As a Sales Account Executive, you are more than a salesperson-you are a trusted partner to the customers you serve. Your goal is to understand each customer's business, identify their needs, and connect them with the right products, services, and solutions.
This role is built around relationships. You will work with both new and existing customers, develop strong partnerships, and become someone they can rely on to help solve problems and grow their business. Because customers' needs don't always follow a traditional schedule, the position may occasionally require evening, weekend, or holiday availability.
Your day begins with people. You will reach out to prospective customers through cold calling and other sales efforts while continuing to strengthen relationships with existing accounts.
Getting to know a customer means understanding how their business operates, what challenges they face, and what they need to be successful. You will research their business and develop a mix of products and services that provides real value-not simply compete on price.
As relationships grow, you will look for opportunities to expand each account. Through effective account penetration and thoughtful product recommendations, you will work to maximize customer drop size while maintaining profitable pricing and healthy margins.
Customers will look to you for answers. You will explain products, pricing, availability, and practical uses while helping customer employees understand how to get the most from the products they purchase.
Sometimes that means demonstrating products firsthand-whether that's cooking, preparing, or sampling products for a customer. Your knowledge and willingness to get hands-on will help customers feel confident in the solutions you recommend.
You will also work closely with supplier and brokerage partners to discover new products and identify opportunities involving products, packaging, or services that could benefit your customers.
Great account management doesn't stop when the order is placed. You will help make sure deliveries follow the schedules established by transportation and logistics teams and step in when something doesn't go as planned.
If an item is out of stock, a special order is needed, or inventory is running low, you will help troubleshoot the situation and communicate with the appropriate teams and customers.
You may also assist with accounts receivable by communicating with customers about outstanding balances and working alongside the credit department to ensure payments are collected according to approved terms.
Successful sales require more than building relationships-you also need to understand the numbers.
You will regularly review daily and weekly reports, including special-order requests, customer bid files, sales performance, and gross-profit-margin information. Financial support tools such as Track Max Insight will help you evaluate business performance and make informed decisions.
You will also evaluate customer margins through the Price Contract process to ensure pricing remains competitive while protecting profitability.
For customers participating in Customer Loyalty Programs or Customer Collaboration Programs, you will conduct quarterly business reviews. These conversations provide an opportunity to evaluate performance, discuss opportunities, and plan for continued growth.
The Sales Account Executive represents Upper Lakes Foods both inside and outside the company.
You will participate in food shows, promotions, customer visits, customer events, company functions, and sales meetings. Ongoing training will help you continue developing your product knowledge, sales skills, and understanding of the foodservice industry.
Community involvement is also important. You are encouraged to become a public-relations representative for the company by building positive connections within the communities you serve.
Although much of your work will happen directly with customers, success depends on collaboration.
You will establish effective working relationships with your department, coworkers, suppliers, brokerage partners, transportation and logistics teams, credit department, and the broader community.
The ideal Sales Account Executive is flexible, fair, organized, and able to remain calm under pressure. You should be comfortable managing multiple priorities, thinking critically, solving problems, and taking a project from beginning to end.
At minimum, the position requires a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent. Candidates should have at least six months of sales experience, chef or restaurant management experience, or a related degree in areas such as business, sales, marketing, hospitality, or culinary arts.
Just as important is the ability to sell based on value rather than price. The goal is to show customers why a product or service is the right solution for their business.
You must also have a valid driver's license and maintain a clean driving record in accordance with Upper Lakes Foods' company vehicle policy.
Experience with Microsoft Office-particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook-as well as internet use and basic office equipment is preferred.
This is an active role that requires regular interaction with customers and coworkers. You should be comfortable standing, bending, reaching, and lifting or carrying light loads.
The position requires the ability to lift up to 40 pounds regularly, as well as sufficient visual and hearing abilities to perform the responsibilities of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to individuals with disabilities.
Regular attendance during assigned working hours is an essential part of the position.
Upper Lakes Foods, Inc. is Minnesota's largest independent wholesale food distributor, with facilities in Cloquet, Minnesota; Northfield, Minnesota; and Janesville, Wisconsin.
The company serves a wide variety of foodservice operators, including independent restaurants, assisted living facilities, schools, and national and regional foodservice chains.
At the heart of the company is a simple mission: build value for every customer, employee, supplier, and community served by bringing the best products, people, and ideas.
The culture at Upper Lakes Foods is built around six core values:
Ultimately, being a Sales Account Executive at Upper Lakes Foods means becoming an extension of the customer's team.
You are there to make calls, build relationships, understand businesses, recommend solutions, solve problems, protect profitability, and create opportunities for growth. You represent Upper Lakes Foods to customers, suppliers, and the community, while working alongside your coworkers to deliver dependable service.
The successful person in this role is someone who works hard, communicates well, follows through, builds trust, and genuinely enjoys helping customers succeed.
Please see full job description located on the Upper Lakes Foods Web Site.
Upper Lakes Foods has helped businesses thrive in the food industry for over 50 years. We are an independent, family-owned company and we work with you to ensure you have access to the freshest local products. We have a dedicated team of experts in menu and product development, marketing, social media, graphic arts, and more; all committed to generating innovative ideas to drive your business forward.
