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Sales Consultant at Paragon

Paragon Springfield, MA

Job Description

Are you an experienced Sales Professional, Restaurant Manager, Culinary Manager or Chef looking for career development opportunities? Join Freshpoint's World Class Sales Team and explore all the benefits and perks.

Why you should join our Sales Team:

  • Competitive base salary, bonus, plus promotional incentive opportunities

  • M ileage reimbursement and cell phone provided

  • Career pathing opportunities for both entry level, and experienced individuals

  • Opportunity to be part of a purpose driven organization that supports communities and associates

  • Specialized sales training

  • Individual as well as team-based selling

  • Opportunity to learn different ethnic segments

  • Monthly and annual sales rewards and recognition

  • Robust benefits package including an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, & 401(k) with automatic matching

JOB SUMMARY
This is an outside sales position responsible for promoting the company's products and services and for building relationships with new and existing accounts. The main focus is to help Freshpoint customers succeed while achieving sales and profit goals established by the company. This position may require working some non-traditional hours (evening, weekends, and holidays) to successfully meet customers' needs.

The work territory of this position is the Greater Springfield, MA area, including Holyoke, Westfield, Springfield, MA, and extending south to Windsor, CT. You must live no further than 30 miles from this territory or be willing to relocate on your own (relocation is not approved for this position).

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Develop new business, penetrate existing accounts, and minimize lost business to achieve profitable sales growth and special objectives within assigned territory.

  • Seek and qualify prospects following company account stratification goals.

  • Research customer business needs and develops a mix of products and service to meet needs.

  • Evaluate market trends and recommend products to customers, based on business needs and goals.

  • Be informed of market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales; share information with customers as part of value-added services provided.

  • Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, and product use.

  • Provide product information and practical training to customer personnel.

  • Drive personal vehicle to customer accounts, conventions, company meetings, etc.

  • Communicate and collect accounts receivable as necessary, working with the credit department and client; collect all balances due based on approved credit terms.

  • Manage deliveries to the routing schedule published by the transportation department; troubleshoot any problems that occur during the order process (for example, out of stock items, special order items, low inventory, etc.).

  • Participate in company functions, promotions, customer visits, and customer events.

  • Attend and participate in general sales and district meetings.

  • Engage in ongoing training sessions.

  • Assist with the training of new employees as requested.

  • Review and analyze daily and weekly reports such as special-order requests, customer bid files, and sales/gross profit margin data.

  • Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, maintaining sales records, processing credits, and pick-up requests, preparing sales quotes and menu suggestions, and filing reports.

  • Other duties may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS
Education

High School degree or equivalent


Experience

  • Minimum 2 years of sales, and/or chef/restaurant management experience, and/or related (Business, Sales, Marketing, Hospitality; or Culinary Arts) degree.

  • 1 year of outside foodservice sales experience preferred

  • Restaurant management / chef experience preferred

Skills

  • Proficient in Excel, Word, Microsoft Outlook, and some knowledge of Salesforce a plus

  • Working knowledge of warehouse distribution, a plus

  • Good communication skills

  • Detail-oriented

Preferred Qualifications

  • Bi-Lingual

  • Restaurant Management, Foodservice Outside Sales, Chef Experience preferred

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

  • Valid driver's license with a "clean" driving record (including no multiple DUIs within the last 2 years)

  • Current automobile insurance with the following limits of liability: Bodily injury - $100,000 each person and $300,000 each accident; property damage - $100,000 is required

Requirement

  • Submit to pre-employment testing (Drug Screen, Background Check).

  • Must sign Sysco Protective Covenants Agreement.

  • Reside or willing to relocate to the geographical vicinity of territory.


Competencies

  • Building Trust

  • Building Customer Loyalty

  • Follow-up

  • Sales Ability / Persuasiveness

  • Managing Work

  • Adaptability

  • Communication

Typical mid-level pay: $35k for Retail Salespersons nationally

National salary averages
Expected mid-level
$35k
Entry
Mid
Senior
Expected
$26k Market range (10th-90th percentile) $48k

Hot hiring, constrained wages

Employers are hiring actively, but pay hasn't caught up with demand. Focus on competing offers and non-salary benefits.

Hiring leverage
Candidate-favored
Wage leverage âš  Disconnect
Constrained
Mobility
High mobility
Durability
High fragility

Why this market feels harder than it looks

This market is hiring aggressively, but compensation hasn't caught up and most openings are backfilling churn, not expansion. Employers are filling roles, but not bidding wages up.

Who this leverage applies to

Stronger for: Senior candidates with options
Weaker for: Entry-level candidates, Career switchers

Where to negotiate

Base salary
Sign-on bonus
Title / level
Remote flexibility
Scope & responsibility
Start date / PTO

Likely Possible Unlikely

Watch out for

Wage disconnect: Hiring is active but pay hasn't responded—negotiate on other terms.

Don't let hiring headlines mislead you—focus on concrete offers. Your leverage may be less durable than it appears—move decisively.

Does this path compound?

Job Growth →
High churn
Growth, flat pay
🚀 Compound
Growth + pay upside
⚠️ Plateau
Limited growth
Specialize
Experts earn more
Pay Upside →
Stable but flat

Steady work, but limited growth in both jobs and pay.

-1%
10yr growth
Most openings come from retirements and turnover, not new positions.
555,800 openings projected annually—mostly replacing retirees and turnover.
Typical: No formal educational credential

Openings come from turnover, not new growth. Differentiate to advance.

Labor data: BLS 2024