What Are a Sales Manager's Roles and Responsibilities?

Within a corporation, sales managers oversee and manage the sales crew. If you're interested in creating sales strategies and managing a team of sales experts, this job is a good fit for you. By utilizing your current sales expertise and obtaining the required education and training, you can grow your sales career to this high-level position. Learn about the duties and responsibilities of a sales manager in this blog.

Who is a Sales Manager?

The person in charge of managing a company’s sales team is known as a sales manager. They report to the head of sales or the sales director in a major corporation, but in smaller businesses, they most frequently report to the CEO or managing director.

Depending on the size, nature, and product or service a company sells, a sales manager’s responsibilities may vary, but in general, sales managers are the business leaders who set sales objectives and quotas and encourage their team to meet them. As managers, sales managers are typically in charge of hiring and firing employees, determining the need for training and delivering it, coaching sales representatives, and establishing sales territory.

In order to make wise selections, they are also responsible for developing sales plans and performing data analysis. They will frequently update the directors on their accomplishments and might even have a role in determining the direction the company will take in the future. Everything they do helps them achieve their objective of exceeding sales targets and turning a profit for their business.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Sales Manager

Here’s a look at some of the major roles and responsibilities of a sales manager.

• Acquisition of new clients
• Lead conversion from numerous marketing channels
• Creating a short- and long-term sales plan with the intention of achieving the given objectives
• Consistently meet revenue goals in accordance with team/organizational goals
• Actively looking for possibilities to upsell and cross-sell to existing customers
• Obtaining referrals from the current clientele to widen the sales pipeline
• Management of customer relationships
• Recognize customer needs and provide insights for improving the product portfolio based on interactions with and feedback from customers
• Management of key accounts
• Development of new accounts
• Reporting and operations
• Overseeing pre- to post-sales support activities for the designated goods and regions while guaranteeing the greatest level of client satisfaction

How to Become a Sales Manager?

The steps listed below can help you accomplish your objective of elevating your sales career:

Obtain a bachelor’s degree

Most businesses favour applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a related field when it comes to sales careers. You might think about careers in marketing, accounting, economics, or finance. You could also choose to enrol in courses in management, business law, and mathematics. It normally takes four years to earn a bachelor’s degree, and during that time you can acquire the abilities and information required to carry out the duties of entry-level sales positions.

Gain relevant experience

If you’re a student looking to obtain practical sales experience, consider applying for internships or part-time positions. For instance, to develop your customer service skills, you might find work as a retail sales associate or a summer job on a company’s sales team. These opportunities might help you become ready for entry-level sales positions and gauge your enthusiasm in the field.

Apply for entry-level roles

A sales management position normally demands years of expertise and is not an entry-level post. You can start growing your career after receiving a bachelor’s degree by applying for entry-level sales positions. For instance, you can start off as a salesperson or a buyer. You gain knowledge of how to carry out the daily duties of sales work in these positions, as well as perhaps the experience necessary to manage teams as a sales manager. You might learn from these experiences which types of sales you enjoy the most.

Consider earning a master’s degree

Although master’s degrees are not typically required of candidates for sales manager positions, having one may help you stand out from the competition. A master’s in business administration (MBA) can be earned in two years, and online or on-campus programmes are frequently available. You learn about a variety of business-related topics in the coursework of MBA programmes, including communication, management, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurship.  

Pursue professional certifications

To further support your credentials, you can think about acquiring professional certifications. You can develop specific talents for sales managers with the use of these certificates, such as leadership styles or sales tactics. Although certificates might not be required by employers, they could help you stand out. They might also value the work you put out to keep growing as a person and learning more about your field.

Sales Manager Courses

Sales management is critical to raising revenue. In a commercial and business enterprise, sales are a highly competitive market because improving methods to reduce costs and increase profit is required. Learning a new skill expands your opportunities for advancement in your career. However, picking the right path to begin your career is more important. Taking up a sales and marketing course online will teach you more about what is marketing in business and the difference between sales and marketing.