The sales manager is responsible for designing and implementing sales and marketing strategies to achieve business goals.
The sales manager directs and oversees the activities of sales team members to ensure that they achieve their goals. The sales manager has multiple responsibilities. Salaries, required skills and access training, what are the realities of the sales manager job? In any case, it is a key profession among Sales & Business Development jobs.
What is the role of a Sales Director?
The sales manager is a member of the company who works closely with the company's general management and with the sales manager. He is mainly involved in the company's commercial policy and ensures that it is effectively applied in the field.
When a geographical sector is assigned to him, the sales manager works to put in place operational resources in order to achieve the objectives of his mission. Under his responsibility, there are therefore groups of commercial agents. It must motivate them and coordinate their interventions on the ground.
Thus, he monitors the sales operations carried out by his teams and proposes readjustments if necessary. Since he must trust his employees, the sales manager sometimes has the right to recruit and train the commercial members of his group.
For large customers, the sales manager can himself take care of the negotiation and sale of products or services offered by the company. He is also responsible for properly managing the working capital of the sales team.
Being able to contribute directly to the company's commercial policy, he does not fail to keep an eye on the evolution of the market. Even more, it monitors the actions of competing organizations.
The sales manager occupies a key position in the commercial operation of a company. Sometimes the job of sales manager is assimilated to that of sales manager or that of sales manager.
What is the salary for a sales manager?
Over a period of one month, the median remuneration for this commercial executive can be around €60K crudes.
In one year, it is estimated that a junior sales manager, that is to say with little experience, could receive a salary of between €36K and 42 K€ crudes.
When an aspiring junior justifies recent experience in a sales position, his base salary is valued. For his part, the experienced sales manager is paid nearly €80K gross per month. His net monthly salary is equivalent to more than €5,000.
In addition to salary remuneration, the sales manager receives bonuses based on objectives and depending on the city in which he works, these are higher. Sometimes bonuses or bonuses cost as much as the monthly salary.
What are the working conditions of the sales manager?
As with any other profession, that of sales manager has both advantages and constraints. Thanks to this function, it is possible to work in any branch of activity, while carrying out missions in line with your values and interests.
Since he can intervene in any sector of activity, the sales manager has a daily life not very repetitive. The nature of his job means that he avoids professional routine and is interested in different things. Another advantage undoubtedly lies in the attractive remuneration of this position just at the beginning.
Unlike other jobs, there are a variety of possibilities forcareer development. During their professional life, the sales manager can apply for a commercial position abroad. If he also wants to, he can join the marketing department of a company.
On the other hand, his job is very thorough, which means that the sales manager always has a very busy schedule. The hours of work are always exceeded because he works extra hours.
Because of the sales figures that he must defend within a well-defined period of time, this job can seem stressful for many people. It is difficult to establish a balance in your personal and especially family life by practicing this profession. However, reconciling your social life and this profession is well conceivable.
What skills and qualities are necessary for the practice of this commercial profession?
In the exercise of his profession, the sales manager meets a certain number of people: employees, company directors, customers, investors, etc. It is essential that he displays impeccable interpersonal skills, because communication is a permanent ally of his professional activity.
According to market proposals and counter-proposals, the sales manager must be able to change his speech to convince the interlocutors of his offer. For the management of the company, he is a charismatic, dynamic worker who is able to mobilize his troops.
In order to fulfill all the missions related to his function, the sales manager must have the following qualities:
- Great negotiation skills;
- A diplomatic character to validly represent the company on the market;
- A keen sense of listening to preserve customers;
- Leadership to be able to unite a team around a common cause;
- An ease in managing stress;
- Diplomatic expertise;
- An attitude of perseverance and tenacity in sales processes;
- A good ability to analyze and synthesize;
- A creative, rigorous and methodical spirit.
The more the aspirant has these qualities, the better he will live the job of sales manager. It is possible, and it is very often the case, to acquire more skills during the course of the job.
Thus, sales managers with several years of experience can easily enter any sector of activity. In addition to the qualities required for this job, it is necessary to justify professional training to access this function.
What training courses do you need to follow to become a sales manager?
Occupation of the position of sales manager is subject to the presentation of a university degree. For an aspirant to this profession, the minimum required is a bac + 2. He can graduate from a school of management, management or business. Depending on these various cases, we can have:
- A GOAL in Marketing Techniques (Bac + 3);
- A BTS in Operational Commercial Management (Bac + 2);
- A bachelor's degree or a professional license in operational marketing professions (Bac + 3);
- A BTS in Consulting and Marketing of Technical Solutions (Bac + 2).
These undergraduate university degrees are not enough. In addition to these certifications, recruiters require some professional sales experience.
However, applications with a Master's degree are encouraged. Thus, people with a Bac + 5 in Management and International Trade or in Business Management and Engineering easily become sales managers.