How to Tell an Account Manager and a Sales Representative Apart

If you’re planning to expand your company or are in need of extra sets of hands to attract more customers and drive your sales, then you may want to hire additional people. An account manager or sales representative can be perfect for the role, depending on your specific requirements.

Both professionals have similar functions—they strive to help a company develop effective working relationships with their clients and improve your revenue, eventually growing your business further. An account manager and a sales rep are equally essential in any company that wants to succeed; however, the two job positions have differences as to what they actually do and handle.

Keep reading below to find out what sets an account manager and a sales rep apart to give you a better idea of what role your business may need to fill in.

Defining a Sales Representative 

In a nutshell, an in-person or virtual sales representative is someone with the expertise and skills to look for new clients for your business. They have just the right charisma and dedication that a person needs to prove they’re fit for the job. A sales rep also faces the regular task of meeting their sales quotas to ensure they’re benefiting a company.

You will know the sales rep you hire is effective when they can convert your prospects into paying customers after constantly keeping in touch with them.

Defining an Account Manager

An account manager is someone whose duties involve dealing with clients after the sales rep has accomplished the sale. Even after your customers have completed a transaction with your business, the account manager will still try to strengthen the professional relationship between your business and the customer. Doing so assures that your clients continue feeling satisfied not only with your products or services but also with your customer support.

An account manager maintains high-quality customer service to ensure your prospects won’t be going anywhere else for business. Besides that, they can also help develop business strategies and grow your accounts accordingly!

Combining Account Management and Sales Rep Tasks

If you’re wondering whether you should hire an in-person or virtual account manager or sales rep, keep in mind that both positions are necessary to achieve success for your company. However, if your situation involves limited finances or roles to fill, you may combine the two jobs efficiently.

Having a person to initiate account management and sales rep duties usually happen when you are running a small business or don’t require too many employees working for you. However, before hiring the professional you need, you must understand what skills an account manager and a sales representative must-have.  

What Skills Does a Sales Rep Require?

In general, a remote sales rep must have the necessary expertise to guide a potential customer through every stage of the sales process. They should be capable of managing tasks on their own and have the determination to complete a sale.

Since each customer has unique wants and needs, a sales rep has to know how to read a consumer’s behavior and apply the right communication skills to get them to support your company. A sales rep needs to prove to buyers that they are reliable and capable of giving what they want.

What Skills Does an Account Manager Require? 

The account manager you hire should know how to deal with your customers by taking care of the relationship and exceeding their expectations. They should know how to discover critical accounts and learn what holds the most power to help your company grow in the long run.

When you decide to rely on an account manager, they should have effective communication skills to satisfy each client they encounter. They must know their priorities lie on assisting customers and have the skills to analyze long-term goals for your company.

Conclusion

Now that you have a better idea of what an account manager and a sales rep can do, if your business lacks profits and customers, you may want to consider hiring them. In fact, you can even opt for one professional and get a virtual sales account manager that can perfectly showcase their account management and sales rep capabilities. That way, you can look forward to gaining more customers and better revenue over time.

Are you looking for a small business remote sales rep for your company? RepStack offers sales development and customer service reps for companies in need of additional assistance. Get in touch with us today to book a call!