How to hire a key account representative

How to hire a key account representative, step by step

Here's a step-by-step key account representative hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a key account representative job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new key account representative
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a key account representative, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a key account representative to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a key account representative that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of key account representative salaries for various roles:

   Type of Key Account Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Key Account Representative	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$16-33
   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... Show more	$19-50
   District Sales Representative	District sales representatives are professionals who are responsible for selling the products and services of a company through product education, training, and product presentations. These representatives must work with team members to identify opportunities within their sales territory so that they can increase revenue... Show more	$17-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Business Development
   • Account Management
   • Product Knowledge
   • Post Sales
   • Customer Complaints
   • CRM
   • PowerPoint
   • Product Line
   • National Accounts
   • Territory Sales
   • Order Entry
   • Order Processing
   • Sales Growth
   • POS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Evaluate monthly budgets and territory saturation levels quarterly while managing lease renewals through needs analysis and ROI presentations
   • Prepare catalogs, PowerPoint presentations, and cost spreadsheets in accordance with client product requests and within budgetary parameters.
   • Develop concepts and procedures, analyze and resolve general ledger interfaces with computerize payroll, time tracking and project accounting system.
   • Install and maintain software, hardware and networking and troubleshoot computer systems for problems ranging from software incompatibilities to electrical problems.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your key account representative job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A key account representative salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, key account representatives' average salary in oklahoma is 44% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level key account representatives earn 51% less than senior-level key account representatives.
   • Certifications. A key account representative with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a key account representative's salary.

   Average key account representative salary

   $48,841yearly

   $23.48 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level key account representative salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a key account representative job description

   A key account representative job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a key account representative job description:

   Key account representative job description example

   Our team in Allentown currently has an opening for a Key Accounts Representative
   
   ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES
   
   Job Summary
   
   The Key Accounts Representative (KAR) is an integral role within the Brenntag North America (BNA). The Key Accounts Representative is responsible for the management of assigned Key Accounts within Brenntag North America (U.S. and Canada). In this role, the KAR will take ownership to develop, execute, and manage sales and profit growth budgets and strategies for assigned Key Account customers. Responsibilities include sales of all Brenntag products and other services to all customer business units throughout North America.
   
   Essential Job Functions/Responsibilities:
   
   * Responsible for the commercial development of assigned Key Account(s) within North America including accountability for continuous achievement of sales and profit growth targets and execution of Brenntag North America's Key Accounts Program short and long-range goals, plans, and strategies.
   * Drives commercial excellence execution including a strong focus on proactive selling, price and margin management, opportunity pipeline development and management with high closure rates, proactive customer retention and new business development, selling Brenntag's full product portfolio, services and capabilities to all assigned Key Accounts.
   * Actively engages in customer sales calls and presentations with existing and prospective Key Accounts to ensure customer satisfaction and understand their needs, develop and maintain in-depth, long term relationships with key decision makers and influencers, and identify and drive closure of new opportunities to achieve growth targets.
   * Reduces complexity for the customer and ensure customer satisfaction when working with multiple Brenntag sites or operating companies (BES & BSP) by providing guidance and influencing commercial decisions with their colleagues within the region.
   * Provides regular communication, direction and guidance throughout the Brenntag organization regarding Key Accounts pricing approach, strategies, contract development, producer partner programs, RFQs, terms, etc. to ensure a coherent and consistent product and service offering is implemented at all customer locations.
   * Networks across the organization to effectively and efficiently develop and provide solutions to resolve customer issues or challenges.
   * Provides product, industry and marketplace knowledge to assigned customers.
   * Develops, implements, and maintains Strategic Account Business Development Plans in alignment with growth targets.
   * Manages Request for Quotes (RFQs) for assigned accounts and develops and implements RFQ strategies that increase success rate and ensure profitability goals and expectations are met.
   * Develops profitable pricing strategies and assures appropriate price harmonization for assigned Corporate Accounts.
   * Monitors customer sales, profit and volume performance against budget, investigates variances and implements corrective action(s) to ensure achievement, improve and maximize Sales and Profitability.
   
   IDEAL PROFILE
   
   Other Functions/Responsibilities:
   
   * In coordination with Legal and other Brenntag management, responsible for negotiating commercial terms and conditions, contracts and rebates commensurate with customer commitments to Brenntag.
   * Coordinates execution of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA) or Confidentiality Agreements (CDA).
   * Creates customer budgets in coordination with BNA Director Support Services - Key Accounts.
   * Collaborates with Credit and Finance to support and influence payment within approved terms for our Key Accounts.
   * Implements and supports Key Accounts processes and tools that drive productivity, efficiencies and continuous improvement.
   * Other duties as assigned
   
   Additional Required Skills/Abilities:
   
   * Ability to travel up to 25%
   * Ability to understand profitability and can identify and improve unprofitable products or business.
   * Sales and profit analysis
   * Commercial and negotiating skills
   
   Education:
   
   Bachelor's degree in relevant field
   
   Experience:
   
   3+ years of experience in chemical distribution sales and/or sales management
   
   OUR OFFER
   
   * We aim to create an environment where the best people want to work, where they can turn their passion into their job and realize their full potential
   * Individual development, on-the-job training, and development programs designed to help our employees grow in their careers
   * Competitive pay and incentives
   * Various healthcare plan options as well as 401(k)
   
   INTERESTED?
   
   We look forward receiving your application.
   
   MariLynn Gross
   
   Brenntag provides equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right key account representative for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your key account representative job on Zippia to find and attract quality key account representative candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with key account representative candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new key account representative

   Once you've selected the best key account representative candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new key account representative. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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