Director, Local Sales - USBL - US

The Director, Local Sales at Sysco is responsible for leading a team of District Sales Managers and sales associates. Key responsibilities include developing local customers, driving performance management and coaching, facilitating a collaborative selling culture, managing sales planning through CRM tools, and directly influencing critical customer accounts. This position also involves supporting national campaigns and implementing sales strategies effectively to meet financial goals.

To qualify for the Director, Local Sales position at Sysco, candidates should possess a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent education along with 5+ years of experience leading a B2B sales team in a professional sales setting. Essential skills include strong financial acumen, effective coaching and training abilities, and proficiency in Microsoft applications. Experience in consultative selling and managing sophisticated customer accounts is also required.

Sysco supports career growth for the Director, Local Sales by fostering a culture of continuous improvement and development. This includes comprehensive training programs, coaching from senior leaders, and access to proprietary tools for planning and forecasting sales performance. The company values employee development and provides opportunities for advancement within the organization through performance management processes.

The expected travel for the Director, Local Sales role at Sysco is minimal, estimated at around 10% within the region. This allows the director to maintain a strong presence with the team and customers while balancing other leadership responsibilities without extensive time away from home.

To succeed as the Director, Local Sales at Sysco, essential skills include strong leadership and interpersonal abilities, project management expertise, and excellent communication skills. Additionally, a solid analytical problem-solving capability and the ability to adapt to corporate changes are crucial. Familiarity with consultative selling and negotiation techniques will also contribute to successful outcomes in this position.

When responding to questions about your leadership style, focus on your ability to motivate and coach team members, emphasizing collaborative and supportive approaches that foster teamwork and individual growth. Sharing specific examples of how you have built strong relationships within teams can provide interviewers with insights into your effectiveness as a leader.

Discuss your strategies for setting clear and achievable performance expectations, as well as how you utilize regular feedback and coaching to help team members meet these goals. Providing examples of success stories where your management directly resulted in improved performance will highlight your capability in this area.

When asked about CRM tools, explain how you effectively use them for sales planning, customer engagement, and performance tracking. Highlight specific experiences where utilizing CRM data led to successful sales strategies and outcomes, demonstrating your data-driven decision-making process.

Focus on customer-centric strategies that emphasize understanding customer needs and providing tailored solutions. You could discuss collaborative selling techniques and training programs designed to empower your team to deliver exceptional service and meet diverse customer demands.

Share a specific challenge you faced, outlining the situation, actions taken, and the positive outcome. This not only demonstrates your problem-solving skills but also showcases your resilience and ability to learn from experiences in a sales environment.

Describe your comprehensive training approach that includes mentorship, encouragement of continuous learning, and regular performance assessments. Mention how investing in your team's development aligns with achieving greater sales results.

Talk about both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational techniques, such as setting achievable goals, rewarding performance, and creating a positive and inclusive team culture. Include any innovative practices you've implemented that successfully increased motivation and sales.

Emphasize your adaptability and willingness to embrace change, providing examples of how you have successfully navigated shifts in market conditions or company strategy. Discussing your proactive approach to change management will reassure interviewers of your resilience.

Discuss your hands-on experience in developing and managing sales budgets, explaining how you align budgetary goals with overall sales strategies to drive results. Emphasize the importance of financial acumen in making informed business decisions.

Highlight your understanding of consultative selling, discussing how you focus on understanding client needs and tailoring solutions accordingly. Providing a successful example of consultative selling in your past roles would further validate your expertise.