The Program Sales Customer Development Specialist provides business-consulting services to strengthen customer relationships and grow profitable sales. Represents Gordon Food Service products and services in assigned territory and accounts, seeking growth opportunities from existing customers and onboarding new customers to Gordon Food Service. Manages customer business relationships including accounts receivable, credits, lost business, growth, deployment of resources, and average order size/profitability.

Essential Functions:

• Effectively tells the Gordon Food Service story and services accounts.
• Travels through assigned territory to call on existing and prospective customers to maintain, seek growth opportunities, and increase profitable sales volume and to ensure contract compliance. 
• Manages customer business relationship including credits, lost business, growth, deployment of Gordon Food Service resources, and average order size/profitability.
• Coordinates and conducts the demonstration and presentation of products and discuss applications, using samples or marketing materials emphasizing features based on price or value to customer business operations.
• Create and deliver business plan based on customer needs, goals, and objectives.
• Works directly with Regional and/or National chain account manager to execute strategic initiatives across concepts within units.
• Directs and delivers consultative services such as GPO Maximation, menu engineering, wait staff and HAACP training. Consults with customers and network resources to fulfill operations and profitability needs.
• Conducts CDS personal results analysis and planning at customer level.
• Receives, discusses, and/or verifies order information with customers using appropriate method on a monthly basis to include customer credits to identify and establish sales performance goals.
• Explains credit terms via established parameters and manages the collection of receivables using multiple methods to include electronic, mail and personal pickup of payments.
• Identifies competition, customer purchasing patterns, performs customer sales history analysis, and observes and gathers data to determine the needs of customer operations.
• Endorses and promotes NextGen and other technical solutions.
• Develops and oversees customer segment shows and participates in customer events.
• Collaborates with brokers to establish GFS products.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Years of Experience:

• Three to five years previous sales or business experience to include experience or an interest in food business practices and food preparation, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Bilingual in Spanish Required
• In lieu of the specified education and experience requirements, a proven capability to perform the essential functions of the job, as demonstrated by an equivalent combination of education, training and/or relevant work experience may be considered.