Account Executive Jobs | Sales Agent Jobs | Sales Management Job
Account Executive Jobs - What is the Job of a Sales Account Executive? What do Account Manager Jobs Involve?
Account executives and advertising sales representatives, also known as advertising sales agents are responsible for soliciting advertisements for newspapers, television, radio, web sites, and all other outlets of media advertisement.
Half of all advertising sales agents work for big media firms including television and radio broadcasters, cable programming, an Internet publishers. Local account executives are responsible for selling advertisements in their local territory, while separate companies called media representative firms sell TV spots and advertising time on a national scale.
Advertising sales agents employed by large media companies work exclusively through executives called media buyers, who purchase advertising space for their clients for their product campaigns.
Local sales agents are also called outside sales agents, and they will call clients and prospects at their businesses. Sales agents may set up appointments with media buyers, or simply call them without waiting for an appointment.
One of the primary roles of an advertising sales agent is to find out as much about the client’s needs as possible, and get a background information on the company’s products in their needs. A sales agent job is to then meet with a client and try to explain why their media spots will further their clients profitability and sales goals.
If a media buyer decides to accept the services of an executive sales agent, they will then submit an advertising proposal to the client. This proposal suggests the type of advertising medium that should be used, provides sample advertisements for the client, and provides cost estimates for the project.
Media consolidation has resulted in advertising sales being bundled up in integrated packages, that can include both newspaper print and online and television time. After a business contract has been reached, executive sales agents will then serve as the main conduit of communication between the advertising agency and the media buyer.
In addition to maintaining the media clients’ accounts, other duties of the media sales agent involve analyzing how effective these advertisements are, as well as the demographics of their target audience, and scheduling appointments in order to make sure that they are meeting their clients’ needs. Sales agents will also develop promotional tools in order to help convince the media buyer to use their services.
Working Conditions for Account Manager Jobs - How is the Working Environment for Account Executive Jobs?
Advertising sales agents jobs frequently involve more than 40 hours a week, and many receive bonuses based on the performance. Media selling is a very stressful line of work, as job security depends on one’s usefulness in acquiring new clients for the media company that hires them.
Despite these drawbacks, advertising account executives have a great deal of freedom in determining their own schedule and may usually work from home or on the road. Account managers are now free to use e-mail in order to conduct business with their clients.
Account Executive Education - How to Become a Senior Account Executive - How to Receive Your Sales Account Executive Training
Advertising account executive educational training usually involves a bachelor’s degree, which over 50% of sales account executives share. With most sales agent training takes place on the job, most of it is based on natural ability in selling media products.
Account executive schooling is irrelevant, if one is not able to make a sale. Supervisors will usually teach new hires and watch them, offering tips and perhaps hiring consultants in order to give them formal training lessons on how to recruit new media buyers.
Sales Account Executive Training Requirements - How to Become an Advertising Account Executive
Other requirements that sales account executive jobs should have include an outgoing disposition and pleasant personality. Appearances are everything in the business of selling media, so individuals should have a high sense of personal grooming and an attractive appearance.
With communication skills and a sense of humor are important to building relationships with clients, an organization and persistence are important as most advertising sales agents will set their own schedules.
Advancement in the sales industry involves taking on more expensive clients with time. In small media firms, that may not be a much opportunity for promotion, however, the possibilities are endless with larger firms.
Account Executive Employment - What is the Future of Account Executive Jobs?
Advertising sales agent jobs should experience employment growth of about 20% over the next decade. Explosive growth in online advertising and cable channels should create a long term period of sustainability in new media markets.
Technology has made executive sales agents more productive, allowing them to take on more responsibilities and improving their connectivity via the Internet. E-mail has greatly reduce the time that it takes to negotiate a sale and place an ad.
Those sales agents with a bachelor’s degree in the right mix of skills will have no problem finding job opportunities as account executives.
Advertising Account Executive Salary Pay Scale - How Much Do Account Executives Earn?
In 2006, the median earnings for advertising sales agent jobs came to $42,750. Those sales agents working in the motion picture in film industry had the highest median salary at $55,340, while those account executives working for newspaper advertising agencies earned the least amount at $36,880.
Advertising sales agents are usually reimbursed for per diem, which can include business expenses like meals, hotels, and entertaining clients. Advertising commissions can be very high, and median salaries are not necessarily an accurate reflection of what one can expect to make annually.