Prospecting & Opening Accounts: From dishwasher to over 19 million in Sales
“I try to instill in my customers and in prospects that… I get my paycheck from BiRite, but I work for you!” ~Sean Cass
Congratulations to Sean Cass of BiRite Foodservice Distributors based in Brisbane, California for being named AFDR’s DSR of the Month for December 2024, earning him a permanent place in the AFDR DSR Hall of Fame. Seans’s territory is five miles from the warehouse in the Peninsula district, which is all the cities south of San Francisco in the Bay Area, CA. where he also resides.
Journey into being a DSR
My first gig was at Roundtable Pizza right after high school. I started as a dishwasher, moved to the line, and then to the front of the house. After that, I went to Chico State and worked for Pepsi, which really opened my eyes to distributor sales. When I moved to the Bay Area, I reconnected with someone from Pepsi who was now at BiRite, and that’s how I got my start in foodservice distributor sales in 2007.
Transitioning from Pepsi Distributor Sales to BiRite DSR Sales
With Pepsi, we visited accounts daily to take inventory and place orders. It was more about maintaining relationships and promoting new products. That experience definitely helped build my confidence in sales. The bigger money involved in foodservice distribution compared to Pepsi was challenging with orders of $5000 – $10,000 versus $200 – $500, and managing the A/R was a big hurdle.
Learning the Ropes
Moving from Pepsi to BiRite, some of the biggest hurdles in the first few years were learning the products, the business language, and even the technology. It was a steep learning curve, but being humble, asking for help, and staying persistent made all the difference. Building confidence to manage large orders and financials compared to Pepsi was key. It took about three and a half years to really feel like I had it down, and maybe another year or two before the financial rewards started to reflect my efforts. I had to ask a lot of questions.
Prospecting Techniques
When prospecting, I check out their menu online, eat there, talk to the staff, and sometimes even look at what’s in their storage or trash. It gives me insights into their needs, products, and who they’re currently buying from. After identifying products, I create a small 25-item price list and take it in with me the next time I visit. I keep it small because I don’t want to overwhelm them with too many products to think about. If I meet the decision-maker, I focus on their needs rather than price, asking if they’re happy with their current distributor and identifying gaps I can fill. I’ll continue calling on a prospect for at least 7 to 12 weeks (or until I secure the account) because the sales manager who trained me said that worked, and it does.
Dealing with Rejection and Building Relationships and Trust
Trust is earned through consistency, accountability, and showing you’re reliable. Show up at the same time every week, keep promises, and be proactive about solving problems. Trust doesn’t happen overnight—it takes months of persistence. I make sure they know how hard it is to switch distributors or even start buying some products from another distributor. If a prospect or a customer is hesitant about buying something from me, I offer to be a consultant and keep other distributors in check by analyzing products and pricing for them.
Long-term Relationships: Why Customers Buy from Me and BiRite
We’re family-owned with low turnover, so relationships are deep. I’ve been here for nearly 18 years, and I make sure my clients see me as a part of their team, like one of their best employees. Many of our competitors change DSRs continuously, disrupting an operator’s business, so the more consistent I remain in helping my customers in their businesses, the more they will continue doing business with us. To that point, taking advantage of a competitor changing DSRs is an opportunity for you to be a savior and get a new account. I try to instill in my customers and in prospects that I get my paycheck from BiRite, but I work for you!
Be a Resource and SELL SOMETHING!!
