How to become An Area Manager

• Regional Manager
• Regional Director

What do Area Managers do?

An Area Manager would typically need to:

• Manage the performance and revenue of several stores or departments in a specific geographical location so as to maximise their sales and profitability
• Liaise between top management and the employees
• Work with store/departmental managers in the allocated area to plan, implement, and monitor long-term business development strategies
• Set individualised sales targets and appropriate performance goals for each of the assigned stores/departments, in compliance with the organisational policies
• Lead the store/departmental managers towards active cooperation and pursuit of organisational goals and objectives
• Direct and coordinate production of company products or services; establish efficient and cost-effective production schedules
• Focus on sound financial management to make sure stores/departments remain cost-effective and profit-oriented
• Coach and mentor store/departmental managers; recruit and hire new store employees; provide prompt staff onboarding, training and development
• Use daily online check-ins and weekly in-person meetings to communicate with and monitor their staff
• Optimise and oversee operations to improve efficiency; evaluate staff and team performance regularly, using key metrics
• Take all measures necessary to identify, measure, and improve performance criteria
• Work with managemental personnel to develop and implement practical production and quality control standards
• Develop incentive objectives for staff; come up with attractive levels of incentive payout to stimulate employee performance and increase production
• Resolve problems across the stores/departments, as they arise and look for creative and practical ways to prevent their reoccurence in future
• Make sure customer complaints are handled efficiently; identify operational bottlenecks and figure out solutions for improvement
• Prepare and present timely reports to senior executives on progress and issues; assist upper management in decisions for expansion or acquisition

Generally, Area Managers work out of the regional or corporate offices. However, they may spend the better part of their workday travelling between assigned locations within their region to help increase sales, train store managers, and resolve issues. 

Regular interaction with sales staff, customer service employees, other area managers and senior management is essential.

Most Area Managers work full-time in long shifts that extend beyond 40 hours per week and may include nights, weekends, and holidays. 

Research suggests that flexible hours and generous telework policies appeal more than salary to the younger generation. There has been an incremental increase in employers willing to give promising employees a chance to adjust their schedules per the job demands.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Area Managers can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies.

Area Managers are generally employed by:

• Retail Organisations
• Cinemas
• Restaurants
• Franchises

Professional associations and organisations, such as The World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA), are crucial for Area Managers interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. 

Professional associations provide members with continuing education, networking opportunities and mentorship services. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Physical demands of the job that may include walking and standing for long periods, and frequent bending, lifting, stretching and going up and down ladders, stairs, and gangways
• Lack of clarity on how and why business-related changes are being made
• Tracking and improving team productivity in a workplace undergoing constant changes brought about by technology, globalisation, and the COVID-19 pandemic
• Keeping a strong company culture and effective communication between teams alive in the face of hybrid working arrangements and more dispersed teams
• Implementation of proper recruitment and onboarding strategies in an era of virtual recruitment and remote working arrangements
• Ensuring diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Strict adherence to and implementation of conduct compliance, culture compliance, and data compliance
• Keeping up with evolving technology and procuring the right software for the organisation
• A rapidly growing skills shortage and the need to ensure the workforce has access to prompt tailored learning programmes
• High staff turnover, creation of innovative teams, and breaking down silos
• Knowledge loss and brain drain
• Employee engagement

A higher-level apprenticeship in sales or on-the-job experience as a trainee manager will allow prospective Area Managers to benefit from valuable hands-on expertise gained under the supervision of more experienced professionals.

Part-time work at an entry-level position in retail as a cashier or stocker offers a taste of the work, gives valuable insight into how a company or institution operates, helps build valuable contacts, and improves one’s prospects of getting a permanent job.

Typically incumbents work their way up from store-level supervisors in the industry of their choice (sales, retail, food service sector) to assistant managers and general managers before becoming Area Managers. 

The experience may also help you determine whether the public, private, or voluntary sector is best suited to realise one’s ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about viable work placements, internships and voluntary work opportunities in diverse sectors.

Some aspiring Area Managers will benefit from gaining at least four years of experience working in business or running their own business successfully. The experience will prove especially helpful if it involves high-end clients, large accounts, huge budgets, setting and meeting realistic targets, leading a team, and making effective decisions.

Even while in high school, you can check with a teacher or counsellor about relevant work-based learning opportunities available in your school or community that can help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an interesting organisation, so you can have fun while learning about yourself and be directed toward a future career. 

Read about them, and interview or job shadow experienced general and area managers on how mid-level management positions operate to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers. 

A bachelor’s degree in business administration, business leadership, sales and marketing management, retail marketing, supply chain management, economics, statistics, or accounting is among the most popular ways to become a successful Area Manager. Electives such as leadership and communication will help.

A few complete a master’s degree in relevant fields, while some with adequate business-related experience and know-how have managed to thrive in this career with just a high school diploma or GED (General Education Development).

Accredited certificates in customer engagement, business sales, and retail management may interest potential employers.

Recommended high school courses include business studies, computer applications, marketing, accounting, mathematics, and psychology. English and speech classes will help you develop your research, writing, and oral communication skills.

Remember that completing a particular academic course does not guarantee entry into the profession. Be that as it may, professional qualifications and transferable skills may open up more than one door.

Do your homework and look into all available options for education and employment before enrolling in a specific programme. Reliable sources that help you make an educated decision include associations and employers in your field.

Certification demonstrates an Area Manager’s competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

Certification in corporate sales, retail management, sales management, and human resource management from an objective and reputed organisation can help you stand out in a competitive job market. Of equal value are certifications in marketing, project management, business accountancy, programme management, and practice management

Area Managers may also need to undergo an employment background check, including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of additional professional qualifications drive the career progression of Area Managers who may be promoted as District Managers, and eventually as Executive Vice-Presidents in the same industry.

The desire to accelerate career growth and personal development has an increasing number of millennials choosing to job hop and build a scattershot resume that showcases ambition, motivation, and the desire to learn a broad range of skills.

Studies prove that job hopping, earlier dismissed as “flaky” behaviour, can lead to greater job fulfilment. Employees searching for a positive culture and interesting work are willing to try out various roles and workplaces and learn valuable, transferable skills.

Area Managers with strong leadership and communication skills and the ability to motivate others in a deadline-driven environment and provide workable business solutions have the best job prospects.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Area Manager build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, 

formal education, or self-directed learning. It enables the regular renewal of desirable certifications.

An MBA (Master of Business Administration) or an MSc (master of Science) in business will help you enhance your sector knowledge and skills and open up more job opportunities when combined with significant experience and professional success.

Besides, additional qualifications in operational sales planning and managing a sales team will increase your value to the company. Companies that sell unique scientific or engineering equipment will want their Area Managers to acquire credentials in that field.

A well-structured conversation with your boss will pave the way for timely and smooth progression to leadership roles within the company.

What Makes For a Successful Area Manager?

In addition to strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills, successful Area Managers must have a proven track record of taking ownership and driving results. They must have a deep understanding of operations and supply chain management and be able to flourish in an increasingly uncertain work environment.

Area Managers who seize every opportunity to develop a collaborative leadership style that goes hand in hand with customer-centric tools, processes, and operations will establish a legacy that works in favour of the company and its customers.

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve states that a jam-packed day of conventional training covers many important concepts which are soon forgotten because they cannot be practised until retained.

Sales-driven and target-oriented Area Managers who take complete ownership for their specific area of operation will find immense job satisfaction in a job well done and make a significant contribution to the organisational success.

“A manager is not a person who can do the work better than his men; he is a person who can get his men to do the work better than he can.”

Frederick W. Smith