Building a Modern Sales Team for Emerging Beverage Brands

The Evolution of CPG Sales Structure

The traditional CPG sales model has relied heavily on industry veterans who managed entire territories single-handedly. This approach worked when retail relationships and product knowledge drove success. Today's landscape, particularly in emerging categories like hemp beverages, demands a more specialized and process-driven approach.

The rapid growth of brands like HOWDY, which generated $6 million in revenue in 2024 (as reported by Sightlines), demonstrates the potential for success when sales teams align with modern retail demands. Their approach combines authentic brand positioning with strategic sales deployment across eight states, maintaining a healthy 30% of volume through on-premise accounts. This success stems from a clear understanding that brand positioning matters more as markets mature.

Modern sales teams require structure beyond regional assignments. Breaking down the traditional role of a sales director into specialized positions creates clearer paths to success and reduces the risk of a single bad hire derailing your growth. Currently, most emerging brands operate with a single stakeholder managing the entire sales process - from prospecting to closing to account management. This approach limits growth and creates unnecessary pressure points in your organization.

The evolution of the sales landscape demands a more nuanced approach to team building. While twenty companies currently hold just a third of the total market share in hemp-derived products, this grasp continues to shrink, declining 6% this year (as reported by Sightlines). This market fragmentation creates both opportunities and challenges for sales teams. The rapid pace of new brand entries has produced strong sales but weak brand connections for many.

Building a modern sales team requires understanding that the competition for attention will only increase. As shelf space expands and more brands enter the market, the ability to maintain and grow market share will depend on having specialized team members focused on specific aspects of the sales process.

Building a Specialized Sales Framework

From what I have observed the modern beverage sales team requires three distinct roles, each serving a crucial function in the revenue generation process. This specialized approach marks a departure from the traditional territory-based model that many emerging brands still employ.

Business Development Representatives (BDRs) serve as your frontline prospecting team. These entry-level positions focus purely on generating new opportunities and qualifying inbound interest. Their role centers on understanding product-market fit and ensuring potential accounts align with your distribution capabilities before advancing conversations. In markets where cannabis remains illegal, BDRs become crucial in identifying and capitalizing on geographic opportunities.

Account Managers focus on maximizing current account performance and distributor relationships. They handle the day-to-day support that drives consistent sales velocity. This specialized role ensures your existing accounts receive dedicated attention while your sales executives focus on expansion. The importance of this role becomes evident when considering that distributors didn't have a full-scale "green light" until recently, making strong account management crucial for maintaining momentum.

Sales Executives handle presentations, trade shows, and closing new accounts. Their expertise lies in converting opportunities into partnerships. By removing account management and prospecting duties, executives can focus entirely on revenue-generating activities. This becomes particularly important as mainstream retailers like Total Wine and major grocery chains begin embracing the category.

Implementing Modern Sales Operations

Compensation structures need to reflect this specialized approach. Rather than traditional salary-heavy packages, modern teams thrive with performance-based models that reward both individual and team success. BDRs might start at $50-60k base with commission potential to reach $80k+, while Sales Executives could see total compensation packages exceeding $120k through heavy commission components.

The success of this model depends heavily on technology integration and clear process documentation. Modern CRM systems, sales analytics tools, and standardized reporting help maintain accountability across all roles while providing valuable insights for strategic decision-making. This data-driven approach allows teams to adapt quickly to market changes and optimize their efforts for maximum impact.

Training becomes a critical component in this specialized structure. Each role requires specific skill development and ongoing education about market dynamics. BDRs need strong prospecting and qualification abilities, Account Managers must excel at relationship building and problem-solving, while Sales Executives require advanced negotiation and presentation skills.

Measuring Success and Scaling Strategies

The success of this specialized sales structure relies heavily on establishing clear metrics and KPIs for each role. BDRs should be measured on qualified leads generated, meetings set, and conversion rates to opportunities. Account Managers focus on metrics like account retention, velocity improvements, and promotional execution rates. Sales Executives track new account acquisition, revenue growth, and market penetration metrics.

Future-Proofing Your Sales Organization

As the beverage category matures, brands must evolve their sales approach beyond just securing distribution. The focus shifts to building sustainable velocity and maintaining strong retailer relationships. This evolution requires sales teams capable of providing strategic category insights and driving mutual growth with retail partners.

Joel Canada, chief revenue officer at Bayou City Hemp Company, emphasizes that while differentiation in the space can be challenging, success comes from building authentic connections and delivering consistent results. Their HOWDY brand exemplifies how strong sales execution paired with clear brand positioning creates lasting market presence.

Conclusion

Building a modern sales team requires moving beyond traditional territory-based models toward specialized roles that drive specific outcomes. This approach might seem more resource-intensive initially, but it creates scalable infrastructure capable of supporting significant growth.

The key to success lies in proper role definition, clear success metrics, and ongoing training and development. As the category continues to mature, brands that invest in building professional, process-driven sales organizations will maintain competitive advantages in both market expansion and account retention.

Remember that this structure should evolve with your brand's growth. Start with the essential components and add specialization as your market presence and revenue allow. The goal isn't to build the perfect sales organization overnight, but to create a framework that supports sustainable growth and market leadership.