What does an Area Sales Representative do?
The primary role of an area sales representative is to sell the company's products and services within a specified region or territory. You will be responsible for attracting new clients, increase profitability, and win new accounts. Other duties typically include building and maintaining relationships with both new and existing customers, traveling across the region to visit customers, and maintaining records of customer accounts and sales leads. As an area sales representative, it is also your duty to close deals and negotiate service agreements, prices, and terms of sale.
Area sales representative responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real area sales representative resumes:
- Manage and create all content distribute via various social media outlets: Facebook, twitter, feedback blogs, etc.
- Create wholesale catalog using Powerpoint and PDF.
- Add and update customer information in Seibel CRM application.
- Schedule monthly sales, change POS, acquire extra sales/floor space.
- Increase sales and product visibility by placing POS material and encouraging promotion participation within accounts.
- Execute weekly on premise promotions and off-site special events that generate brand awareness, increase distribution and additional sales.
- Create a zip code analysis tool to identify Medicaid recipients' target areas for strategic marketing penetration.
Area sales representative skills and personality traits
We calculated that 24% of Area Sales Representatives are proficient in Customer Service, Business Development, and Sales Process. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Interpersonal skills, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Area Sales Representatives that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 24%
Managed daily operating activities for 11 gasoline/convenience stores, including profit and loss oversight, inventory control and customer service initiatives.
- Business Development, 17%
Handled new business development and lead generation in my area.
- Sales Process, 15%
Created personalized ordering system which facilitated and expedited sales process.
- Customer Relations, 7%
Serviced and retained existing customers by performing customer relations activities, adjusting service levels, and renewing service agreements.
- Product Knowledge, 4%
Established effective relationships with physicians through foundation of needs-based selling, advanced product knowledge, and thorough territory planning and preparation.
- Territory Sales, 3%
Increased territory sales and distribution by 5% despite a declining market due to advanced mapping technology.
Common skills that an area sales representative uses to do their job include "customer service," "business development," and "sales process." You can find details on the most important area sales representative responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. One of the key soft skills for an area sales representative to have is customer-service skills. You can see how this relates to what area sales representatives do because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." Additionally, an area sales representative resume shows how area sales representatives use customer-service skills: "hired to direct market penetration and development of new customers through direct sales calls. "
Interpersonal skills. Many area sales representative duties rely on interpersonal skills. "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people," so an area sales representative will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways area sales representative responsibilities rely on interpersonal skills: "utilized interpersonal skills in salvaging declining client relationship resulting in 15% sales growth 2000 vs. 1999. "
Physical stamina. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of area sales representatives is physical stamina. This skill is critical to many everyday area sales representative duties, as "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "initiated and maintained quality rapport with clinical directors and physical therapists for repeat business. "
Self-confidence. area sales representative responsibilities often require "self-confidence." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." This resume example shows what area sales representatives do with self-confidence on a typical day: "gained a great since of security and confidence within my customers skills used positive work ethic. "
The three companies that hire the most area sales representatives are:
- RevLocal109 area sales representatives jobs
- Humana87 area sales representatives jobs
- Quest Diagnostics16 area sales representatives jobs
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Compare different area sales representatives
Area sales representative vs. Sales representative and account manager
A sales representative/account manager is responsible for supervising client portfolio accounts and maintaining long-lasting relationships with business partners. Sales representatives/account managers meet with existing and potential clients to discuss new services offered by the company, as well as addressing their requests for review. They also handle the account budgets, developing strategic procedures and marketing techniques to improve the brand image in the market, generating more revenues and profits for the business. A sales representative/account manager identifies business opportunities by following trends to provide public demands and interests.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an area sales representative are more likely to require skills like "post sales," "excellent interpersonal," "crm," and "strong work ethic." On the other hand, a job as a sales representative and account manager requires skills like "flyers," "local businesses," "customer accounts," and "sales rep." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
On average, sales representative and account managers reach similar levels of education than area sales representatives. Sales representative and account managers are 3.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Area sales representative vs. Senior accounts representative
Typically, a senior accounts representative familiarizes all the accounts of the company. Senior accounts representatives communicate with customers and resolve client-associated complaints or issues. They monitor business and company messages, email, and other communication systems. It is part of their job to respond to their clients. The skills needed for this position include customer service, sales or marketing, and account management. They are also expected to be knowledgeable in PowerPoint, trade, and product development.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that area sales representative responsibilities requires skills like "sales process," "customer relations," "post sales," and "product knowledge." But a senior accounts representative might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patients," "payment arrangements," "medicaid," and "branch management."
In general, senior accounts representatives achieve similar levels of education than area sales representatives. They're 3.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Area sales representative vs. Territory representative
A territory representative is responsible for selling the company's goods and services within a designated area, negotiating offers with potential clients, and identifying business opportunities according to market trends and customer demands. Territory representatives analyze the sales performance and strategize techniques to reach sales targets by coordinating with the whole sales team. They must be highly knowledgeable of the products offered by the company to demonstrate features and functionalities and respond to the inquiries and concerns the customers may have.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, area sales representatives are more likely to have skills like "sales process," "customer relations," "post sales," and "territory sales." But a territory representative is more likely to have skills like "patients," "customer relationships," "territory development," and "food handling."
When it comes to education, territory representatives tend to earn similar degree levels compared to area sales representatives. In fact, they're 3.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Area sales representative vs. Sales development representative
A sales development representative qualifies leads at the sales funnel's initial stages. Sales development representatives need to conduct research for prospective clients and qualify the leads before handing them to the sales team. They develop sales strategies to attract buyers or solicit potential customers. They need to build relationships with their customers to determine their needs and qualify the viability of interests to drive sales. Also, they collaborate with the sales executives making certain that corporate targets and goals are met.
Types of area sales representative
Updated January 8, 2025
