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Where do you want to work?
Deal with People
Unpleasant/Angry People
Mostly Sitting
$58,350
Average Salary
Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.
DutiesSales managers typically do the following:
Sales managers’ responsibilities vary with the size of their organizations. 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 sales workers, 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 generated from their staff 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 in the organization. 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. Sales managers also work closely with research and design departments because they know customers’ preferences, and with warehousing departments because they know inventory needs.
The following are examples of types of sales managers:
Business to business (B2B) sales managers oversee sales from one business to another. These managers may work for a manufacturer selling to a wholesaler, or a wholesaler selling to a retailer. Examples of these workers include sales managers overseeing sales of software to business firms, and sales managers overseeing wholesale food sales to grocery stores.
Business to consumer (B2C) sales managers oversee direct sales between businesses and individual consumers. These managers typically work in retail settings. Examples of these workers include sales managers of automobile dealerships and department stores.
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Most sales managers have a bachelor’s degree and work experience as a sales representative.
EducationMost sales managers have a bachelor’s degree, although some have a master’s degree. Educational requirements are less strict for job candidates who have significant work experience. Courses in business law, management, economics, accounting, finance, mathematics, marketing, and statistics are advantageous.
Work Experience in a Related OccupationWork experience is typically required for someone to become a sales manager. The preferred duration varies, but employers usually seek candidates who have at least 1 to 5 years of experience in sales.
Sales managers typically enter the occupation from other sales and related occupations, such as sales representatives or purchasing agents. In small organizations, the number of sales manager positions often is limited, so advancement for sales workers usually comes slowly. In large organizations, promotion may occur more quickly.
Important QualitiesAnalytical skills. Sales managers must collect and interpret complex data to target the most promising geographic areas and demographic groups, and determine the most effective sales strategies.
Communication skills. Sales managers need to work with colleagues and 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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Average Length of Employment
Top Careers Before Recruitment Manager-Sales
Top Careers After Recruitment Manager-Sales
Gender
Female
49.3%Male
49.2%Unknown
1.5%Ethnicity
White
80.9%Hispanic or Latino
9.9%Asian
6.5%Unknown
2.0%Black or African American
0.7%Languages Spoken
Spanish
63.9%French
11.1%Portuguese
2.8%Vietnamese
2.8%Turkish
2.8%Catalan
2.8%Hindi
2.8%Cantonese
2.8%Mandarin
2.8%Urdu
2.8%Italian
2.8%Recruitment Manager-Sales
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
Schools
University of Phoenix
22.1%Michigan State University
7.4%University of North Texas
5.3%University of Kansas
4.2%Regis University
4.2%Florida State University
4.2%University of California - Santa Barbara
4.2%University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
4.2%Florida International University
4.2%University of Georgia
4.2%Liberty University
4.2%American University
4.2%Strayer University
4.2%University of Oklahoma
4.2%University of Tennessee - Knoxville
3.2%Elizabeth City State University
3.2%Temple University
3.2%Ohio State University
3.2%Webster University
3.2%State University of New York Buffalo
3.2%Majors
Degrees
Bachelors
54.0%Other
22.6%Masters
14.2%Associate
5.4%Certificate
2.2%Doctorate
0.8%Diploma
0.6%License
0.2%Recruitment Manager-Sales
Unfortunately we don’t have enough data for this section.
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