The Hershey Company – Charlotte, NC
Full-time, Internship
Job Location: Charlotte, NC
* Must reside in Huntersville/Charlotte, NC for the whole internship
Summary
We are seeking top talent that has a passion for winning and making a difference. The US Retail Sales / Category Strategy and Insights Internship position at The Hershey Company provides a launching pad for our future sales leaders.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to work with our customers, analyze customer and shopper insights to build selling stories, and develop your business acumen skills. This position is a combination between working out in the field and calling on grocery stores, as well as working in our Charlotte Office. You will ensure flawless execution of store level sales and promotion plans with customer retailers in your assigned territory. You will work with Retail representatives to master retail execution plans by driving incremental sales, implementing and maintaining best-in-class promotional and merchandising strategies, and ensuring 100% distribution on authorized Hershey items across all classes of trade.
Responsibilities
You will have a chance to interact and network with Retail Sales Representatives, CSI Managers, and Customer Sales Executives from across the country. This unique cultural experience is geared toward building your selling, negotiating, and analytical skills with an understanding of how you fit into the VISION Milton Hershey created over 100 years ago.
Drive Customer Points of Sale through Consultative Business Partnering
Customer Relationship Development and Management: Build and maintain consultative business relationships with customer Key Decision Makers (KDMs) at all levels. Partner with KDMs to develop and execute a detailed action plan to increase and improve sales results within their stores based on sales analytics and best practices. Cultivate a network of influential contacts at all levels of internal and external customers to achieve sales objectives within assigned territory. Use strategic relationship with KDMs to influence and negotiate customers’ assistance in the merchandising of Hershey products.
Data Analysis and Sales Call Preparation
Prepare for retail sales calls by obtaining and analyzing relevant store, product and market data and creating effective selling tools and presentations for KDM delivery during call. Utilize and complete pre-call planning methods and other company tools. Review and make recommendations to the District sales manager to modify routes that maximize business efficiencies for all sales calls within territory.
Sales
Engage in forward selling utilizing consultative sales techniques of predetermined customer sales plans with store and market KDMs in every retail sales call, using provided data sources, technology, processes and procedures. Maximize sales and display opportunities by conducting store walk-throughs and gaining commitment by KDMs on successful outcomes. Tailor selling and consultative strategies to influence KDMs to order additional products to increase incremental sales and to obtain best in class quality of merchandising locations of promotional products.
Merchandising
Achieve all merchandising objectives executing customer specific promotional plans through the effective use of forward selling and maintaining permanent secondary displays and other display vehicles established within the Retail Execution Plan. Insure new items are placed on the shelf and out of stocks are addressed and corrected in every call.
Administrative Responsibilities
Complete and submit electronic and/or written reports of daily and weekly activities, expenses, competitive activity, account changes, promotions and all administrative functions within assigned territory using company approved methods and technology.
Strategy Development & Process Improvement
Develop and recommend strategies aimed to improve the overall effectiveness of the territory, district and/or area business activities. As requested, drive advocate partnerships within the assigned category.
Qualifications
The successful candidates will be/have:
- A current undergraduate, rising Junior (preferred) with a 3.2 cumulative GPA or higher . Majors in Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, and Economics are highly preferred, but others will be considered.
- Valid driver’s license in good standing
- Reliable transportation to complete multiple sales calls
- Recommendation letters from two Professors must accompany your application.
- Demonstrated leadership and academic achievement in student and extracurricular activities
- High level of integrity
- Desire to relocate
- Energy and passion for winning
- Business and interpersonal maturity
- Adaptability
- Professional communication skills
- Analytical and problem-solving ability
- Customer service orientation
- Previous internship and/or sales experience is a plus.
What are the benefits?
- Real world experience with a Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods company.
- Responsibilities that have real impact on Hershey’s performance.
- Exposure to senior members of the organization and a variety of different business functions.
- Competitive pay.
- Training from mentors who are proven experts in their field.
This Internship spans from the Summer 2014 through December 2014 and will require a commitment of a minimum of 20 hours per week, during normal school weeks and 40 hours per week during the summer. Candidate will be in the field during summer and then transition into the office for fall semester.
The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual’s age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, Veteran Status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected category recognized by state and federal laws.
The Hershey Company –