Plymouth, Indiana
A.I. Sales Representative Job Opening in Plymouth, Indiana - This full-time, salary + commission position will cover Northwestern Indiana and includes a comprehensive benefit package.
General Summary:
This position works within a generally defined sales territory to promote and provide NorthStar Cooperative products and services to current and potential customer producers.
Essential Functions and Key Responsibilities:
1) Develops a strong business relationship with current and potential customers to identify, recommend and provide products and services beneficial to profitable herd maintenance through extensive knowledge of available NorthStar Cooperative offerings. Strives to continually develop and expand market share within the service territory.
2) Builds, maintains, and influences relationships with key industry collaborators including veterinarians, nutritionists, industry support personnel, county extension, breed representatives and university personnel.
3) Continually expands product knowledge and refines skills by utilizing the NorthStar Learning Center, attending seminars and other training sessions, as appropriate.
4) Develops a strong sales plan, including the creation of specific and measurable goals. Utilizes good time management and organizational skills to meet and exceed sales goals. Prioritizes customer service calls in order to meet the regularly scheduled service needs of customers, often making 15 or more farm service calls a day.
5) Consistently works to develop stronger sales skills in order to clearly and professionally explain and present data and programs to customers. Strives to improve active listening skills in order to better understand the needs of the customer.
6) Proactively strives to establish and maintain effective working team relationships with other NorthStar Cooperative team members, all support departments and key accounts. Identifies opportunities to improve and foster stronger team skills with the optimal goal of improving producer profitability.
7) Ensures accurate and timely processing of paperwork and uploading of proper computer information including invoicing for provided sales and/or services as well as documentation for NorthStar Cooperative business purposes and regulatory or breed association purposes.
8) Ensures customer and company inquires are rapidly responded to within a 24-hour time period. Uses good judgment and strong resolution skills to resolve customer complaints and to address emergency service situations, knowing when to appropriately contact supervision or others for support.
9) Provides support, as necessary, within the service area to include relief work for other Artificial Insemination (A.I.) Technicians and Sales Representatives, as well as to assist with occasional insemination and other research projects. Demonstrates skilled knowledge in cattle reproduction and handling protocol to reduce accident risk.
10) Maintains a high level of support for the full implementation and usage of a customer database program (such as Salesforce) to provide readily accessible information and communication sharing between all members of the team.
11) Enters sales data and other relative information for current customers into a customer database computer program on a consistent basis so it is readily available for use by others in the organization. Includes available prospect data for each contact made including decision maker data and any other relevant information gained during each contact.
12) Strives to continually build trust, value others, communicate effectively, drive execution, foster innovation, focus on the customer, collaborate with others, solve problems creatively and demonstrate high integrity, modeling these behaviors for those they work with.
13) Consistently demonstrates a thorough knowledge of and support for organizational mission, vision statements, standards, policies and procedures, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior. Demonstrates a clear understanding and utilization of current credit policies.
14) Utilizes sound judgment, providing support within the service area to communicate appropriate and accurate information to the Account Team Leaders and other business unit Directors.
15) Other duties as assigned.
This list may not be inclusive of the total scope of job functions to be performed. Duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted or modified at any time.
Qualifications:
Bachelor?s degree in Animal Science or Agribusiness, with proven success in sales (preferably in the area of agribusiness), and five or more years of experience required. Combination of successful experience and education considered.
Extensive knowledge of the dairy industry including the skills and experience necessary to artificially inseminate cows is required. Experience with reproduction and genetic programs in dairy and beef markets preferred. Strong knowledge in cattle handling and bovine reproductive cycle / physiology required.
Excellent written (via forms, letters, memos, reports, and other business documents), verbal (in person and over the telephone), and electronic (over the computer) communication skills are necessary to professionally and effectively communicate with customers, team members, and other NorthStar personnel. You must also be able to promote and exemplify a professional business image with internal and external clients at all times, reacting and interacting appropriately in social and business situations.
Strong planning, organizational, and time management skills required with the ability to coordinate multiple simultaneously and to quickly adapt to changing situations. A strong sense of initiative is also required in order to gather and summarize data for reports, find solutions to various problems, and to prioritize work.
Must possess a valid driver?s license, maintain a safe driving record and adhere to NorthStar Cooperative Fleet Safety Program guidelines.
Good computer skills including but not limited to customer database programs (such as Salesforce), word processing, spreadsheets, and email programs with the ability to learn new systems and programs as they are implemented.
Must be able to function independently as well as part of a cohesive team, working quickly and accurately with a minimal amount of supervision, keeping the safety of self and others at the forefront of all daily activities.
Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality in all areas including corporate finances, product and trade secrets, and all employee or customer information protected by Federal, State or Local laws.
The qualifications listed above are intended to represent the minimum skills and experience levels associated with performing the duties and responsibilities contained in this job description. The viewed as expressing absolute employment or promotional standards, but should be considered along with other job-related selection or promotional criteria.
Physical, Mental, and Emotional Requirements: This job requires the ability to perform the essential functions contained in this description. These include, but are not limited to, the following requirements. Reasonable accommodations will be made for otherwise qualified applicants unable to fulfill one or more of these requirements if the accommodation would enable the applicant to perform these requirements:
Ability to physically access all work locations in various buildings that may not be handicap-accessible (e.g: farm buildings), to traverse possible uneven ground in outside areas, working with and handling cattle in a variety of facilities and environmental conditions as are often experienced in dairy facilities.
Ability to frequently travel alone, as well as with others, throughout the NorthStar Cooperative multi-state district to various work locations to conduct sales, provide service, to prospect new customers, to participate in training sessions, attend various meetings or other conferences, and to attend and participate in other Cooperative activities, events and functions as requested by NorthStar Cooperative staff or other supervisors.
Ability to handle stressful situations where there may be a number of events occurring at the same time, and to concentrate while performing a high degree of detailed work for extended periods of time with multiple interruptions and distractions.
Ability to view and accurately identify words and numbers printed on products and supplies under a variety of conditions.
Ability to regularly sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop, lift and carry objects up to 120 pounds such as nitrogen tanks and other supplies in and out of your vehicle distances of 50 feet or more, climb to access a variety of customer locations and facilities, and lift arms above the shoulders to breed cattle, and move quickly to evade potentially harmful situations.
Ability to work extended, irregular work hours (including overnight travel as necessary) in a variety of environmental conditions as are often experienced in dairy facilities, with interruptions, distractions, and a minimal amount of direct supervision.
Ability to view and accurately identify words and numbers printed on products and supplies under a variety of conditions. Ability to identify colors such as those utilized in tail chalking. Must also be able to accurately add and subtract numbers, recording them legibly on various reports and forms.
Ability to read, understand, and explain reports and other materials.
Ability to handle dust, dirt, dander, odors and fumes consistent with chemicals, dairy operations and animals.
Ability to react and interact appropriately in social and business situations and to communicate professionally and effectively, verbally (in person and over the telephone), electronically (over the computer), and in writing (via forms, letters, memos, reports, and other business documents).
Ability to obtain and organize information and data, file and retrieve information from office files, and enter and access information in a computer, as well as operate office machines including but not limited to printers, computers, copiers, telephones, and fax machines.
Job Type: Full-time
Required education:
Bachelor's
Required experience:
successful Agricultural Sales: 5 years
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