A sales account representative is responsible for managing and responding promptly to customer complaints and queries of clients. They focus on customer concerns and contact prospects. They work on upselling or cross-selling products and services, collaborating with account executives, and prepare reports to upper management. This job requires you to be a goal-driven person, energetic, and have excellent communication skills. Moreover, this is a challenging job; at times, it requires being extra polite and calm in handling customer complaints and other related situations.

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Sales/Account Representative Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real sales/account representative resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

  • 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.
  • Create PowerPoint presentations and literature utilize and present in sales calls.
  • Core competencies: -Administrative/computer skills: maintain CRM systems to successfully identify potential customers.
  • Generate leads and evangelize product to physicians in orthopedics, hematology, internal medicine, surgery, critical care and cardiology.
  • Train distributor representatives in upselling and bundling ancillary products.
  • Install and maintain software, hardware and networking and troubleshoot computer systems for problems ranging from software incompatibilities to electrical problems.

Sales/Account Representative Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a sales/account representative does, you may be wondering, "should I become a sales/account representative?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, sales/account representatives have a growth rate described as "slower than average" at 2% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of sales/account representative opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is 35,400.

On average, the sales/account representative annual salary is $56,954 per year, which translates to $27.38 an hour. Generally speaking, sales/account representatives earn anywhere from $39,000 to $81,000 a year, which means that the top-earning sales/account representatives make $45,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

As is the case with most jobs, it takes work to become a sales/account representative. Sometimes people change their minds about their career after working in the profession. That's why we looked into some other professions that might help you find your next opportunity. These professions include a sales representative and account manager, consultant and sales representative, territory representative, and territory sales representative.

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Sales/Account Representative Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 13% of Sales/Account Representatives are proficient in Customer Service, CRM, and Sales Process. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Physical stamina, and Self-confidence.

We break down the percentage of Sales/Account Representatives that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 13%

    Provided superior customer service for all personally secured clients and achieved exemplary CRM evidenced by strong repeat business.

  • CRM, 8%

    Implemented and facilitated account changes and requirements; Performed appropriate account activities and duties within CRM.

  • Sales Process, 6%

    Participated in continuing education opportunities with intent to increase qualified customer contacts, enhance relationships and advance sales process.

  • Product Knowledge, 5%

    Demonstrated and provided product knowledge to customers on company products.

  • Sales Strategies, 5%

    Developed operating and sales strategies in territory to increase market potential.

  • Sales Techniques, 4%

    Leveraged sales techniques including direct business-to-business selling and prospecting to develop and close new business.

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Some of the skills we found on sales/account representative resumes included "customer service," "crm," and "sales process." We have detailed the most important sales/account representative responsibilities below.

  • The most important skills for a sales/account representative to have in this position are interpersonal skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a sales/account representative resume, you'll understand why: "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people" According to resumes we found, interpersonal skills can be used by a sales/account representative in order to "maintain favorable client relationships through use of negotiation, problem solving skills and effective interpersonal communication. "
  • Another commonly found skill for being able to perform sales/account representative duties is the following: physical stamina. According to a sales/account representative resume, "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." Check out this example of how sales/account representatives use physical stamina: "conducted sales presentations by meeting customers physically on daily basis. "
  • Sales/account representatives are also known for self-confidence, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a sales/account representative resume: "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations" We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "restored confidence with customers of continued customer support and aid in new creative ideas. "
  • In order for certain sales/account representative responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "customer-service skills." According to a sales/account representative resume, "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "trained company and dealer sales professionals in strategy development, sales techniques, and customer service excellence. "
  • See the full list of sales/account representative skills.

    Before becoming a sales/account representative, 68.8% earned their bachelor's degree. When it comes down to graduating with a master's degree, 5.0% sales/account representatives went for the extra education. If you're wanting to pursue this career, it may be possible to be successful with a high school degree. In fact, most sales/account representatives have a college degree. But about one out of every seven sales/account representatives didn't attend college at all.

    The sales/account representatives who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and marketing, while a small population of sales/account representatives studied communication and accounting.

    Once you're ready to become a sales/account representative, you should explore the companies that typically hire sales/account representatives. According to sales/account representative resumes that we searched through, sales/account representatives are hired the most by International Paper, Oracle, and U.S. Bank. Currently, International Paper has 97 sales/account representative job openings, while there are 72 at Oracle and 56 at U.S. Bank.

    Since salary is important to some sales/account representatives, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Smartsheet, Vista Equity Partners, and Fidelity National Financial. If you were to take a closer look at Smartsheet, you'd find that the average sales/account representative salary is $110,393. Then at Vista Equity Partners, sales/account representatives receive an average salary of $94,167, while the salary at Fidelity National Financial is $89,217.

    View more details on sales/account representative salaries across the United States.

    Some other companies you might be interested in as a sales/account representative include Novartis, Eli Lilly and Company, and Dell. These three companies were found to hire the most sales/account representatives from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

    In general, sales/account representatives fulfill roles in the media and professional industries. While employment numbers are high in those industries, the sales/account representative annual salary is the highest in the technology industry with $72,531 as the average salary. Meanwhile, the manufacturing and professional industries pay $59,130 and $58,903 respectively. This means that sales/account representatives who are employed in the technology industry make 26.1% more than sales/account representatives who work in the telecommunication Industry.

    The three companies that hire the most prestigious sales/account representatives are:

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    What Sales Representative And Account Managers Do

    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.

    In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take sales representative and account manager for example. On average, the sales representative and account managers annual salary is $8,463 higher than what sales/account representatives make on average every year.

    Even though sales/account representatives and sales representative and account managers have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require customer service, sales process, and product knowledge in the day-to-day roles.

    As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a sales/account representative responsibility requires skills such as "crm," "work ethic," "indirect sales," and "sales support." Whereas a sales representative and account manager is skilled in "flyers," "territory sales," "powerpoint," and "sales rep." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

    On average, sales representative and account managers reach similar levels of education than sales/account representatives. Sales representative and account managers are 0.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

    What Are The Duties Of a Consultant And Sales Representative?

    A consultant and sales representative's role is to perform research and analysis to devise strategies for reaching sales targets and optimal services. Aside from providing consultations and business plans, they may also represent the company by reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence. They may offer products and services to secure sales, answer inquiries, and even arrange appointments to discuss and negotiate deals. Furthermore, as a consultant and sales representative, it is essential to build positive relationships with clients in adherence to the company's policies and regulations.

    Now we're going to look at the consultant and sales representative profession. On average, consultants and sales representative earn a $168,878 higher salary than sales/account representatives a year.

    Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Sales/account representatives and consultants and sales representative both include similar skills like "customer service," "crm," and "sales process" on their resumes.

    While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, several resumes showed us that sales/account representative responsibilities requires skills like "work ethic," "indirect sales," "sales support," and "enterprise resource planning." But a consultant and sales representative might use skills, such as, "strong presentation," "energy efficiency," "national accounts," and "securities."

    Consultants and sales representative may earn a higher salary than sales/account representatives, but consultants and sales representative earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $234,866. On the other side of things, sales/account representatives receive higher paychecks in the technology industry where they earn an average of $72,531.

    When it comes to the differences in education between the two professions, consultants and sales representative tend to reach similar levels of education than sales/account representatives. In fact, they're 2.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    How a Territory Representative Compares

    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 territory representative profession generally makes a lower amount of money when compared to the average salary of sales/account representatives. The difference in salaries is territory representatives making $17,193 lower than sales/account representatives.

    By looking over several sales/account representatives and territory representatives resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "customer service," "crm," and "product knowledge." But beyond that the careers look very different.

    As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from sales/account representatives resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "sales process," "sales techniques," "work ethic," and "sales support." But a territory representative might have skills like "patients," "customer relationships," "territory development," and "food handling."

    Territory representatives are known to earn similar educational levels when compared to sales/account representatives. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    Description Of a Territory Sales Representative

    A territory sales representative is responsible for selling goods and services, assisting customers with their inquiries and concerns, and monitoring the assigned area's sales reports. Territory sales representatives coordinate with the rest of the sales team to develop effective marketing strategies and promotional techniques to increase revenues and profitability. Territory sales representatives research current market trends to identify business opportunities to meet consumer demands and widen their services. A territory sales representative must have excellent knowledge of the sales disciplines and principles, managing the market approach to ensure customer satisfaction.

    The fourth career we look at typically earns lower pay than sales/account representatives. On average, territory sales representatives earn a difference of $22,523 lower per year.

    According to resumes from both sales/account representatives and territory sales representatives, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "crm," and "sales process. "

    While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "sales techniques," "sales support," "enterprise resource planning," and "sales revenue" are skills that have shown up on sales/account representatives resumes. Additionally, territory sales representative uses skills like wine, patients, territory management, and sales training on their resumes.

    Territory sales representatives reach similar levels of education when compared to sales/account representatives. The difference is that they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree less, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.