Sales Executive

How to Apply: Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to careers@orchidhr.co.ke using the position as the subject of the email.

Prove You Can Sell to Contractors, Not Just Talk About Sales

This role lives or dies on field visits to hardware stores, distributors, contractors, and construction sites. The hiring panel will screen for evidence that you have actually carried a territory, managed distributor accounts, and hit revenue targets in manufacturing or building and construction.

1. Quantify your territory wins: On your CV, replace vague phrases like 'managed sales' with numbers: the size of the territory, the number of active distributor accounts, and the percentage growth you delivered. For example, 'Grew hardware store sales in Kiambu by 22% in 12 months' tells a far stronger story than 'responsible for sales growth.' Hiring managers for this post want to see that you understand revenue targets and can prove you have met them.

2. Name the construction stakeholders you have handled: This job requires you to build relationships with contractors, developers, architects, engineers, and consultants. In your CV or interview, mention specific stakeholder types you have worked with and what you did with them. If you have ever resolved a contractor's complaint or coordinated a delivery to a site, describe that situation briefly and the outcome.

3. Prepare a 30-60-90 day territory plan: Before the interview, sketch a simple plan for how you would approach the assigned territory in your first three months. Include how you would map hardware stores and distributors, prioritise high-potential contractors, and set weekly field visit targets. Bring this plan to the interview and walk the panel through it. It shows you think like a sales owner, not just an order taker.

4. Show you understand credit control: The role includes following up on outstanding customer payments and maintaining sound credit-control practices. Be ready to explain how you have handled overdue accounts in the past without damaging the customer relationship. A practical example of a time you recovered a late payment or set up a payment plan will reassure the hiring team that you can balance sales growth with cash collection.

5. Bring examples of market intelligence you have gathered: You will be expected to monitor competitor activities, pricing, and customer preferences and report back to management. Think of a time you spotted a competitor's price change or a new product trend and how you used that information. Describe the action you took and the result. This shows you are not just a relationship builder but also a strategic pair of eyes in the field.

6. Demonstrate leadership without a title: The role includes supervising and coordinating sales team members, coaching them, and leading by example. Even if you have not been a formal supervisor, share instances where you mentored a junior colleague, led a sales activation, or coordinated a team effort during a promotion. The panel wants to see that you can lift performance around you, not just chase your own targets.

7. Rehearse your field visit routine: Interviewers for this kind of role often ask how you structure a day in the field. Have a clear answer: how many visits you make, how you prepare for each call, what you carry, and how you follow up. Mention that you would visit hardware stores, distributors, and construction sites regularly, and explain how you would record and act on what you learn. Specifics here separate serious field salespeople from desk-bound candidates.

8. Align your examples with the construction calendar: Building and construction sales have busy seasons and slow periods. Show awareness of how weather, project cycles, or government infrastructure spending can affect demand. If you have experience adjusting your sales approach during rainy seasons or end-of-year project rushes, say so. It proves you can plan ahead and keep revenue steady even when the market slows down.