| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Sales and Business Development |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Area Sales Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 1 to 4 years in FMCG or distribution field sales |
Territory Sales Officer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Territory Sales Officer
Department: Sales and Business Development
Reports to: Area Sales Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Territory Sales Officer covers a defined territory's outlets and distributors to drive secondary sales and coverage in FMCG and distribution. They work the beat, book orders, ensure availability and grow the outlet base while hitting the territory target. A good territory sales officer keeps coverage tight, grows secondary sales and manages the distributor relationship well. The role reports to an area sales manager and is a front line field role that feeds the company's numbers from the ground.
Key responsibilities
- Cover the territory's outlets and distributors on a planned daily beat.
- Book secondary sales orders and drive the full product range into outlets.
- Ensure product availability, display and freshness across all territory outlets.
- Manage the distributor's stock, ordering and service in the territory.
- Add new outlets and improve coverage and range across the territory.
- Explain schemes and offers to retailers and drive their uptake.
- Build relationships with retailers and the distributor's sales team.
- Track competitor activity and pricing across the territory regularly.
- Record visits, orders and outlet data accurately in the app.
- Report territory sales and market feedback to the reporting manager.
Requirements
- Graduate in business, commerce or any discipline
- FMCG field sales experience is preferred
- A two wheeler and willingness to travel
- 1 to 4 years in FMCG or distribution field sales
KRAs and KPIs for a Territory Sales Officer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Secondary sales | Secondary sales value meets the territory monthly target |
| Coverage | Outlet coverage and beat adherence meet the plan |
| Range selling | Focus products placed across the target share of outlets |
| New outlets | New outlets added and activated as per the plan |
| Distributor service | Distributor stock and service kept healthy in the territory |
| Data accuracy | Visit and order data recorded accurately in the app |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Sales force automation app, Distributor management system, Smartphone, MS Excel basics.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Area Sales Officer, Territory Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager
Interview questions for a Territory Sales Officer
- How do you plan and cover your territory beat?
- How do you grow secondary sales across your outlets?
- How do you keep a distributor well stocked and serviced?
- How do you add new outlets to the territory?
- How do you push a scheme to retailers?
- Tell me about a territory you grew and how.
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What does a territory sales officer do?
A territory sales officer covers a defined territory's outlets and distributors to drive secondary sales and coverage in FMCG and distribution. They work the beat, book orders, ensure availability and display, manage the distributor's stock and add new outlets. They push the range and schemes, track competitors and report the market, hitting the territory target.
What is the difference between a territory sales officer and a sales officer?
The roles are very similar in FMCG field sales. A territory sales officer is defined by ownership of a specific territory's outlets and distributor, with a focus on coverage and secondary sales there. A sales officer is a broader title for the same kind of field work. Companies use the terms based on how they structure territories.
Is territory sales officer a good FMCG career step?
Yes. It is a core front line FMCG field role that builds beat coverage, distributor handling and secondary sales skills. Doing it well shows you can own a territory's numbers. It leads to area sales officer and territory or area management roles, forming a solid path in FMCG and distribution sales careers.