Sales manager Job Information | National Careers Service

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Sales manager

Hours

30-40 per week
Starting salary

£18,000 + per year

If you are good at selling and want to lead a team, this job might be right for you.

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.

In this job you would need good business sense. You would need to be enthusiastic and able to motivate others. You would also need to be good at organising and planning.

Your track record in sales is likely to be more important to employers than your qualifications.

The work

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 may often extend your working day.

Income

Starting salaries can range from £18,000 to £25,000 a year plus commission
Experienced sales managers can earn between £25,000 and £55,000
Top salaries can be over £70,000 a year.

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.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

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 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

To be a sales manager you should have:

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.

More information

Managing and Marketing Sales Association (MAMSA) (Opens new window)
PO Box 11
Sandbach
Cheshire
CW11 3GE
Tel: 01270 526339
www.mamsasbp.org.uk

Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) (Opens new window)
Harrier Court
Lower Woodside
Bedfordshire
LU1 4DQ
Tel: 01582 840001
www.ismm.co.uk

Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) (Opens new window)
Moor Hall
Cookham
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 9QH
Tel: 01628 427120
www.cim.co.uk

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.

You may find the following useful for job vacancies and general reading (links open in new window):

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

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