For a Regional Manager, performance isn't solely about acquiring new volumes or developing sales. It's also, and sometimes primarily, about the ability to secure existing business. Because on the ground, a disruption is never simply a logistical problem. This results in an immediate loss of revenue, a deterioration of the relationship with the distributor, and often, an opportunity left for the competition to establish itself permanently. The issue is well-known. And yet, the

For a Key Account Manager in foodservice, negotiation with distributors is a decisive moment. This is where commercial conditions, product range visibility, but also and above all the ability to build sustainable growth are determined. On the ground, however, one observation often comes up: the discussion quickly turns to price. Discounts, conditions, sales efforts… the balance of power crystallizes around financial levers, sometimes to the detriment of the real value of the

For a Category Manager, building an assortment is rarely left to chance. Each product listed in the catalog is the result of precise trade-offs: market potential, range consistency, retailer expectations, and brand strategy. But once the assortment is in place, a more fundamental question quickly arises: does this assortment actually create value where it is supposed to? And this is often where reality becomes more complex. Because between the listing decision and in-store pe

In foodservice sales departments, performance management is based on a simple promise: understanding where growth is created, and where it is lost. At first glance, everything seems accessible. The data exists, the volumes are monitored, and the field teams are reporting information. And yet, when it comes to answering simple questions such as: which region is really outperforming? which distributor is driving growth? which depots require immediate action?, the answer is ofte

In the foodservice industry, preparing for drop-off appointments is often seen as a necessary evil. An unavoidable, time-consuming step, but one that is difficult to reduce. The idea that it requires time is fairly easily accepted. Proper preparation takes an hour. Sometimes more. But this belief deserves to be questioned! In reality, this time is often spent making the data readable, rather than drawing decisions from it. It is often a symptom of a deeper problem: poor data

Do you recognize yourself in this somewhat frustrating situation? You've just come out of a well-crafted negotiation with a distributor. Everything is in place, validated, aligned. In the moment, you know the plan is sound. And a few weeks later, on the ground… it doesn’t work. The promotional efforts aren't always effective. Sales volumes aren't keeping pace. And feedback from the sales force doesn't quite match your expectations. This is where commercial silos appear. Not n

For a Category Manager, analyzing category performance can sometimes feel like a frustrating exercise. The figures are there, the volumes are there, but the overall picture remains difficult to grasp. Sales are increasing at some retailers, slowing down at others, while some products perform exceptionally well without any real understanding of why. In many organizations, analysis remains highly aggregated: overall revenue, a few indicators per brand, sometimes a view by pro

For a Key Account Manager, sales negotiations are always a strategic moment . Agreements are discussed, conditions are set, and volume targets are laid out. Once the contract is signed, everyone leaves with the understanding that the framework is clear. But a few months later, the reality on the ground is sometimes different . Some products are progressing more slowly than expected. Negotiated volumes are not always met. Promotions seem to have had a limited impact. And whe

In many food industry companies, the situation is the same at the beginning of each month. Sales teams receive files from their distributors—Excel exports that are often large, and sometimes structured differently from one client to another. Sales managers then begin a meticulous process: cleaning the files, standardizing formats, checking references, and consolidating volumes. A few days later, a summary report finally starts to take shape. The problem is that by then, a lar

Between internal meetings, discussions with distributors, and field visits, a Regional Manager's weeks often fly by. Yet, one question regularly arises when planning trips: where should I go first? Should we visit warehouses where sales seem to be slowing down? Go and support those that are already performing well? Or prioritize strategic partners? In practice, many decisions are still made based on intuition or partial information. And that's precisely where the difficulty b

For a Key Account Manager (KAM), negotiation is never an end in itself. Signing an agreement, validating an action plan or securing volumes only has value if all of this then translates into concrete actions on the ground. And that's often where things get complicated. Between headquarters and the sales force, intentions are good, but execution can be diluted. Information sometimes flows poorly, figures aren't always consistent, and everyone operates with their own interpret

For a long time, Category Management in Foodservice was built around a simple principle: to offer a coherent and efficient assortment to the greatest number of people. This approach has proven its worth. But today, it is reaching its limits. The foodservice market has fragmented. Uses have multiplied. Expectations vary greatly depending on the type of establishment, geographical area, or time of consumption. Faced with this complexity, managing a category without fine segment

A Comex report is never a simple exercise in reporting. This is a key moment where the Sales Management team puts its credibility , its understanding of the market, and its ability to drive growth on the line. And yet, for many sales departments, this preparation remains a laborious process. The figures are there, but incomplete. Trends are perceived, but difficult to quantify. The discussion sometimes focuses more on the reliability of the data than on the decisions to be

A successful meeting isn't decided during the exchange itself. It's decided well beforehand, during the preparation phase! And for many Regional Managers , this is where the problem lies. Between retrieving exports, cross-referencing files, and verifying figures, preparing for a meeting can quickly become time-consuming. A lot of time invested… for a sometimes limited impact on the discussion. The good news is that an effective meeting doesn't need more numbers. It needs the

As a Foodservice Key Account Manager , your mission is clear: to manage strategic accounts, secure business and build sustainable growth with your distributors. In reality, your decisions are based on data. Or rather… on data . Multiple, heterogeneous, sometimes contradictory. One distributor sends a very detailed file, another a summary report, a third nothing at all. The formats vary, the time periods don't align, the definitions change. In the end, you get pieces of the

For a Category Manager, product assortment is a strategic lever. It is this factor that determines performance, customer satisfaction, and credibility with distributors. Yet, in many organizations, its management still relies on an overly general view of sales . We know what's coming out. We know what is progressing or regressing. But we don't always know for whom . And that's precisely where the problem lies. When an “average” assortment masks very different realities An a

For a long time, Excel was the default tool for sales management. Flexible, accessible, reassuring. Even today, in many Foodservice business units, it remains at the heart of reporting, consolidations and performance analyses. The problem is not Excel itself. The problem is what it really costs your organization : in time, reliability, and decision-making capacity. Excel gives the illusion of control… but can create friction in your sales department At first glance, everythi

Being a Regional Manager means constantly making trade-offs. Where should you focus your efforts? Which depot should you support first? Which situation requires immediate action rather than simple monitoring? In reality, these decisions are still too often made with partial visibility, sometimes delayed, and rarely consistent from one depot to another. We receive the numbers after the fact. We reconstruct situations retrospectively. We discover certain problems when they are

As a Key Account Manager, you negotiate key commercial agreements every year. Promotions, innovations, highlights, range expansions… on paper, the action plans are clear. The objectives too. But once the agreements are signed, one question systematically arises: What is actually being implemented on the ground, and what is the business impact? The daily life of a Key Account Manager: many agreements, little visibility on the ground In the foodservice industry, the complexity

Running a Foodservice business today is no longer just about achieving revenue targets. It's about understanding where performance really comes from , what weakens it, and above all, how to activate it sustainably. For many Sales Departments, one observation comes up regularly: the data exists, but the overall view is lacking. The figures are there, scattered across disparate tools, files, and reports. And when a quick decision is needed, the data does not always inform the