Duties and responsibilities
A regional sales manager is responsible for implementing a company’s sales plans and strategies. They analyse the business and sales trends nationally, and within their region to find the best approaches to meet sales targets and gather more clients. They have the same duties and responsibilities of a sales manager (i.e., ensuring high levels of customer service and to maximise sales potential) in a particular region (e.g., interstate metropolitan areas or intraterritory regions). Regional sales managers can work in any sector (e.g., household, pharmacy, food, bakery, gifts) and typically will have anywhere between eight to twenty stores to oversee. Their typical duties and responsibilities include:
- Supporting each sales manager in the region
- Ensuring that all stores in their region are properly stocked and up-to-date
- Adhering to policies, procedures and controls
- Aiding store managers in the hiring process
- Analyzing data to ensure regional sales targets are being met
- Providing training programs where necessary
- Settings sales goals, and ensuring these are met through regular monitoring
Qualifications
Sales managers will need significant work experience in the industry. Most companies will promote regional sales managers from general sales manager and provide them with suitable training. It is possible to progress into regional sales management positions with only a high school diploma. However, it is highly advisable to achieve a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as business management, law, marketing or finance.
Skills and relevant work experience
As well as relevant work experience, regional sales managers will need skills such as:
-
- Verbal communication skills, as this will help regional sales managers effectively communicate with store managers and their staff
- Numerical skills, as regional sales managers need to manage budgets and individual team performance
- Written communication skills, as regional sales managers will need to write reports and respond to emails
- Leadership skills, are regional sales managers oversee large teams
- Analytical skills, as regional sales managers need to evaluate how their staff are performing and develop strategies for meeting goals
- Decision making skills, as regional sales managers must be able to make informed and timely decisions
Hours
Most regional sales managers will work full time. They may often find themselves working overtime and long hours, as well as travelling to different stores across the region.
Salary
According to Linkedin.com, the median annual salary for regional managers in the United States is $90,000. At the lower end, you can expect to earn $55,ooo per annum. Whereas, the higher end is an annual salary in excess of $140,000.
Progression
Regional managers tend to progress from sales representative and store manager roles, after gaining significant work experience. They can then progress, with more experience and training, to more senior roles. For example, they may become a national manager. Typically they will stay in the same sector (e.g., food, baking, household goods).