Job Title
Area Sales Manager (ASM) – State Owner (Primary + Secondary)
Department
Sales
Reporting To
Zonal Head / Head of Sales
Location
State-level role (Extensive field travel)
Employment Type
Full-Time
Role Objective
Own and drive the complete state-level growth engine by managing Primary (Company → Distributor) and Secondary (Distributor → Market) sales with a strong execution focus on C/D/E-category retail outlets, while scaling Wholesale, HoReCa, and Institutional channels.
This role carries end-to-end accountability for distributor lifecycle, revenue, collections, field productivity, execution metrics, and contribution.
Key Responsibilities
A. State Business Ownership (Primary + Secondary)
Own full-state Primary & Secondary sales targets with sustainable month-on-month growth (no artificial primary loading).
Build and execute state business plan: district/town prioritization, distributor network design, coverage model, and channel mix.
Cascade targets into TL/FOS-level goals and drive execution through weekly performance cadence.
B. Distributor Lifecycle Ownership (Onboard → Maintain → Deboard)
Onboarding
Appoint and ramp distributors across the state (target 50–60 distributors or as per state map).
Finalize distributor terms: territory, margins, credit limits, dispatch SLAs, claims/returns, and reporting compliance.
Ensure distributor readiness: infrastructure, delivery capability, salesman strength, working capital, data reporting.
Maintenance & Governance
Conduct weekly/monthly distributor reviews covering: primary, secondary, stock, fill rate, ageing, returns, claims, overdue.
Enforce pricing and scheme discipline; prevent leakage/undercutting (especially in C/D/E outlets).
Maintain healthy stock norms: prevent stock-outs and dead stock.
Deboarding
C. C/D/E Category Retail Expansion (Core Focus)
Drive aggressive distribution and repeat sales in C/D/E retail outlets (kirana, theke + chakna counters, small impulse outlets).
Implement structured beat planning for high-density, low-ticket outlets.
Drive outlet journey: conversion → first order → repeat ordering.
Ensure strong retail execution:
Counter placement, micro-visibility, impulse conversion
Correct SKU assortment and pack-price ladder by outlet type
Implement retailer retention through revisit norms, service levels, and complaint resolution.
D. Wholesale Growth Ownership
Identify and scale high-potential wholesale clusters.
Drive volume through case deals with disciplined pricing.
Ensure wholesale does not become a GT pricing leakage channel.
E. HoReCa & Institutional Business Development
Build and own BD pipeline for:
HoReCa (menu inclusion, placements, reorder cadence)
Institutions (canteens, corporates, hospitals, schools/colleges, hostels)
Negotiate commercials, payment cycles, and delivery cadence.
Ensure repeat business and throughput (no vanity onboarding).
F. Team Leadership & Execution Discipline
Hire, manage, and coach Team Leads (TLs) and field teams (FOS).
Enforce discipline on:
Coach teams on sales pitch, objection handling, competitor switching, scheme communication, and negotiation.
G. Collections, Credit Control & Contribution
Own collections and outstanding across distributors and key accounts.
Enforce credit policy, ageing control, and stop-supply rules.
Own contribution and ROI: optimize trade spends and manpower cost.
Ensure clean and accurate data: distributor ledgers, claims/returns, outlet master, outstanding, scheme accounting.
Metric Ownership (ASM Accountability)
Sales & Execution
C/D/E Retail Metrics
Outlet additions, activations, and repeat rate (15/30 days)
Key SKU availability % and stock-out rate
Strike rate, AOV, and SKU mix
Field Productivity
Financials
Collections ageing and overdue %
Claims/returns closure TAT
GM% protection and leakage incidents (near-zero tolerance)
BD Channels
Wholesale throughput (cases/month) and active accounts
HoReCa active outlets, menu placements, reorder rate