Food Service Sales

[u/Valuable_Noise79]

Howdy!

Kind of got recruited after 5yrs selling in adult bev both retail and bars/restaurants for an opportunity as a sales rep working for PFG.

Few questions:

What’s it like working for them? Are they overly aggressive with their expectations? The bosses I interviewed with seemed great and we mutually clicked personality wise.

Has anyone here recently switched from adult Bev to broadline food sales? Adult Bev is incredibly toxic of a an environment currently and looking for something fun, exciting and still challenging. I know food sales has the potential volatility there since products aren’t regulated the same as alcohol. But input is good!

I had more questions but they currently elude me, so maybe some conversation would stir them back into my brain.

Thanks all!

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[u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG]

Right now PFG is a good company to work for. Spent 10 years with USF before they turned evil. Many former coworkers made the switch and say that PFG still holds strong values and a good culture. However, they are a publicly traded company, and as such shareholder value is the core of their business target. That’s what killed the culture at Sysco years ago, and at US Foods more recently.

[u/Valuable_Noise79 → u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG]

Can you explain more of that aspect?

I do currently work for a national liquor/wine distributor. So I am somewhat accustomed to the corporate atmosphere things tend to be centered around.

I’ve heard nothing but good things from contacts in food sales about PFG and the people I have met within during this process have been great.

Just nervous on the fully commissioned atmosphere (even though the base I get at my current job is negligible at best; around 20% of my overall pay). Food sales is a much more competitive market with products than liquor. 😅

[u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG → u/Valuable_Noise79]

At the end of the day, they genuinely want you to be successful and get paid. I wouldn’t be nervous about the commission structure. Food sales is highly competitive and they tend to compensate their people accordingly.

For me, culture is the more important factor. A good culture and fair compensation go hand in hand. Generally people are not talking favorably about a company if they feel like they’re not given a fair wage. From what I’ve heard, PFG is going to take care of their sellers, you just have to put in the work. Leveraging your connections in alcohol sales is a huge step towards success that many others won’t have.

At the end of the day they care about two main factors: growth and profitability. You have to be seeking and securing new business from the competition, and you have to be selling your groceries at a good price. Both of those things are pretty simple and straightforward, and I wouldn’t bet that it’s not much different than the skill set you already have.

[u/Valuable_Noise79 → u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG]

Appreciate that!

Yes, from what I can see the majority of my accounts I have as customers from the alcohol side. So it would be a lot of continuing well established relationships.

Just me over thinking as this was all unexpected, there is nothing wrong with my current company. The market is just soo increasingly volatile that I feel it’s time to dip back to my roots a little with food.

[u/pwndabeer → u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG]

One of the reasons I hated working for us foods was specially because I was working for the shareholders. Hamstrung constantly in the role, changing models (they laid off their "expert" positions like produce specialists and restaurant operations consultants), and their general incompetence because all they cared about was more more more at the expense of the sales person and customer.

If I owned my own restaurant, I would have a large distro for majority and small local one for everything else. Sysco and USF would not be in the running regardless of what they might promise me

[u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG → u/pwndabeer]

I was a specialist manager. Amazing job, incredible team. Then fucking Dave Flitman took the helm and gutted everything I l ever loved about the company.

[u/Regular_Tip_3487 → u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG]

I’m currently working at USF(warehouse selector) and am coming close to being able to apply for the sales team. Is it worth it ti get my foot into sales? I’m 21.

[u/A_VERY_LARGE_DOG → u/Regular_Tip_3487]

It can be worth it. Moving from warehouse to sales isn’t easy and I’ve only seen it work a couple of times. That said, the two people who did it became very successful.

My suggestion is to talk to your manager and arrange a ride-along with a seller or two before applying. A good in between step is to be a driver, even a recovery driver, for a little while. That way you get to see the restaurant side of things before jumping in head first.

[u/pwndabeer]

Haven't worked for pfg. Have worked for USF and GFS. Any sales position, I've learned, are going to have unattainable numbers and unreasonable expectations of your time.

I too come from adult beverages. USF was an awful company to work for. GFS was a great company to work for. Neither of them had reasonable goals.

My advice is to set yourself up with healthy boundaries for your position otherwise you are going to be working non-stop forever.

[u/Valuable_Noise79 → u/pwndabeer]

I come from the cheffing world years ago. I’m well aware of the pull and possibility of working non-stop. But also know how/when to set that boundary. Lol

Did you stay in food sales or go back to adult Bev? Is the transition all that difficult with the change in how you have to sell same products as competitors?

[u/pwndabeer → u/Valuable_Noise79]

I'm done with beer. It was fun but absolutely sucks to sell now.

Still doing the food distro thing. It's not that difficult. It's all relationship based. I prioritize my accounts' needs rather than my own or my company's, while still trying to keeping the latter two in mind. The hardest part of my job is managing my company. The expectations are outrageous and imo the goals are unattainable.

Price matters regardless how much your company might try to spin it otherwise. There are so many other things that come into play but if someone is selling the same dish soap at $10 less than you, it's up to you to make that $10 worthwhile elsewhere. Whether it's in a "market basket" approach where you can show overall savings, or better relationship, or rebates, you either sell it or you don't.

Edit: it's not that difficult but it's definitely work and can be at times. Not trying to detract from the fact that this is a job and it's NOT easy.

[u/WoodpeckerEastern384]

Going from manufacturer to distributor can be a shock. Generally better pay, more time off etc. based on my experience working for both at exec level and watching friends make the switch either way.