Catherine Buckley

I was approached by my previous Sales Manager from GSK to come and work for Strikeforce NZ as an Area Manager covering the Central North Island, calling on all supermarkets selling on behalf of all our clients, selling in NPD, gaining distribution, achieving sales targets, compliance checking, booking displays, implementing relays and managing a team of 20 merchandisers to ensure shelves are filled, displays are built,

Achiecving Sales Targets, selling in NPD, gaining additional distribution, booking off location displays. Managing a team of merchandisers

Selling into both supermarkets and Pharmacies across the Central North Island Region. Gaining additional distribution, selling in NPD, booking displays, managing a team of merchandisers. Had to build relationships with pharmacies to get them to switch suppliers to ensure they stocked our brands over competitors. This role included Cold Calling into independent hairdressers and pharmacies to gain distribution and new business.

I was asked by a previous Sales Manager that I had worked with at Cadbury to come and join him and his team and join Premier Bacon - I was ready for a new challenge.

I was dealing with Butchers and Deli Managers across all Supermarkets and independents businesses to get them to stock our range of products. Including Cold Calling to gain additional business.

I started by being the Territory Manager for Foodstuffs across Central North Island, selling in NPD, achieving sales targets, selling indent orders, booking displays, managing a team of merchandisers. Then took on a role to increase sales and implement displays across all Progressive stores in the Central North Island area, With this company I achieved Lower North Island Rep of The Year and then the following year won National Rep of The Year - which was a result of my sales results and display activation that I had achieved across my area.

I was approached to come and work for Coca Cola after they Purchased Rio Beverages.

This role I started out as rep covering the Route Area for Manawatu/Wanganui area, selling to achieve sales targets, presenting NPD, gaining new distribution by way of Cold Calling, then moved up to looking after their Grocery Accounts.

This was my first job in the FMCG Industry, starting off selling into the Route area where I consistently won awards for exceeding sales targets and fridge placement targets compared to my peers - I won Route Rep of The Year 2 years running and then was then promoted when the opportunity came up to go into Key Accounts, which was servicing the supermarkets throughout my region. I loved this role, selling pallets, booking displays, managing merchandisers, gaining additional distribution.

My first job straight out of school -

I started by booking advertising space - after a couple of years I moved through to the Telemarketing Department, taking incoming calls for advertisements and then had to upsell those sales, after a couple of years of doing this and becoming successful in my sales I was promoted to Supervisor of this department managing a team of 8 and making sure our department achieved sales results with both incoming and outgoing calls. I had to set expectations for my team and assist them with sales training techniques to ensure they also exceeded. I loved selling so much I applied to become a Sales Rep where I had my own area and had to sell advertising space and achieve targets, this included having my own clients and also cold calling....then I got the opportunity for FMCG where my passion involved.