An area sales manager is a position that primarily involves making sales and managing company personnel. While the number of subordinates that an area sales manager has varies due to location, area size and number of customers, the fundamental job duties remain the same. These include finding new customers, holding sales presentations, establishing relationships with suppliers, managing subordinates and monitoring sales data.
A key aspect of being an effective area sales manager is consistently finding new customers. It's this individual's responsibility to ensure that the business constantly expands its customer base and remains competitive within the industry. This means that he will have to stay up-to-date on things like market outlook, customer needs and customer demographics. As he unearths new information, he will incorporate what has been learned into the business's marketing and sales strategies in order to maximize sales.
Another part of the job is holding periodic sales presentations. These presentations can either be one-on-one with single clients or a group presentation in front of multiple clients. During these presentations, an area sales manager must be able to successfully explain the benefits of his business's products or services. As a result, performing this job requires a person who is persuasive and has significant interpersonal skills.
Establishing and maintaining healthy relationships with suppliers is also critical for success. In order to get the best possible deals and maximize earnings, it's important for a business to be in good standing with its suppliers. Consequently, it's usually the job of an area sales manager to locate top suppliers and establish connections. As the business connection continues, he will need to stay in contact and maintain the relationship.
Another aspect of this position is effectively managing subordinates and keeping everyone on the same page. It's typically up to an area sales manager to provide employees with training, assistance when problems arise an discipline when necessary. If a manager's subordinates fail to perform the job and meet sales quotas, it's a poor reflection on him. As a result, he must continually strive to get the most out of his company's employees.
In addition, a sales manager must routinely monitor sales data. To be successful, it's imperative for him to track information like sales trends and marketing techniques in order to see what works and which areas need improvement. He might also track future projections within his industry so that his business will be equipped to handle changes. Consequently, it's helpful to have an analytical mind and be adept at deductive reasoning in this career.
