Sales Managers play a pivotal role in any business were selling and marketing is critical to success. Being a Sales Manager is all about achieving goals, leading a sales team and managing people and their time. They are required to have a comprehensive understanding of their company’s products or services, and must be able to perform well in highly pressurised environments.

Apart from increasing revenue, they can also be responsible for achieving sales objectives, hiring and developing staff, as well as managing sales districts. Anyone applying for a position should have a proven track record of reaching targets. They should possess initiative and good business sense and have a high level of enthusiasm to be able to motivate and lead a team.

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A Sales Managers job description, including their routine daily duties:

  • Enhancing existing revenue streams and developing new ones.
  • Recruiting, hiring and developing sales representatives.
  • Setting sales targets for sales teams and sales reps.
  • Developing and writing up strategic plans.
  • Leading sales teams.
  • Developing sales teams.
  • Turning leads into sales.
  • Putting together sales pitches.
  • Continually assess the sales processes to identify improvements and efficiencies.
  • Keeping an eye on competitors.
  • Building client relationships.
  • Fostering a sales culture within a team.
  • Completing all sales activity documentation.
  • Managing orders and ensuring goods or services promised to customers are processed efficiently.
  • Organising promotions at trade shows.
  • Address customer or employee issues.
  • Rewarding high performing sales staff and mentoring poor performing ones.
  • Managing advertising spends.
  • Analysing sales data and drawing conclusions from it.
  • Organise sales training sessions for employees.
  • Develop and manage distribution channels.
  • Negotiate with vendors, customers and retail outlets.
  • Servicing the needs of existing customers.
  • Motivate and lead team members.
  • Developing sales strategies.
  • Collecting customer feedback.
  • Keeping up to date with market developments.
  • Forecasting future sales team expenditure.
  • Prepare reports, budgets and forecasts.
  • Attend relevant sales meetings, functions, conferences, shows or exhibitions.
  • Reviewing staff performance.
  • Communicating with customers via email, phone or in person.

 

Key skills required

  • Being proficient in Microsoft applications such as excel, PowerPoint and Word.
  • Having excellent accounting and numeric ability.
  • The ability to close sales.
  • Account management.
  • Customer Service.
  • Time management.

 

The personal skills that are required for a Sales Manager job:

  • Excellent communication skills.
  • The ability to talk to people from all social groups, including high end decision makers.
  • Well presented and articulate.
  • Ability to take the initiative.
  • Strong presentation skills.
  • Good persuasive and interpersonal skills.
  • Have a ‘can do’ attitude towards problems.

 

A Sales manager should be;

  • Results orientated.
  • Energetic.
  • Customer focused.

 

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