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What is a sales/account representative and how to become one
A sales account representative is an individual who is responsible for selling products or services to clients. They act as the main point of contact between the company and its customers, building relationships and identifying potential sales opportunities. They also handle customer complaints and ensure that orders are fulfilled in a timely manner. Account representatives focus on maintaining relationships with existing clients and ensuring their satisfaction with the company's products or services.
What general advice would you give to a sales/account representative?
Bill Thorne
Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation
Avg. Salary $56,954
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 4%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%
Asian 5.21%
Black or African American 3.89%
Hispanic or Latino 14.58%
Unknown 3.72%
White 72.36%
Genderfemale 42.18%
male 57.82%
Age - 48American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 48Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a sales/account representative?
Pros
Opportunity for high earning potential through commissions and bonuses
Opportunity for career advancement within the company
Flexibility in work schedule and location
Continuous learning and skill development
Satisfaction from helping clients meet their needs
Cons
High pressure to meet sales targets and quotas
Long hours and demanding workload, especially during peak seasons
Constant rejection from potential clients can be demotivating
Limited control over external factors that can impact sales, such as market trends or competition
Difficulty balancing client needs with company policies and requirements
Sales/account representative career paths
Key steps to become a sales/account representative
Explore sales/account representative education requirements
Start to develop specific sales/account representative skills
Skills Percentages Customer Service 12.73% CRM 8.10% Sales Process 6.02% Product Knowledge 4.65% Sales Strategies 4.64% Complete relevant sales/account representative training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales/account representatives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sales/account representative based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales/account representative resumes.Research sales/account representative duties and responsibilities
- Generate leads and evangelize product to physicians in orthopedics, hematology, internal medicine, surgery, critical care and cardiology.
- Assist external accounts in error resolution so that all EDI transactions process without manual intervention or delay.
- Work with senior management to implement a sales program for new P3T software enhancement and participate in CRM application development team.
- Collaborate with sales representatives to ensure new account set-up, establish specifications, and assist with EDI account maintenance and invoicing.
Prepare your sales/account representative resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales/account representative resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales/account representative resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable sales/account representative resume templates
Build a professional sales/account representative resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sales/account representative resume.
Apply for sales/account representative jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a sales/account representative job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first sales/account representative job
Are you a sales/account representative?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average sales/account representative salary
The average sales/account representative salary in the United States is $56,954 per year or $27 per hour. Sales/account representative salaries range between $39,000 and $81,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do sales/account representatives rate their job?
Sales/account representative reviews
Dealing with other professional engineers and managers that show higher levels of integrity when discussing requirements or a problem to solve.
The constant program delays and slow manufactures in support of opportunities that could be won with quicker responses.
Communicating and helping my clients.
The travel was extensive. Sometimes. It took more than month to close a deaĺ.
I love to engage the public and meet new faces. I enjoy explaining all of the benefits of the product I am selling, and making the customer feel important and well informed.
Updated January 8, 2025
