Meeting daily human needs is not possible without a market system. It is through trade that people can sell and buy what they need at the moment. The emergence of such a concept as “market relations” occurred so many centuries ago that it is perceived as something completely settled. In fact, the market cannot offer anything new - that is how most people unaware of the business think. However, it is precisely in conditions of fierce competition that brilliant ideas are born. For enterprises and organizations selling their products, for successful functioning, the maximum possible market coverage is necessary, for this purpose even the most significant company in the state has an employee listed in the work book or contract as a “regional representative”.
Who are you?
Nowadays, it is not difficult to buy goods from the USA or Europe in Russia. Not every manufacturer is able to create a new enterprise on the territory of another state: the high cost, especially the tax and legislative framework, standards and norms, and the lack of suitable raw materials do not allow building factories around the world. But if the demand for this or that product is everywhere, then it must be satisfied. Then a regional representative comes to the aid of the buyer and the manufacturer - an employee who is the official and authorized representative of the company in front of customers in the territory entrusted to him.
The need for such specialists to be on staff is not only for overseas companies. At the local, regional level, it is impossible to achieve full cooperation with a large number of customers if you do not transfer some responsibilities to a sales manager or agent (a regional representative may be called that way).
Activities and responsibilities of the "regional"
Depending on the areas of activity parent company, the duties of sales representatives controlling large areas may be different. The distribution system and the level of its development directly depend on how confidently one or another enterprise in the market feels. So, the regional representative of a world-famous company has clearly defined responsibilities and standards to which he must comply.
Corporate standards of work of most firms suggest that the "regional" must fulfill the plan of sales or sales of services. This priority task is achieved thanks to a well-established system of relationships that the regional representative has established with his subordinates and customers.
In addition, a representative may be with a small company or manufacturer. It is not at all necessary that he will have sales agents or sales managers in his subordination; it often happens that the regional representative himself is engaged in the direct sale of the goods. In regions where only the first steps are taken to cover retail outlets, it is his responsibility to develop a base of regular customers, study the market and its features.
Hierarchical position
Based on the foregoing, it can be understood that the head of the regional manager is the company that hired him. However, if we consider large companies with an extensive corporate hierarchy, the vertical chain has the following structure:
- Territorial manager.
- Regional represantative.
- Supervisor
- Trading agent.
Often, some positions are combined, and the duties of a regional representative and a supervisor can be assumed by one person. Also, not all companies have a “territorial”. Although it is on their shoulders to manage regional representatives - it all depends on the quality of coverage of retail outlets in the country, sales volumes and refunds. In the absence of a territorial manager in the state, the "regional" reports directly to the head of the company's trading department or its director.
Job description
Any company, implementing its plans in the short or long term, sets individual tasks for representatives in the regions. Building a unique and universal distribution system is the desire of many managers. However, it is not always possible to bring it to life. But there are mandatory points in the job description, according to which the company manager is obliged to carry out his activities to develop the company in the regions:
- Work with clients (most often key, network and wholesale, the rest are the sphere of influence of supervisors and sales agents), search for new partners, including alternative sales markets, expanding the base.
- Implementation of a sales plan.
- Control of receivables, both of own clients and of agents subordinate.
- Marketing activities (advertising, product promotion, merchandising, promotions and promotion).
- Search and training, and then follow-up the work of supervisors and agents.
How to become a company representative?
The scale of the organization determines how difficult it is to get into it. And if small companies can take a person from the street, making sure of their professional and personal qualities, then large corporations, national or international representations in the field prefer to hire trusted and reliable people.
The regional sales representative is most often “his own person”, brought up from a lower position, thoroughly studying the principles of the company. Another option for a regional will be to move from a similar position (or one step lower, with the goal of career growth) to another company (not always competing). Employers appreciate the experience in the field of trade or services, and their own customer base is a huge advantage for the applicant.
For such a position, multi-stage selection is often carried out. It involves several stages of interviews, testing knowledge of the fundamentals of marketing, adopted in a particular area, as well as additional knowledge. An employer may be interested in specialized education, the level of possession of information about the company and its activities, products, knowledge of terminology, foreign languages, level of PC knowledge.
Hot jobs
Job search sites, non-governmental labor exchanges and the media are full of vacancies with ads on the search for young and ambitious people who promise that they will teach and show how to become a regional representative to everyone. Of course, one cannot say that they are all untrue. However, most of these vacancies have nothing to do with the position of regional representative.
In the best case, you can just become a sales agent who will sell products of dubious quality from the side of the car, and in the worst, one-day firms sell their “goods” to trusting job seekers and simply disappear, leaving negligent company representatives with a bunch of trash that nobody needs.
Work is not for everyone
The position of regional representative will not have much for the soul. In order to achieve success and become a good specialist in this field, you need to have a special mentality, patience and self-control, remarkable endurance and willpower.
Frequent trips, business trips to other cities, communication with dozens of people during the day, a huge amount of information that needs to be received, analyzed, and even draw the right conclusions from it - this is a typical working day of the "regional".
In addition, it is also an irregular schedule, and frequent deadlines, pressure from customers and senior management. A very important nuance is a sufficient level of self-discipline - the temptation not to go to a meeting with a client or to a route with a sales agent is always present, sometimes this opportunity can be used (there is nobody to control it), but in no case can this be done as the norm.
Some companies install a GPS-navigation system in the vehicles of their representatives or in a corporate mobile phone, tablet, laptop, which tracks all its movements, the length of time spent in one place or another and fixes all the data on the server in the office.
What kind of regional agent is he?
The duties of the regional representative require constant communication with customers. Men are more willing to take on this position, although many girls show no less professionalism in working with even the most difficult clients.
The company representative must have a pleasant appearance, follow the dress code and corporate ethics.
This can be manifested in the wearing of branded insignia (accessories, clothing), the pronunciation of company phrases during a greeting or farewell. Whatever the level of the company, it is unacceptable for its regional representative to appear at work in slates and shorts or a stretched T-shirt: business style in clothes - a guarantee of a serious relationship on the part of the client. The ability to negotiate, gently defend your position and resolve a conflict situation - qualities that will be a good help for a career.
Not by bread alone
Trade is a complex field of activity, but it employs a huge number of people. It is profitable, interesting and promising. It is difficult to find a work saturated with different events, moreover, such work is often well appreciated. Salaries of several thousand dollars for regional representatives - this is not an empty phrase. Large companies encourage their employees, are engaged in their development, organizing trainings and seminars, arranging corporate vacations (often extreme). It’s difficult to get a job, but it’s quite possible even without a higher education. Experience in distribution, the ability to collaborate with people and a suspended language, if not brought to the capital, will be taken to the regional level.
