If your career goal is to become a regional account manager, you need to understand the nature of the job first. Regional manager responsibilities include more than just making sales. A person who is working in this capacity needs to be able to establish a relationship with the clients they see, so that they can offer solutions to challenges they are facing.
If you want to become a regional account manager, you will need to be a very organized individual who can communicate well. Covering your assigned territory means dealing with customers who are at various stages of the sales cycle. Regional managers need to have systems in place to let them know how often to call on an existing customer, as well as allowing time for prospecting for new ones.
To prepare for a career as a regional manager, getting a degree in business is a good place to start. Completing the requirements for a bachelor's degree will help you to develop the skills you need to become a regional account manager. During the first two years of study, you will take a number of general arts and humanities courses.
The topics you will study in the first couple of years of your degree program include economics, writing, computers, and statistics. Students can also choose from a number of courses in psychology and sociology during this phase of their training to become a regional account manager. During the final two years of the undergraduate program, students focus their studies on taking courses that are in line with their area of concentration. These include courses in accounting, finance, and management.
Once a student who has completed his or her degree program, the next step in the process to become a regional account manager is to start by finding an entry-level sales job. People who are working as regional managers typically have a few years of experience in the field before they are qualified to work at that level. A number of employers specify that they want candidates with at least three years of experience when they are recruiting for new regional managers.
When you are preparing a resume, you will want to focus on the parts of your work experience that show a prospective employer ways that you were able to develop a good relationship with your customers. Being able to meet their current needs is an important part of this job. A person who wants to become a regional account manager must also be able to evaluate what other products and services the customer may need and make appropriate suggestions.
