Pepper recently hosted its first-ever DSR Panel Discussion, bringing together industry veterans to talk about one of the most valuable resources for foodservice distributors: time. Featuring insights from Nick Ziech-Lopez (Product Marketing, Pepper), Wes Finch (former produce industry sales manager), John Minch (former seafood sales manager), and Erin Graham (former DSR and sales manager at Sysco Foods), the panel broke down how modern technology can help sales reps save time, increase efficiency, and drive sales.

If you missed it, you can watch the full webinar recording on this page. However, if you’re short on time, here are some key highlights from the discussion:

1. Automating Orders to Free Up Time

One of the biggest pain points for DSRs is the never-ending cycle of taking and placing orders, often at inconvenient times. The panel discussed how Pepper’s Intelligent Inbox helps streamline this process by:

• Automating text, email, and voicemail orders to reduce manual entry.
• Using AI-powered image recognition to read handwritten orders and translate them into accurate, automated entries.
• Learning from past orders to reduce mistakes and streamline the reordering process.

John Minch shared a personal anecdote about waking up at 2 AM to manually process orders from chefs still working late into the night. With Pepper’s Intelligent Inbox, those orders now process automatically, letting DSRs focus on building relationships instead of handling transactions.

2. Smarter Prospecting & Price Quotes

Gone are the days of dumpster diving to figure out what a potential customer is ordering. The Prospect Finder tool in Pepper’s DSR Connect allows reps to:

• Identify new customers nearby with real-time restaurant data.
• Generate order guides based on a restaurant’s menu in seconds.
• Create instant price quotes to move deals forward without delays.

Wes Finch highlighted how this tool prevents reps from losing momentum—a common issue when waiting days to put together a price quote only to find the chef too busy to revisit the conversation.

3. Actionable Insights & Sales Alerts

Instead of spending hours running reports and analyzing data, Pepper provides real-time alerts that help DSRs stay ahead of problems before they arise:

• Churn risk alerts notify reps when a customer hasn’t placed an order in a while.
• Lost item tracking flags when a customer has stopped ordering a specific product.
• Overdue payment alerts help reps stay proactive about collections.

Erin Graham pointed out that many sales reps resist tech because they fear losing control, but these alerts actually make them more proactive and valuable to their accounts by catching lost sales before they happen.

4. Simplifying Payments to Reduce Late Invoices

No more chasing checks. Pepper Payments streamlines collections by allowing customers to:

• Pay directly within the ordering platform.
• Set up autopay for recurring invoices.
• Pass credit card fees onto operators (where legally permitted) to protect distributor margins.

And coming soon: A direct “Pay Now” link in the DSR Connect app, making it even easier for reps to collect payments in real-time.

Final Thoughts

This panel made it clear: the role of a DSR is evolving. Technology isn’t replacing the personal relationships that drive this industry—it’s enhancing them by giving sales reps more time to focus on selling, strategizing, and strengthening customer relationships.

If you’re a current Pepper user, reach out to your Account Executive to learn more about DSR Connect and Intelligent Inbox. If you’re new to Pepper, get in touch today to see how we can help your sales team work smarter, not harder.