The role of a sales manager in an organization is of prime importance to the overall company., where the chief function is production, manufacturing or marketing, Sales manager work is the blanket term given to all tasks and duties carried out by them, which drive the sales operations of the organizations. They act as a supervisor to the sales executives in their teams and assign territories, job tasks and also conduct training for these associates.
A sales manager not only works as a mentor for the sales executives in his/her team, but also reviews the overall performance of the team, tries to maximize sales profits and reports to a senior manager or the sales director of the company. The number of sales manager in an organization is determined by its size as smaller companies generally have one sales manager, while larger firms have a number of sales manager who report to the chief sales director of the company. The good performance of a sales manager in any organization is extremely vital for the overall growth of the company.
Description
Supervising the sales tasks and evaluating the performance of the sales executives in their teams is the chief job responsibility of a sales manager. They have to train these executives and help them with useful tips on how to maximize sales potential for a given product or customer. Periodic performance appraisals of team members is another task, which is carried out by a sales manager. They also have to work in close coordination with the marketing department and devise marketing strategies based on the past sales data.
In some cases, sales managers may have to coordinate with external sources, which carry out the transportation and storage of goods and products which have to be sold. They take part in the budget allocation for the sales department and have to ensure that all expenses are within the allocated budget for a specific sales task.
Skills
As with most other professionals in this field, sales managers must be excellent communicators and have good interpersonal skills in order to communicate with different people in the organization. As most of the sales managers begin their careers in the field as sales executives or representatives, they know about the various methods in order to convince a person and this can be helpful in convincing potential clients while performing the duties of a manager.
Requirements
A bachelor's degree in business administration with specialization in sales or marketing is considered to be the minimum educational requirement for those looking to pursue their career in this field. Some hiring organizations may require a master's degree in the same field while considering a candidate for the job. Prior experience in the field of sales or marketing as an executive or supervisor is also a must in most cases. In some specific industries such as information technology or health care, a specialization certificate course or diploma in the field may be required due to the technical nature of the work.
Word Conditions
Most sales managers work in an office based environment with comfortable ventilation and lighting conditions. Occasionally, they may have travel to client's offices and sales conventions in order to promote the organization. Frequent traveling can be a part of a sales manager's repertoire. They work for around 40 hours in a week with occasional instances of overtime whenever needed by the organization. While meeting deadlines, they may have to work under severe psychological pressure from the senior management.
Career Advancement
Sales managers receive promotion to the position of a sales director or a senior sales manager based on their skills, experience in the company and overall performance. Some of them may receive lateral promotion where the position remains the same, however they get an increased salary package. Some of them may open their own firms based on the experience gained as a sales manager.
Earning and Benefits
This is a lucrative line of work and sales manager earn around $95,000 to $120,000 depending upon their skills and specific industry in which they are working. They may also receive additional bonuses to their salary for good performance.
For those interested in this field , sales manager work is a lucrative line of work that has a number of job opportunities and good career growth prospects.