Job description

A Regional Account Manager's responsibility is to manage a number of client accounts within a certain area or region.

The role varies depending upon what sort of business you work for - sometimes you will be required just to manage existing accounts, other times you will be required to not only manage existing accounts, but also to expand your client base by sourcing new clients. Whether your role requires business development, or whether it is simply to service existing clients, you will be expected to provide customers with an excellent level of customer service, whilst also maximising any potential revenue available from those customers.

You'll be given a region to manage and will be expected to have a thorough knowledge of not only your industry, but also the businesses (or potential leads) within that region. Awareness of competitors, their products and their clients is also an essential element of the Regional Account Manager's job.

Some duties include:

• Listening to clients about their current and future needs.
• Contacting potential new customers.
• Planning your sales activity on a weekly/monthly basis.
• Keeping informed of industry developments at a national and regional level.
• Ensuring that invoices are issued in a timely fashion.
• Chasing payments for overdue invoices on behalf of your accounts department.
• Attending industry-specific trade shows and entertaining new and existing clients.
• Assisting other departments in product/marketing development.
• Personal development - constantly improving your sales techniques.

Qualifications

As is often the case in sales-related jobs, qualifications (unless applying for a more senior or technically specific job) are not as important as being able to display a good track record of success in a previous role. Certificates gained from the likes of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management will stand out on your CV, though your past experience will usually be the key element that employers are looking for.

Salary Snapshot

Recent salaries advertised on Clearly Sales Jobs (January 2010) include:

• £25-40,000 plus excellent benefits for a Regional Account Manager working for a waste management firm based in West London.
• £38-40,000 basic, plus £30k OTE for a Regional Account Manager working for an audio visual company based in Leeds.
• £30-33,000, OTE £50k for a Regional Account Manager working for a medical supplies company based in the Midlands.
• £26-28,000, OTE £70k++ for a Regional Account Manager working for a software company based in Hampshire.