Overview
You sell compostable plates, bowls, cutlery, and takeout containers to restaurants, cafeterias, and foodservice operators across New England. Most sales go through broadline distributors (Sysco, US Foods) and specialty brokers, so you split time between managing those partnerships and hunting direct accounts at larger restaurant groups or institutions.
Role Snapshot
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Role Type | Full-cycle AE with heavy partner management |
| Sales Motion | Partner-channel focused with direct outbound |
| Deal Complexity | Consultative (sustainability switches) |
| Sales Cycle | 1-3 months for distributor adds, 3-6 months for direct accounts |
| Deal Size | $10-50K annual contracts (varies widely by account size) |
| Quota (est.) | $750K-1.2M annually |
Company Context
Stage: Bootstrapped/Private (65 employees, no public funding data)
Size: 65 employees
Growth: Actively hiring for territory expansion, B Corp certified
Market Position: Challenger in crowded compostable packaging space competing against commodity players and sustainability-focused brands
GTM Reality
Pipeline Sources:
- 20% Inbound - sustainability-driven restaurants reaching out, mostly smaller operators
- 50% Partner/Channel - working through distributor sales teams and broker networks
- 30% Outbound - prospecting restaurant groups, colleges, corporate cafeterias, stadiums
SDR/AE Structure: No SDR support - you're sourcing everything yourself
SE Support: No dedicated SE - you handle product demos and samples yourself
Competitive Landscape
Main Competitors: Eco-Products, World Centric, Vegware, plus commodity fiber suppliers and cheaper non-certified "eco-friendly" options
How They Differentiate: BPI-certified commercial composting certification, B Corp status, emphasis on real-world performance vs cheap alternatives that fall apart
Common Objections: "Compostables cost 2-3x more than plastic," "We don't have access to commercial composting," "Tried compostables before and they leaked/broke," "Our distributor doesn't carry you"
Win Themes: Product performance, genuine sustainability credentials (BPI + B Corp), ability to get added to distributor catalogs
What You'll Actually Do
Time Breakdown
Partner Management (35%) | Direct Prospecting (30%) | Account Management (20%) | Internal/Admin (15%)
Key Activities
- Distributor Relationship Building: Weekly calls with Sysco/US Foods/PFG regional reps trying to get your SKUs added to their catalogs and pushed by their sales teams. You're competing for mindshare with dozens of other specialty suppliers.
- Direct Outbound: Cold calling and emailing restaurant groups, college dining directors, corporate cafeteria managers. You're pitching sustainability switches - replacing their current disposables with your compostable alternatives.
- Sample Programs: Sending product samples, following up on whether they actually tested them, troubleshooting when a bowl leaked or a fork snapped (happens more than you'd like).
- Trade Shows & Events: Regional foodservice shows, sustainability conferences, occasional on-site meetings at distributor warehouses or restaurant corporate offices.
- Price Justification: Constantly explaining the 2-3x price premium over plastic. You need customers who genuinely care about sustainability or have mandates (cities, universities) because price-sensitive operators won't bite.
The Honest Reality
What's Hard
- Most restaurants care more about price than sustainability. You hear "too expensive" on 70% of calls. Your sweet spot is operators with sustainability mandates or strong brand commitments.
- Distributor reps have 10,000 SKUs to sell. Getting them to actively push your products (vs just having them available) requires constant relationship work and spiffs.
- Commercial composting infrastructure is spotty. Many customers want compostables but can't actually compost them, which creates cognitive dissonance and stalled deals.
- Product performance issues happen - a batch of bowls that gets soggy too fast, cutlery that breaks under normal use. You field those complaints and manage returns.
- Long sales cycles for institutional accounts (colleges, healthcare, corporate dining) with lots of committee approvals and sustainability director sign-offs.
What Success Looks Like
- Getting your full product line added to a major distributor's catalog in your territory (this can be 30-40% of your annual quota)
- Landing 2-3 enterprise accounts (university systems, hospital groups, corporate campuses) that commit to full disposable switches
- Building a base of 20-30 mid-market restaurants/cafeterias doing consistent monthly orders through distributors
Who You're Selling To
Primary Buyers:
- Purchasing managers at broadline distributors (Sysco, US Foods, Performance Food Group)
- Sustainability directors at universities, hospitals, corporate campuses
- Operations directors at restaurant groups (5-50 locations)
- Independent restaurant owners (sustainability-focused, higher-end)
What They Care About:
- Distributors: Margin, velocity (will this actually sell?), customer demand
- Sustainability Directors: Certifications (BPI, ASTM), diversion rates, brand story for their sustainability reports
- Operations: Product performance (doesn't leak, holds up to hot food), price vs current supplier, reliable supply
Requirements
- 3-5 years B2B sales experience, ideally in foodservice, packaging, or distribution
- Existing relationships with broadline distributors in New England territory strongly preferred
- Comfortable with 60%+ travel - this is a car-based territory role with frequent distributor/customer visits
- Self-starter mentality - no SDR support, you're building pipeline from scratch
- Ability to sell on value over price - this is not a commodity sale
- Familiarity with sustainability/environmental positioning helpful but not required