Sales Manager

Sales managers direct sales teams of organizations. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for the sales representatives of the organization.

Sales managers typically do the following:

Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service
Prepare budgets and approve expenditures
Monitor customer preferences to determine the focus of sales efforts
Analyze sales statistics
Project sales and determine the profitability of products and services
Determine discount rates or special pricing plans
Develop plans to acquire new customers or clients, through direct sales techniques, cold calling, and business-to-business marketing visits
Assign sales territories and set sales quotas
Plan and coordinate training programs for sales staff

Sales managers’ responsibilities vary with the size of the organization they work for. However, most sales managers direct the distribution of goods and services by assigning sales territories, setting sales goals, and establishing training programs for the organization’s sales representatives.

Some sales managers recruit, hire, and train new members of the sales staff. For more information about salesworkers, see the profiles on retail sales workers and wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives.

Sales managers advise sales representatives on ways to improve their sales performance. In large multiproduct organizations, they oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.

Sales managers also stay in contact with dealers and distributors. They analyze sales statistics that their staff gathers, both to determine the sales potential and inventory requirements of products and stores and to monitor customers' preferences.

Sales managers work closely with managers from other departments. For example, the marketing department identifies new customers that the sales department can target. The relationship between these two departments is critical to helping an organization expand its client base. Because sales managers monitor customers’ preferences and stores’ and organizations’ inventory needs, they work closely with research and design departments and warehousing departments.

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Sales managers typically have an interest in the Persuader interest area, according to the Holland Code framework. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people.

If you are not sure whether you have a Persuader interest which might fit with a career as a sales manager, you can take a career test to measure your interests.

Sales managers should also possess the following specific qualities:

Analytical skills. Sales managers must collect and interpret complex data to target the most promising geographic areas and/or demographic groups, and determine the most effective sales strategies.

Communication skills. Sales managers need to work with people in other departments and with customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly.

Customer-service skills. When helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs.

Leadership skills. Sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals.

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