South Africa: Telesales Representative posted by Indian Ocean Export Company

Apex, a food and beverage distributor is seeking a Telesales Representative to join their growing team.

PURPOSE

To generate and grow sales revenue by proactively engaging potential and existing clients over the phone, closing deals, and maintaining customer relationships. This role drives revenue growth within the assigned department by presenting products and services, resolving queries and complaints, and delivering exceptional customer service to secure repeat business and high customer satisfaction.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Customer Engagement: Initiate outbound calls to potential either retail or SBL (Seychelles Breweries Limited) clients to introduce our products and services. Identify customer needs and provide product information and solutions. Build and nurture strong relationships with existing clients through regular follow-up calls.

• Sales Target Achievement: Achieve and exceed monthly sales targets set by the Commercial and Retail Manager. Prepare and deliver compelling sales pitches to persuade potential clients to purchase our products or services.

• Product Knowledge: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the company’s product and service offerings of your allocated department. Clearly communicate product features, benefits, and pricing to potential clients.

• Order Processing: Accurately process orders and sales transactions, ensuring all necessary documentation is completed. Work closely with the Operations and Logistics teams to ensure timely order fulfilment. Offer substitution where applicable and facilitate redelivery for any products where no stocks.

• Customer Service: Provide exceptional customer service by addressing customer inquiries, concerns, and requests promptly and professionally. Act as a liaison between the customer and other departments to resolve any issues effectively.

• Market Research: Research and stay informed about industry trends, competitors, and market conditions. Provide feedback to the Commercial and Retail Sales Manager regarding market insights and competitor activities.

Minimum Requirements:

• Experience: 3-4 years successful FMCG telesales experience in a target driven role with Food/Beverage/Hotel/FoodService or similar industry.
• Hindi/ and or French language.
• Telesales competencies: Active listening with attentive, accurate paraphrasing, that provides validation of customer needs. Clear, concise articulation. Ability to explain value, features and benefits in simple terms in a friendly, confident, and professional voice with appropriate pace and energy.
• Customer orientation with a service mindset, understands buying motives, pain points, and preferences. Ability to aim for customer success and satisfaction, even in difficult conversations. Formulate trust-based interactions that foster repeat business.
• Value-based selling; ability to talk to product benefits to align with the customers category goals (e.g., shelf impact, margins, promotions). Ability to handle objections and rejection. Demonstrate flexibility in your messaging for different buyers (retailers, chefs, hotels, restaurants). Negotiate, remain adaptable, positive and resilient.
• Cultural sensitivity to local market dynamics and seasonal demand.
• Experience in maintaining cadence by conducting consistent outreach, follow-ups, and striving for exceeding targets. Ability to pivot for high-potential accounts and time-sensitive promotions.
• Fast learner with experience of FMCG categories (snacks, beverages, perishables, etc.) Demonstrate ability to intentionally layer and accelerate learning by proactively pursuing new information, resources, and experiences, then integrating them to improve understanding and performance.
• Education: Matric with mathematics. Good with numeracy is a key requirement.
• Sales / and or Negotiation certificates advantageous.