Sales Manager - All Information

The Work

As a sales manager, it would be your job to organise and lead a team of sales representatives. You would set sales targets for individual sales people and the team as a whole, usually based on targets set by your head office.
You might be responsible for a particular type of product or customer, or you might be the area manager for sales across a set area (usually known as a 'territory' or 'patch'). Your work could include:

• recruiting and training sales staff
• allocating areas to sales reps
• developing sales strategies and setting sales targets
• monitoring the team’s performance and motivating them to reach targets
• compiling and analysing sales figures
• dealing with some major customer accounts yourself
• collecting customer feedback and market research
• reporting back to senior managers
• keeping up to date with products and competitors.

In some jobs you may also handle some major customer accounts yourself, or you may be involved with marketing as well as sales.

Hours

You would be office-based, but would spend some of your time visiting customers, head office, and your sales team in the field. You may also need to attend conferences, trade fairs and exhibitions.
Depending on the size of your team's sales area, your job may involve some overnight stays away from home. If your company sells products overseas, you may need to travel abroad.
You would typically work standard office hours, Monday to Friday, although travelling time and may often extend your working day.

Income

Most companies offer a basic salary with a bonus or commission scheme, which can vary widely depending on experience and the industry or market sector. A car or petrol allowance and expenses are often included in the salary package.

Entry Requirements

You will need proven experience in sales, with a good record of achieving targets. Once you reach management level, most employers will consider your experience, market knowledge and track record to be more important than your academic qualifications.
However, for technical sales (selling hi-tech and specialist products to the IT or engineering industries, for example), you are likely to need a degree or BTEC HND in a relevant subject. Alternatively, your expert market knowledge could come from previous experience in designing or manufacturing the type of products you sell.

Training and Development

When you start your job as a sales manager you will be expected to already have good sales and management skills. Your employer will normally provide training in their products and sales administration systems.
You could choose to work towards NVQ levels 3 and 4 in Sales (to be replaced in 2011 by new certificate and diploma qualifications at levels 2-4, more information to follow when it becomes available), or other advanced qualifications such as:

• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Advanced Certificate in Professional Sales Management Practice, and Diploma in Strategic Sales Practice
• Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) Level 5 Diploma in Sales and Account Management
• Managing and Marketing Sales Association (MAMSA) Advanced Diploma in Sales Management.

See the CIM, ISMM and MAMSA websites for more details about their qualifications.

Skills and Knowledge

• excellent sales and negotiation skills
• good business sense
• the ability to motivate and lead a team 
• initiative and enthusiasm
• excellent communication and 'people skills'
• good planning and organisational skills
• the ability to work calmly under pressure
• good IT, budget and report writing skills
• a full driving licence.

Foreign language skills can be useful in some jobs.

Opportunities

You could work all over the UK for all kinds of industries and markets, including manufacturing, wholesale distribution and consumer goods.
Jobs may be advertised with specialist sales recruitment agencies, in the local and national press, and trade publications for your particular industry.
With experience and a good track record, you could take on larger sales areas or be promoted to regional or national sales manager.


nextstep.direct.gov.uk