Field Sales Executive - Minnesota/Iowa

Our team members are at the heart of everything we do. At Cencora, we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures, and every person here is essential to us being able to deliver on that purpose. If you want to make a difference at the center of health, come join our innovative company and help us improve the lives of people and animals everywhere. Apply today!

What you will be doing

The Sales Executive is responsible for Business Development within assigned (territory) existing primary and secondary customers to include sale of Cencora products and solutions, customer retention, contract compliance, overall contracting, as well as solution implementation. In addition, the Sales Executive will be responsible for new business prospecting and sales in the specific independent retail and alternate care pharmacy business segments within a specific customer assignment (territory). The Sales Executive is also responsible for ensuring a high level of customer service excellence and experience, so that they remain a uniquely differentiated, highly valued, customer resource by proactively and continually advancing their personal knowledge, skills and expertise in a way that separates them from the competition.

Cencora believes the winning combination relies on being a company with innovative, differentiated and superior solutions, services and people. It is our competitive advantage.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

SALES TO EXISTING CUSTOMERS & NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTING

1. Meets or exceeds specific business sales targets, set in cooperation with the District Director, for revenue, profit and margin growth with existing primary and secondary customers in the independent retail and alternate care pharmacy segment within a specific customer assignment (territory) via account penetration.
2. Meets business targets related to the sale of specific solutions. Cencora’s suite of offerings includes, but is not limited to, solutions such as Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Business Coaching, PRxO Generics, and Elevate Provider Network, etc.
3. Ensure ongoing contract compliance from existing customers (such as generics penetration) by reinforcing the total value of the prime vendor agreement (PVA), and proactively addressing/resolving any reasons for non-compliance. Negotiates Prime Vendor Agreements (PVA) with current customers and implement new PVAs resulting in continual retention of profitable accounts in the individual sales assignment.
4. Is responsible for taking secondary customers to primary by executing sales expansion using Cencora’s Suite of Offerings.
5. Is responsible for prospecting and developing new business leads within the territory, in collaboration with the Business Development team. Responsible for closing smaller deals not assigned to the Business Development team.
6. Must be willing to reside in and travel extensively (including overnight and weekend travel) within the assigned customer base and geographic territory which includes, Minnesota, Iowa, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Fargo North Dakota; travels to events such as conferences, national and district sales meetings.

SOLUTIONS IMPLEMENTATION & SERVICE EXCELLENCE

1. Leads the onboarding of new customers by effectively collaborating with functional departments to ensure a smoothly and excellent customer experience.
2. Leads the implementation of customer solutions by effectively collaborating with functional departments to ensure full adoption, value realization and an ongoing excellent customer experience.
3. Ensures ongoing contract compliance from existing customers by reinforcing the total value of the prime vendor agreement (PVA), and proactively addressing/resolving any reasons for non-compliance.
4. Leverages additional service and sales channels such as Customer CARE and Inside Sales to address day-to-day standard service issues resulting in maximized “selling time” when working with customers while maintaining a cohesive “face” of Cencora to the customer.
5. Maintains knowledge of customer invoicing, payment terms, collections and customer payment history as necessary to assist Accounts Receivable as required from time-to-time.
6. Ensures proper Cencora branding and signage in Good Neighbor Pharmacy stores.
7. Ensures awareness of customer educational opportunities (i.e., certification, CE programs).
8. Partners across functional and organizational lines by engaging and working directly and collaboratively with subject matter experts during the sales process to execute sales expansion and maintenance strategies using Cencora’s Suite of Offerings to address customer specific needs.

ACCOUNT & TERRITORY PLANNING

1. In cooperation with the District Director, create an annual strategic plan for achieving your business goals.
2. Utilizes sales reporting tools ongoing to identify and analyze opportunities to expand current customer business.
3. Creates an operationally efficient daily territory call plan. Effectively and efficiently manages the assigned territory with a regular call cycle that results in the delivery of appropriate/defined customer touches while also making off-cycle, discretionary calls, as situations require.
4. Continually maintains and inputs account activity/results information and tracks interactions in the CRM and other appropriate sales management tools.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

1. Works with District Director and Sales Training Director to proactively develop and implement an annual skill development plan which results in ongoing improvement in knowledge, skills and ability to execute with excellence in the field.
2. Demonstrates an independent passion and responsibility for ongoing learning and development. Completes all training/professional development activities and assessment assignments on time. Participates in required sales training. Actively seeks additional training and professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge and skills.
3. Independently engages in self-study outside of formal Cencora training, such as leveraging customer and industry websites, news feeds, social media, etc. Demonstrates a curiosity to learn.
4. Develops and maintains a strong base of working knowledge of the retail and alternate care customers and markets through the use of Cencora training, District Director coaching, display of market/customer business curiosity, industry information and company literature, which allows for successful execution of Cencora sales strategies and commercial insights.
5. Proactively adopts and actively uses the ABDC sales process to sell and deliver uniquely differentiated value to our customers’ businesses.
6. Develops deep understanding of the industry, industry trends and issues that affect customers’ businesses.
7. Develops deep knowledge of each customer’s strategic business objectives, their plans for achieving those objectives, the key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success/outcomes, and an understanding of how to benchmark those KPIs to industry best practices.
8. Identifies each customer’s current business practices that unknowingly undermine the customer’s ability to improve patient care, grow their business or improve their profitability.
9. Shapes customer demand for Cencora solutions by teaching the customer things about their industry, trends and/or business practices that they are currently either unaware of, or for which the customer underestimates the negative consequences to improving their patient care, growing their business or improving their profitability.
10. Tailors sales presentations to individual customers.
11. Creates constructive tension with the customer to create a sense of urgency for the customer to change their business practices and adopt Cencora solutions that are uniquely differentiated and deliver the best customer value.
12. The Sales Executive must be comfortable discussing financials, difficult and sensitive topics and challenging the customer to think differently about their business models.

What your background should look like

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Requires a demonstrated history of successful application of consultative selling skills in a diverse customer marketplace resulting in improved customer sales. Broad training in fields such as business administration, accountancy, sales, marketing, computer sciences or similar vocations generally obtained through completion of a four-year bachelor’s degree program or equivalent combination of experience and education are required. Normally requires five (5) plus years directly related and progressively responsible sales experience. Experience in the pharmaceutical industry, retail and alternate care segments is desirable.

MINIMUM SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITY REQUIREMENTS:

1. A willingness and ability to: understand and analyze market trends and business insights. teach customers and challenge the way they think about their business , discuss financials with a customer, negotiate deals and continually develop/hone selling skills.
2. Working knowledge of retail and alternate care industries, trends, and challenges facing customers.
3. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, and adapt communication style to various audiences.
4. Ability to actively listen and influence others with different points of view.
5. Advanced understanding of financial concepts relevant to maximizing sales profit (e.g. profit and loss statements, value).
6. Excellent customer service skills to address potential issues through channels such as Customer Care without compromising selling-focused conversation.
7. Strong organizational skills; attention to detail.
8. Ability to adapt to change, and successfully monitor multiple tasks without sacrificing quality or timeliness of work.
9. Strong presentation skills.
10. Strong time management skills: ability to schedule customer appointments in advance.

What Cencora offers

We provide compensation, benefits, and resources that enable a highly inclusive culture and support our team members’ ability to live with purpose every day. In addition to traditional offerings like medical, dental, and vision care, we also provide a comprehensive suite of benefits that focus on the physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects of wellness. This encompasses support for working families, which may include backup dependent care, adoption assistance, infertility coverage, family building support, behavioral health solutions, paid parental leave, and paid caregiver leave.

To encourage your personal growth, we also offer a variety of training programs, professional development resources, and opportunities to participate in mentorship programs, employee resource groups, volunteer activities, and much more.

Schedule

Full time

Affiliated Companies

Affiliated Companies: AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cencora is committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or membership in any other class protected by federal, state or local law.

The company’s continued success depends on the full and effective utilization of qualified individuals. Therefore, harassment is prohibited and all matters related to recruiting, training, compensation, benefits, promotions and transfers comply with equal opportunity principles and are non-discriminatory.

Cencora is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the employment process which are consistent with legal requirements. If you wish to request an accommodation while seeking employment, please call 888.692.2272 or email We will make accommodation determinations on a request-by-request basis. Messages and emails regarding anything other than accommodations requests will not be returned.