What Does An Area Sales Manager Do? (With Duties And Salary)

Updated 16 March 2023

A manager plans, directs and oversees various aspects of a business. An area sales manager is a regional manager who is responsible for the smooth operation of stores in a particular geographic region. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of an area sales manager can help you determine if this is the right managerial career for you. In this article, we discuss what does an area sales manager do, explore their roles and responsibilities, salaries and detail the steps and skills required to pursue this career.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

What Does An Area Sales Manager Do?

If you are considering a career in sales, you may wonder, "What does an area sales manager do?". An area sales manager works to meet sales targets and ensures the smooth functioning of stores in an assigned region. Following are the primary responsibilities of an area sales manager:

Guiding, training and providing development opportunities for staff members
Communicating regularly with vendors, customers and clients
Ensuring consistency of quality across a particular area
Maximising profit and sales across stores in the assigned region
Setting sales targets for individual stores
Monitoring and assessing the performance of assigned stores

The Average Salary Of An Area Sales Manager

The average base salary of an area sales manager is ₹46,863 per month. This estimate can vary based on an individual's experience level, academic achievements, certifications, employer and geographical location. As you accumulate more experience as a manager, you can negotiate with the employer for higher remuneration.

Additional Skills Of An Area Sales Manager

The position of an area sales manager requires gaining certain traits and skills. Skills like leadership, planning and empathy can contribute significantly to one's success in this position. Here are some important abilities that can help area sales managers while performing their daily duties:

1. Leadership skills

Area sales managers often manage several locations in a region and ensure that they meet sales goals. With strong leadership skills, area sales managers can mentor, motivate and lead stores to perform to the best of their capacities. The right guidance and leadership can motivate staff and help increase the performance of individual stores.

2. Empathy

An area sales manager frequently meets various store managements and discusses their issues and concerns. An empathetic area manager who can listen, inspire and motivate store managers can significantly improve sales levels. Effective area sales managers can significantly offer feedback while comforting and supporting the store management and staff.

3. Problem-solving skills

Area sales managers may face several problems in daily life. Problems range from an individual store not performing expectedly to challenges with several stores under their purview. To manage such situations, area sales managers may require excellent problem-solving skills to come up with effective solutions. Developing imagination and critical thinking skills can enhance analytical abilities.

4. Computer knowledge

Area sales managers require a considerable level of computer literacy to perform their daily tasks. These professionals may work with retail management software to process orders and receipts. They often edit inventory prices, maintain employee schedules and track store progress. Since many companies sell their products or services online, area sales managers also require excellent computer skills to handle their jobs efficiently.

5. Planning and organisational skills

Area sales managers require excellent planning and organisational skills. With proper time management practices, an area sales manager can track and monitor different areas of work effectively. Since the job involves managing various stores, organisational skills can help them prioritise and plan their workload efficiently and accomplish goals faster.

How To Become An Area Sales Manager?

Here are some essential steps to follow to become an area sales manager:

1. Earn a bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree in business administration, business management, communications or marketing is essential to become an area sales manager. A bachelor's degree often provides an understanding of various subjects and skills like team management, discipline, responsibility, planning and organisation. A bachelor's degree can also give you access to a professional network of professors, colleagues and mentors throughout your career.

2. Gain relevant work experience

After obtaining your bachelor's degree, the next step is to seek entry-level managerial positions. Companies are often looking for experienced candidates to fulfill area sales manager positions and gaining some entry-level experience can give you the right background and knowledge to pursue the role. Considerable experience in customer relationship software, knowledge of online sales methods like Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and a familiarity with various trends in sales methods can be helpful.

3. Earn an MBA

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is significant in the corporate world. For the position of an area sales manager, many companies prefer candidates with an MBA degree in marketing or sales. An MBA degree can give you expert knowledge in functional areas like sales, marketing, advertising, market research and public relations and an increased earning potential. It can also enhance your key life skills, your marketability and the quality of job opportunities.

4. Find a mentor

Finding a mentor who can guide you to realise your full potential is a valuable step you can take towards becoming an area sales manager. A mentor can be a professional from your industry, a colleague or a role model with the relevant experience and skills. Maintaining a healthy relationship with your mentor is important as it can help you receive advice, coaching and feedback to enhance your professional life. Mentors can help you identify and achieve career-specific goals and provide a broader perspective about the future.

5. Build your professional network

Building the right network and contacts is integral to your professional journey and can bring invaluable opportunities as you further in your career. Take time to nurture your professional relationships and build meaningful connections with colleagues. Having a network gives you access to shared learning opportunities, better visibility and increased social skills. To build a strong network, it is important to build the right interpersonal skills like collaboration and active communication.

6. Build a positive work reputation

Building a positive reputation at your place of work is very important. Demonstrating qualities like honesty, responsibility, sincerity, professionalism and integrity can help you build a positive reputation. This reputation can extend beyond your current place of work as your colleagues move across different companies or customers. Coming across as a dependable professional can help you gain the trust and loyalty of your employers and internal teams.

7. Develop your interpersonal skills

In a managerial position, developing your interpersonal skills is essential. Developing soft skills like effective communication, active listening, delegation, confidence, optimism, organisation and leadership can help you become a successful manager. Soft skills can lead to enhanced relationships at the workplace and also improve employee retention. Since a manager often faces unique challenges and situations every day, developing these skills can help you to handle them effectively.

8. Seek advancement within and outside the company

As you expand your education and skill set, consider opportunities for professional advancement. You can pursue these either within or outside the company. Pursuing a variety of positions can expand your perspective and help you learn significantly about the industry and its ways. Accepting leadership positions across various companies can help you add experience and substance to your resume and also enhance your leadership skills.

9. Develop your technical skills

To progress in your career as an area sales manager, consider developing relevant technical skills. Strong technical skills can help increase your productivity and rate of success in any organisation. By keeping your technical skills up-to-date, you can ensure better productivity and make informed decisions. To secure a position of area sales manager, work on developing various technical skills such as computer literacy, project management, analytics and data management abilities.

10. Take online certification courses

You may also gain from adding certifications to your resume. For example, you can enhance your qualifications through online courses like essential strategies and skills, the art of sales, salesforce sales operation or strategic sales management. In addition, including these certifications on your resume can show how committed you are to your career path.