How to Become a Regional Sales Manager

About Regional Sales Manager

A Regional Sales Manager is one of the top-level profiles in the Sales Department of an organization. A professional employed at the position of a Regional Sales Manager is kept in charge of managing a sales team and overseeing key activities that promote the sales of a brand or product in a particular region. The job responsibilities of a Regional Sales Manager include forming and implementing sales strategies with the motive of increasing sales of a product or service. He / She is expected to deliver the targets specified by the company by performing activities such as getting new business partners on board, creating proposals and pitching to potential clients, increasing customer acquisition and awareness etc.

The work of a Regional Sales Manager includes regular interaction with new and existing clients, formulating plans, explaining plans and business strategies to team members and clients respective, ensuring that the necessary sales targets are met etc. Regional Sales Managers are also expected to deliver sales forecasts and accordingly develop the strategies that will benefit the sales and customer numbers in a particular area. They are also asked to develop and implement marketing strategies in various segments such as on-field, telemarketing etc.

A Regional Sales Manager is a highly target-based job. An ideal candidate for this position must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. They must also be energetic, motivated and be able to motivate their team into action. Other desirable qualities for this role include a thorough understanding of the market, being in touch with the customer requirements and mentality, having a good network of contacts, ability to work under pressure, having a positive approach in face of seemingly impossible targets etc. Candidates should also have in-depth knowledge of their industry as they are regularly expected to interact with and explain the business and business strategies to a client.

Eligibility to become Regional Sales Manager

There is no particular eligibility criteria Regional Sales Manager profile. However, there are certain requirements that companies may specify for the post. Given below are some of the requirements for a Regional Sales Manager.

• Graduation is the minimum level of education for this role. Candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree in a field related to the company profile. For eg. engineering degree may be asked in a tech-related company.

• Usually, at this position, companies require that candidates have a postgraduate degree. An MBA in Sales and Marketing is one of the best management courses for this field.

• Since this is a higher-level profile in this field, experienced candidates are usually preferred for these roles. Most companies ask for 10+ years of experience in a related field. Some companies may also require 15+ years of experience.

Types of Job Roles Regional Sales Manager

Regional Sales Manager is an important profile in any organization. The person holding the profile of a Regional Sales Manager handles various sales and marketing activities for a company. Key driving factors of a company are directly influenced by the performance of a Regional Sales Manager. These include factors such as sales and revenue, product popularity, client relationship, brand image etc.

Regional Sales Manager usually coordinate with upper management of a company to decide sales targets and then work closely with the sales team to achieve those targets. The important job roles of a Regional Sales Manager include:

• Client and customer acquisition

• Increasing sales

• Developing sales and marketing strategies

Coordinating the sales team

• Executing marketing campaigns

• Sales forecasting

• Financial planning for sales and marketing etc.

Employment Sector/Industry for Regional Sales Manager

A Regional Sales Manager is not a sector-specific profile. Sales Departments are common across many industries offering consumer products and services across multiple regions. Companies hire for a Sales Manager role to ensure that their promotional campaigns are taken care of and work is being done to deliver and distribute their products or services to an increasing number of customers. Some of the major sectors that hire a Regional Sales Manager include:

• Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Companies

• Telecom Companies

• BFSI Companies

• Tech-Product Companies etc.

Top Recruiting Companies for Regional Sales Manager

Some of the best companies that hire a Regional Sales Manager have been given below.

• ICICI Bank

• HDFC Bank

• Hindustan Unilever Ltd. (HUL)

• Tata Motors

• Bharti Airtel etc.

Pay Scale/Salary of Regional Sales Manager

Given below are details regarding the average salaries of a Regional Sales Manager in India.

• Entry-level pay packages start at around Rs. 5 - 7 LPA.

• The average salary of a Regional Sales Manager in India is around Rs. 12-15 LPA.

• Depending on the company and experience of a candidate, Regional Sales Manager salaries can easily exceed Rs. 20 LPA.

One important thing to note regarding the pay scale of a Regional Sales Manager is that large amounts of incentives are quite common in this domain. Based on a candidate’s performance, he / she can potentially earn a significant share of their salary just from target-based incentives.
 

Books & Study Material to Become Regional Sales Manager

Following are some of the best reference books for a Regional Sales Manager.

Pros of becoming a Regional Sales Manager

• Challenging work environment that keeps presenting new avenues for growth.

• Opportunity to work and interact with an immense range of people.

• Some of the best opportunities for growth are available in this field.

Cons of becoming a Regional Sales Manager

• Fast-paced role with high targets inviting stressful situations.

• Long working hours are common.

• Can get hectic with too much to handle.