How to hire an outside account manager

How to hire an outside account manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step outside account manager hiring guide:

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

Post an outside account manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the outside account manager you need to hire. Certain outside account manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect outside account manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of outside account manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Outside Account Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Outside Account Manager	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$13-33
   Account Development Manager	An account development manager's responsibilities revolve around securing and reaching sales targets, creating business plans, developing strategies, and building positive relationships with clients. They must also reach out to clients through calls and correspondence, offer products and services, and address any issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently... Show more	$20-57
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Process
   • Customer Retention
   • Product Knowledge
   • Account Management
   • Business Development
   • ATD
   • CRM
   • Gross Profit
   • Geographic Territory
   • Customer Issues
   • Customer Relations
   • Customer Accounts
   • Sales Growth
   • Revenue Growth

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage services including contract logistics, distribution, and inbound logistics and shipping brokerage along with various additional transportation solutions.
   • Provide overall guidance regarding territory and travel planning, and CRM management.
   • Administer appropriate planning to deliver high impact business plans to dealership and OEM regional management.
   • Negotiate with top level decision makers and investors, making successful presentations targeting client needs and ROI.
   • Work with manufacturer's representatives to provide product demonstrations, technical support, & to pursue OEM opportunities.
   • Conduct regular account appraisals to accelerate customer adoption by working closely with the customer to educate and assess cloud technology needs.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your outside account manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An outside account manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, outside account managers' average salary in oklahoma is 43% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level outside account managers 59% less than senior-level outside account managers.
   • Certifications. An outside account manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an outside account manager's salary.

   Average outside account manager salary

   $44,143yearly

   $21.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level outside account manager salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing an outside account manager job description

   A good outside account manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an outside account manager job description:

   Outside account manager job description example

   The Outside Account Manager has overall responsibility for the development and continued growth of mutually beneficial customer relationships and the coordination of Horizon and vendor's technical and training resources and solutions with the objective of superior customer service and profitable product, services and solution sales.
   
   Responsible and accountable to establish and implement sales and marketing plans, coordinate and implement the outside sales and marketing efforts for Horizon products and services with a focus of new business development within the assigned geographic territory. The objective of this position includes the identification and development of new business opportunities and relationships and increased new business sales.
   
   The Outside Account Manager is responsible for the effective development and execution of sales plans, forecasts and tracking systems, operating budgets, marketing programs, and specific initiatives that advance Horizon's and the customers strategies and maximize profitability of product and services sales. This role will pro-actively converge customer-Horizon opportunities within their assigned market.
   
   Analyze and identify market and customer opportunities and needs; design and sell solutions that maximize Horizon's product offerings, services and technical support services. Act as Horizon's primary customer representative and liaison to initiate and develop mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with customers and potential customers.
   
   Develop and manage customer relationships directly, as well as indirectly, through technical, inside sales and support staff, with products and services specifications and selection, pricing and product availability. Manage contract negotiations and renewal, quotation process and financial/payment arrangements consistent with Horizon standards.
   
   This position includes initiating and managing the customer relationship, Horizon and vendor resources and the sales process for the sale of all Horizon product lines and any combination of products, technical solutions as well as the services and education.
   
   + The Outside Account Manager is responsible for the day-to-day customer relationship that maximizes the implementation of Horizon's products, services and solutions and Horizon's profit opportunity within an assigned geography and account focus.Establish and implement proactive sales strategies, business development plans and marketing programs/goals, both short and long range, that provide profit growth and expansion of electrical products and/or services within the assigned customer.
   + Maximize Horizon's sales effectiveness, penetration and service levels.
   
   + Act as Horizon's primary customer representative and liaison to initiate, develop and nurture mutually beneficial, long-term relationships within the assigned marketplace.
   
   + Monitor competitive trends and activity within the geography and make recommendations for competitively superior programs, services, products and pricing.
   
   + Analyze and identify customer and market needs. Design and sell solutions that maximize Horizon product offerings, services and technical support services.
   
   + Pro-actively pursue new business development opportunities and ensure that Horizon and Horizon vendors are well positioned to be the distributor and vendors of choice within the marketplace.
   
   + Establish and implement sales and marketing plans with the result of increased market share in related products and services.
   
   + Identify customer support needs and coordinate the implementation of sales and technical support and training solutions and efforts for Horizon's products and service with the objective of increased sales, gross and net profit.
   
   + Develop and manage customer relationships directly, as well as indirectly, through inside staff and other Horizon and vendor resources.
   
   + Assist in the analysis of market and customer needs, development of plans to identify customer solutions and priorities.
   
   + Manage quotations, pricing, delivery and billing/payment consistent with Horizon standards.
   
   + Account Management experience and previous successful Technical Sales and/or Account Management experience required; previous experience in Electrical and/or Automation Product Sales strongly preferred. Direct experience in solution sales and technical solution development, project management and engineering and implementation within distribution desired.
   
   + Knowledge and ability to utilize a broad range of selling techniques and the ability to negotiate and close product, solution and consulting sales required. Previous experience consulting, negotiating and selling to all levels, including the executive levels preferred. Technical knowledge of a broad range of Horizon's Products, Services and Product Applications are required.
   
   + Incumbents must have and maintain knowledge relating to Horizon products and product applications/solutions; product availability, channels to market, competitive products and competitors.
   
   + Strong collaboration, communication and problem solving skills required.
   
   + Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in Engineering, Marketing, Business Administration/Mgmt.
   
   + Broad understanding of business processes, systems and structures preferred.
   
   + Incumbent must have and maintain a valid driver's license.
   
   Horizon Solutions is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and fully supports Affirmative Action.
   
   
   Street: 32 Haigis Parkway
   
   Post End Date: 11/30/2022

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right outside account manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with outside account managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit outside account managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your outside account manager job on Zippia to find and recruit outside account manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit outside account managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 outside account manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect outside account manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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.

   To prepare for the new outside account manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an outside account manager?