK AND PROCESS CONTROL

• Check the Distributor Management System (DMS) daily to confirm that opening stock, purchases, sales, returns, collections, closing stock and other required transactions are posted accurately and on time.

• Train, coach and regularly guide the distributor DMS operator on correct system usage, transaction posting, daily reconciliation and reporting requirements.

• Conduct periodic physical stock checks against DMS records, investigate variances and ensure timely correction or escalation.

• Ensure strict FIFO/FEFO practice at distributor and outlet level and drive zero avoidable expiry, damage or unaccounted stock.

7. MARKET INTELLIGENCE, REPORTING AND COMPLIANCE

• Collect and submit verified market intelligence on competitor pricing, promotions, new products, distribution, trade margins and customer feedback.

• Submit complete and accurate daily, weekly and monthly reports within agreed timelines, including MTD performance and recovery plans for gaps.

• Comply with the company's policies, ethical standards, data confidentiality, health and safety requirements and approved ways of working.

• Primary sales volume, value and NIV achievement; product-mix and priority-SKU achievement.

• Secondary sales achievement, primary-secondary alignment and distributor stock norms.

• Numeric distribution, productive outlets, new outlet activation and range/lines sold.

• Route adherence, call productivity, strike rate, SFA/DMS usage and reporting accuracy.

• Stock availability, inventory ageing, FIFO/FEFO compliance, expiry and return levels.

• New distributor identification, capability assessment, onboarding support and assigned-area coverage.

• DMS accuracy, daily transaction posting, operator capability, stock reconciliation and exception closure.

• Distributor order fulfilment and complaint resolution.

• Field-team productivity, coaching frequency, execution quality and compliance.

• Bachelor's degree or HND/OND in Business Administration, Marketing or a related discipline from a recognised institution.

• NYSC completion where applicable.

• Minimum 3-5 years of FMCG field-sales experience, preferably in beverages, including distributor and route supervision exposure.

• Valid driver's license is an advantage; willingness to travel extensively and work in the field from Monday to Saturday.

• Must be able and willing to use a smartphone and approved sales automation tools for daily reporting.