Route Sales Job Description
Route sales people usually deliver merchandise such as bread, soft drinks, tobacco or specialty foods directly to the retailer or consumer. These professionals often use trucks, vans or even refrigerated units from which to make their deliveries, following specific routes on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. A route sales job description includes many important duties such as selling and merchandising.
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Significance
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Companies often rely on route sales people to produce all of their sales. Consequently, the primary role of the route sales job description is to contact existing customers and increase sales among the current customer base. The job usually includes presenting promoting all products to owners or managers, including any new products. At least part of the route sales job description is to suggest the quantities that stores or consumers should order based on their sales volume; and the route salesperson's next expected visit.
Stocking and Merchandising
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The route sales job description also entails loading trucks each day, grabbing new racks to replace older ones in the store, delivering all goods and stocking shelves. A route sales person's duties also might include putting up point of purchase (POP) materials, other merchandising materials like signs or window banners, cleaning shelves and straightening display units.
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Increasing New Business
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Another key function of the route sales job description is to increase new business through cold calling. Most route sales people try to contact at least some new customers each day along their route to make up for churn or lost business. Lost business can occur because the customer starts using a new vendor, or a retailer might close their business. Nevertheless, the route sales person must continue to build her sales within his established territory however possible.
Considerations
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The route sales job description can also include handling customer complaints and resolving issues like wrong orders or damaged merchandise. Additionally, the job of a sale route employee usually entails filling out order forms, reporting sales to the company and notifying the owner or manager when he will return with more products.
Education and Skills
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Most companies prefer that their drivers have at least a high school education or GED (graduate equivalency diploma). Companies also prefer to hire drivers who already have their CDL (commercial driver's license), according to the Bureau Of Labor Statistics. Additionally, a route sales person must be in excellent physical condition to handle the rigors of the job, enjoy working with people and have good communication skills.
Salary and Job Outlook
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The average salary for drivers/route sales workers, including all commissions, was $10.70 per hour, based on 2008 data from the Bureau Of Labor Statistics. The number of jobs for all drivers/route sales workers is expected to increase about 9 percent from 2008 to 2010, which is about average for most occupations.
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