Sales Manager: Profession Features and Responsibilities

Sales Manager - a specialist in demand today, who in a market economy should promote the product. And not just to promote, but to realize, using more and more new market tools. This should be a person who is well versed in what he sells and in the sales themselves.

I must say that the sales manager used to have a wide range of responsibilities, but today the characterization of the orders he performs has become even more voluminous. And this is due to the emergence of new platforms for product promotion (the same social networks), the study of sales mechanisms on these new platforms.

What should the sales manager (or sales manager) be able to do:

• develop, regulate, coordinate dealer relations;
• work on ways to attract customers, creating interest in products;
• draw up contracts and other basic documentation;
• maintain a trusting, friendly relationship with the client after successful transactions;
• develop an active sales strategy;
• know the basics of business etiquette;
• Design, create successful trading channels;
• build partnerships with the buyer.

The profile of the position also implies the performance of related professional duties: a good manager understands the basics of the work of an advertising agent, promoter, PR technologist. This is not about knowing the nuances of these posts, but only about the basics of their activities. If the company is large, the sales manager works in conjunction with these specialists, if small, it often replaces them or fulfills their duties.

The sales manager not only communicates with the consumer - he collects and analyzes information, creates a strategy, writing it down by the points, carefully maintains documentation on concluded transactions. The job description of the sales manager should list all points of his activity (from conducting work on social networks to specific areas of product sales).

As usually happens, the advantages and disadvantages of the profession are subjective. For some, this is an ideal professional path that allows you to find the ideal thing for self-realization, corresponding to the person’s temperament, the rhythm of life, and education. But if the schedule, features of work and business communications do not meet the expectations of a person from the profession, even outstanding skills and amazing abilities will not overcome such contradictions.

Advantages of the profession:

• career opportunities (and not only within the same company);
• demand (this is not such a rare profession, therefore, finding a job for a good specialist will be easy);
• rich schedule, variety of activities;
• work with people is important for those who lack communication in their professional activities;
• good salary and long-term premium forecast (the premium depends on profit);
• no strict age requirements for the candidate;
• part of the work can be done remotely, remotely;
• the opportunity to get great business experience before your own startup.

Cons of the profession:

• for those who are not very stable psycho-emotional, this work may seem too stressful;
• it’s difficult to work from scratch as a sales manager; economic education prevails;
• not always a strict and clear schedule; part of the work may be overtime;
• such a work is hardly suitable for people who are slow, melancholy;
• sometimes the first results of successful transactions or strategies have to wait a long time;
• in small companies, the sales manager also controls a whole layer of other work: from advertising to social networks, parsing business correspondence, maintaining control documentation;
• There really is stress, and without the ability to take a punch, becoming a successful sales manager is difficult.

Sales Manager - a very general name for the specialty, the range of its activities is quite wide.

• May be employed in the active sales department. This specialist works, usually outside the office. On his shoulders - cold calls, expanding customer base, attending events that promote product promotion.
• Work in the passive sales department. Such specialists process incoming calls from interested customers. The task of the manager is to convince the person already found in further cooperation.
• Be a direct sales specialist. He personally meets with the client, and this is an important difference from his active sales manager. In a sense, this is the face of the company. Therefore, this is a person who not only promotes goods well, but also sells himself well. The skills of business communication, self-presentation, and even ownership of storytelling are important here. In a word, this is a specialist who is aware of his own diplomatic mission in the company.
• Work as a development specialist. This is actually a universal position in which there are many director's duties.On the shoulders of the sales development manager are the strategic tasks of the company, market research, etc.
• Be a wholesale manager. The concretization of both the product and the business as a whole is the thesis of this specialization.

And these are far from all possible options. In large companies, there is also a regional sales manager who is engaged in a separate geographical segment of the organization’s market. Also, there are corporate sales departments, and there is also a customer support manager - a specialty that is actively developing today, which allows building long-term relationships with the buyer.

This list can be simply huge: from auto parts to oil products, from meat to windows, from clothes to special equipment. A key requirement for such a manager is a clear knowledge of the market of his industry and an understanding of the main processes involved. So, it will not be so easy for a specialist who previously sold parts to promote logistics services. It is necessary to delve into the features of the sphere, which, of course, is possible, but laborious. Therefore, it is easier to move from the sphere of spare parts to adjacent structures.

In which industries are sales managers most in demand today:

• the sale of petroleum products (one of the most promising areas with a good salary);
• sale of medical equipment (some companies require at least secondary specialized medical education);
• sale of apartments in new buildings, wooden and brick houses, concrete buildings (there is always demand);
• sale of agricultural machinery, electrical products;
• metal rolling services;
• sale of interior and exterior doors;
• implementation of banking products (specialist in a bank);
• sale of fitness club services;
• sale of plumbing;
• promotion of legal services (actively developing sphere);
• sales of cosmetics and beauty products;
• sale of building materials, furniture, etc.

The transition from one sphere to another is sometimes difficult, but it can also become an impetus for development. It also happens that a person wants to leave the profession, but changes his mind, deciding to just change the scope.

A person "from the street" is rarely taken to a highly paid and, more importantly, a very responsible position. Although the work can be found without experience, without a sensible portfolio, if you have zeal, desire to learn and ability. But in most cases, To become a good sales manager, you must meet the basic requirements of the employer.

In the item "Education" it is not necessary to indicate all courses and retraining (if there are more than 3-4 of them). You need to write the main place of study: university or colleges. If you didn’t study according to the profile that you are applying for, but you have specialized courses in the asset, focus on them.

If it is not a resume, but a choice of an educational institution, the professional standard assumes an economic specialty. This may be a specialty with the same name as “sales manager”, but the standard most commonly encountered is “manager”. This specialist should know the basics of economics, accounting, auditing, etc.

You can also enter colleges, subsequently receiving higher education either according to an abbreviated curriculum or distance learning. You can choose a bunch of universities and partner universities, so there are more guarantees to successfully continue education at a higher educational institution, bypassing a serious competition.

They are sometimes more important than basic education.They are those professional tools that help to achieve success in the chosen business. The first sales skills can be obtained while still a student and record them in an asset.

Some companies require sales manager assistants: newcomers are often taken to these positions, who gain decent experience, skillfully combine theory (studying at a college or university) and practice.

If you make a resume, the item "Achievements" will be one of the accent. What to add to it - successful work experience, listing of the most successful transactions and events, personal awards and thanks. In this paragraph, it is necessary to concisely and sequentially list those moments of professional activity that the specialist himself defines as key.

There is no need to describe achievements in detail - just mark them, for example:

• conclusion of a transaction with company “X”, the organization’s most profitable annual contract;
• Participation in a major seminar (title) as one of the leading speakers;
• thanks, diplomas, diplomas (if any, indicating the year);
• professional recognition, salary increase by (percentage indication) on the basis of annual sales.

A point that is still at the stage of choosing a profession must be carefully considered. The personal qualities of a sales specialist directly affect his professional success.

• Ability to communicate with a client, with management, with partners. This refers to the language of business communication, and the ability to build a dialogue, establish contacts, listen and understand the interlocutor. To do this, you need to have a well-delivered speech (this can be developed, and it certainly will not hurt your career), psycho-emotional flexibility, the ability to remain calm even in difficult situations.
• Convincing appearance. It is foolish to deny that this is important. You need not only to talk with your partner so that he will listen to you, but also to look so that he wants to listen to you. It's not about physical beauty, but about the image of a self-confident specialist who favorably emphasizes his strong external aspects. A business image, an emphasis on attractive features, fortitude, which can be seen in the external image, are powerful personal tools.
• Attractiveness, charisma. It does not depend on whether the person’s face or figure is perfect. This ability to please people, it is always well sold. To interest a client with a product or service, sometimes he has to be initially interested in himself. Simple schemes for attracting attention, forming sympathy work.
• Stress resistance. In business, too vulnerable and reverent people do not actually take root. It is difficult for them to switch from the regime of “failures” and “defeats in a small battle”. But this is the basic quality of a manager - do not give up, look for new solutions.

Even if a person becomes an ordinary manager in a department, where there are several units like him, the productivity of the department’s work still depends on what each employee does. It is wonderful if in the first days of work the specialist already clearly understands what his key functions are, whether he has enough competencies. Everything is initially negotiated upon hiring, prescribed in the job description.

The main responsibilities of the sales manager are:

• organization and conduct of sales;
• planning and implementation of analytical work;
• ensuring the sales themselves;
• control of shipment of goods, settlement with customers, etc.

Based on this, the specialist is set goals, the fulfillment of which is the main condition for his service compliance. Goals always begin with verbs: for example, to increase the influx of new customers, expand the customer base, increase the effectiveness of passive sales, find new tools to attract customers, offer opportunities for profitable business collaborations, etc.

They are more specific than goals, and correspond to them. Correctly selling the product, being able to seek customers, expanding the company's capabilities - this is what management expects from a sales manager.

Management should see that The manager does not propose unreasonable actions, but concrete solutions with good, calculated forecasts. First, the manager deals with them, and only then begins to work with the consumer, the client. Its main mission is to develop a strategy for the implementation of which other specialists can be involved.

In this case, the sales manager is an employee who clearly understands business regulations, relies on the basic goals and objectives of the company, knows how to delegate authority and attract colleagues to carry out large-scale projects.

If a person has taken the position of senior or leading manager, he has the right to rely on high wages. You can’t say for sure how much a successful specialist earns, because this indicator depends on the status of the company. Salaries range from 50 to 150 thousand rubles and above. Salary growth is usually proportional to the manager's performance.

If you have to start with a small company, then dedication can not always meet salary expectations. But this is how experience is often gained, skills are acquired, connections appear, and abilities train. It is not uncommon for an excellent sales specialist to come to a modest company and the company will soon “shoot” in the market.

As for the prospects, the opportunity there is always a higher position (to become the head of the sales department, go to the head office). The authorities assess the efforts and readiness to move forward, preferring to “grow” high-quality specialists in their company, rather than “lure” them from the outside. In addition, corporate loyalty is also usually much appreciated by management.

The work of the sales manager is diverse, complex and promising. This specialist not only establishes contacts with customers - he motivates consumers to cooperate, informs dealers and distributors, draws up contracts, monitors the potentials of outlets. He has to organize trainings and master classes, participate in exhibitions and seminars, monitor competitors and draw up detailed reports.