Job Description - Sales Operations Manager (SOM)

‍

When they're not the only Sales Ops in their business, the Sales Operations Manager leads a small team of Sales Ops that optimize the way salespeople work. They are looking for better organization, better processes and tools in order to improve the team's Sales performance. He is in a way a special adviser to the Sales team. A key role among Sales & Business Development jobs.

Sales Operations Manager: the definition

Meaning of the word and translation

The Sales Operations Manager (SOM) is responsible for the processes and tools that allow guide and supervise The work of Sales teams. Enabling the execution of the commercial strategy, his work ultimately comes down to supervising the progress of The sales operation. He is also often responsible for a group of Sales Ops that he must coordinate.

Thus, it aims to make the more efficient sales process, but also to ensure the smooth running and the achievement of results in line with the objectives. He is an intermediary with the hierarchy but above all an advisor for The Sales team. It is he or she who Segments and develops actions of everyone to apply the strategy in the most optimal way possible.

It also contributes to the identification of market trends And the resources necessary to allow colleagues to focus on sales and growth drivers.

We therefore note that the Sales Operations Manager supervises Sales Ops by preparing the action plan for them. Depending on the structures, it can be accompanied and advised by a Sales Operations Specialist Or a Sales Operations Analyst that help him justify and build the process. The SOM clearly follows a managerial path although an ability to analyze and strategy is necessary to adapt its decisions to the groups and contexts encountered.

What is the role of a Sales Operations Manager?

Although responsibilities may vary depending The sector and The structure, the tasks of a Sales Operations Manager are generally organized in the same way around supervision of the team, the coordination of the commercial strategy and the expectation of results.

• Ensure the coordination of the various actions of the company

The SOM must ensure the Sales funnel monitoring from the creation of MQLs (Marketing-Qualified Leads) to closing, including MQL/SQL (Sales Qualified Leads) conversion and the evolution of deals. In other words, it intervenes throughout the sales cycle, simply because it regulates the smooth running of sales between the various stages.

• Follow and optimize the sales process

As a manager, he must have a real capacity Critical thinker and data analysis to extract recommendations. This analysis makes it possible to justify one's mission and decisions to one's superiors but also to one's team.

He must know how to identify and correct potential errors or ineffective measures in the sales process in order to always try to best facilitate its progress and maximize its growth.

• Analyze and control CRM data

If his action tends to detach himself from it in favor of a more global and strategic vision, the Manager must interact with others. He must understand the different feedback that is given to him in order to build the best solution. It produces reports that inform decisions taken based on current data and forecasts in order to adapt the action plan.

• Manage a team of sales professionals

The Sales Ops Manager works with many departments (marketing, finance...). Compared to Sales Operations, the Manager will often recruit and form a team. He will thus be involved in even more strategic subjects and will gradually abandon operational missions (e.g. reporting) without detaching himself from them.

Notions of progress and change are not always easy to establish within a group, you have to know how to deal with complaints and find solutions that suit both parties.

What are the missions of a Sales Operations Manager?

• Data analysis: He must ensure the quality of the data and its organization on the CRM. The Manager follows the sales pipeline (s), and monitors the conversion rates from one stage to the next. He can also participate in creating dashboards and ensure that they are well understood;
• Process: He is responsible for setting up efficient sales processes (sales team), ensuring their follow-up and optimization. This involves the implementation of automation, traceability and management workflows with numerous technological tools. Thus, it ensures the scalability of processes and follows the teams' playbooks and updates them;
• Tools: Its role is to determine and manage the tools used by sales staff internally in order to facilitate their work and focus their attention on the application and results and not on the implementation of this strategy. However, as nothing is taken for granted and in order to anticipate and improve, he works hard to regularly try new tools;
• But we can also find:

• Missions to create and update the Sales commissioning plan and to monitor performance.
• A shutter Sales Enablment with the training of the sales team, especially if the Sales EnABLEMENT team is poorly developed.
• Work to assess growth opportunities (e.g. new market)

‍

What are the qualities of a good Sales Operations Manager?

Why become a Sales Operations Manager?

The Sales Operations Manager position is highly sought after because it is a support position for sales teams in order to focus their mission and relieve them of administrative and strategic tasks. This role varies depending on the company he hosts, but this job is very versatile.

It is a dynamic activity because it incorporates a lot of changes and adaptations. This experience will be particularly interesting for individuals who want to manage a team and who like the challenge.

How do you be a good Sales Operations Manager?

• Be diplomatic with strong leadership

The Sales Operations Manager manages the recruitment and integration (onboarding) of his work group. He trains them in the sales methods that he wants to apply to Sales in order to reach the objectives more easily.

• Be empathetic

The SOM does not work alone, it is at the service of a team that relies on it. Its ability to understand and accept returns internal and external of its actions will allow the group to move forward more quickly. The constant concern for improvement and correction brings a real strength of cohesion and demonstrates a desire for work and results.

• Know how to analyze, communicate and listen

The Sales Ops Manager understands sales processes and masters the right technology and tools to optimize tasks. His rigor in his work establishes the proper functioning of the action plan and a good atmosphere in the workplace. He is responsible for the early planning, the development of his strategy and the final result.

• Be organized, professional, responsive and critical thinker

This activity involves him to communicate internally so that the external strategy can be developed as best as possible. If it is not organized, an entire team wastes time and therefore sales that do not come true. Its action affects the overall efficiency of the process.

‍

How do I become a Sales Operations Manager?

Skills required

• Know how to manage a team;
• Have good communication and management skills;
• Know and master data analysis tools (Spreadsheets, CRM, KPIs, communication tools, performance management and automation software...);
• Know sales techniques;
• Be creative, problem-solver, and empathetic

Training, studies and experiences required

There is no definite university education to become a Sales Operations Manager, although the path that remains the most suitable is to join a business or engineering school to obtain a bac + 3 to 5 (master) level.

However, this position requires experience in Ops (Operations) but not necessarily in a managerial position. Having worked within the organization can also cause internal development.

However, another solution may be considered. Akimbo offers short and intensive training courses to train for Sales & Business jobs and to develop all the necessary skills and knowledge.

Les Full Time Bootcamps (9 weeks). They are made up of experts in the field in order to bring together all the processes, methods and tools to master, including the essentials to become Sales Ops Manager.

At the end of the course, the Akimbers are 100% operational and ready to join their next adventure.

Bootcamps in a nutshell:

• Training based on monitoring commercial action throughout the sales cycle. Ranging from go-to-market to cold calling and complex selling. This training allows you to be operational on all fronts.
• The lessons are provided by Sales Coaches with more than ten years of startup experience.
• A training oriented towards practice: Sales Coaches, ensuring a good understanding of all. The last weeks of training are carried out at Station F, the Akimbers are put in a situation on behalf of real startups, it's a leap into the big picture.
• These courses are both available in person and remotely;
• Bootcamps are recommended by 98% of our Alumni;
• Today, we have trained more than 500 Alumni;

Adapted conversion profiles

Although there is no typical profile attached to the Sales Operations Manager, there are however character traits and curricula that are found in the missions of this profession.

We can find individuals from professional activities such as:

• Commercial or Business Developer ;
• Sales Operations;
• Sales engineer ;
• Consultant.

What career developments are there for this position?

After several years of satisfactory experience, the Sales Operations Manager can evolve towards greater responsibilities or a more specialized career in Sales (Head of Sales).

‍

How do I become a Sales Operations Manager?

‍

What is the salary for a Sales Operations Manager?

How much does a Sales Operations Manager earn?

On average, the Sales Operations Manager receives a salary of 50K€ gross per year. This data varies by industry, business, and experience.

Junior Sales Operations Manager Salary

For a Junior Sales Operations Manager at the beginning of their career, their annual remuneration is around 45K€ euros.

Senior Sales Operations Manager Salary

For a Senior Sales Operations Manager at the end of their career (from about 5 years of experience), the most experienced can expect to get a salary of more than 75K € euros per year.

‍

Different related commercial jobs

The titles you need to know

• Sales Operations (Sales Ops)
• Sales Operations Specialist
• Chief Technical Officer (CTO)
• Business Developer
• Account Executive
• Account Manager
• Commercial

What is Sales Operations, Sales Ops?

A Sales Operations evaluates and recommends sales tools and techniques in order to streamline the sales cycle and results. Same means and same objectives except that the Sales Ops Manager is responsible for Sales Ops, he oversees the commercial strategy they apply.

What is a Sales Operations Specialist?

A Sales Operations Specialist works with the Sales team: he extracts and analyzes data in order to assess the effectiveness of the current business plan. His role provides the Sales Ops Manager with external and internal feedback to ensure that consumer needs and goals are met.

What is a Chief Technical Officer (CTO)?

A Chief Technical Officer is responsible for the company's technological decisions, installations and coordination. By providing appropriate equipment and verifying the correct allocation of these resources, it allows the Sales Ops Manager to implement the right strategy by improving data entry and the productivity of stakeholders but also by reducing costs.

‍

Finding a Sales Operations Manager Job

Finding the right job offer requires time and observation. While the candidate can easily find a large number of proposals, few provide coherent and interesting descriptions that would lead to a serious hire.

To do this, it is recommended to focus your research on platforms such as Welcome To The Jungle or JobTeaser. They will offer a detailed and credible job description, the candidate will have access to all the information, figures and details of the missions in order to make the best choices.

Some of the things you should definitely look at are the team and the management framework, the sector of the company, its culture and its size.

The applicant can also extend his research by learning about his performance (key figures, indicators) or internal feedback.

In order to prepare his application and potentially his interview, the offer must also include the expectations of the recruiter so that the applicant can assess the relevance of his profile and anticipate the points to be emphasized.

These items include:

• The experience required;
• The mission of the position and the roles to be understood;
• The size of the collective to be managed and the expected responsibilities;
• The tools available to know how to master;
• The product or service marketed;
• The sales cycle and company culture.

If certain skills are lacking, it should not be forgotten that motivation can make a difference. It is still normal to learn with each new position, in addition, many companies offer internal training to help you acquire these skills more quickly.

It is enough to know how to take the first step and apply when the offer is credible and accurate, and if the candidate passes the first stage of application, he will justify these shortcomings by his experience and his determination during the interview.

For the interview, you must anticipate and prepare the recruiter's questions in order to express their answers clearly.

This exchange can lead you to approach situations that require different soft skills:

• Have you ever faced resistance when you wanted to change a method? How did you manage it? What was the outcome?
• Have you already done this by analyzing a large amount of data? How did you organize this work? With what tools?

The answers will be used by the recruiter in order to observe your reactivity and your relevance to the missions requested as a Sales Ops Manager.

‍

How do I recruit a Sales Operations Manager?

With an essential role within a sales team, the recruitment of a Sales Operations Manager must be done carefully. If growth, customer satisfaction and sales are music, he is the conductor. Time is precious and it is he who will lead the group and the actions so that the work and the results are as effective and harmonious as possible.

While each individual can bring unique skills, there are however fundamental characteristics to look for in a Sales Ops Manager first and foremost:

• Have management and management experience

The Sales Ops Manager must know the sales cycle and have had a managerial position. As he will be overseeing a broad strategy and many people, responsibilities should not frighten him.

• Know how to recruit, train and lead a team

For the sales strategy to work well and conclude with encouraging results, the Sales Operations Manager must build a cohesive team. This will improve the overall ambiance and facilitate communication and sharing. He himself should also ensure that he is kind and encouraging to these members.

• Know how to anticipate and always seek to improve

In the Sales team as in the strategy, effectiveness depends on the context. Surrounded by his group, he receives a lot of information and data that he will have to incorporate into his decision-making. He must therefore seek to predict future effects in order to avoid a critical situation, and if necessary, always seek to correct and improve the process. Being a Sales Ops Manager requires a strong sense of proposal and a strong sense of synthesis.

• Be organized to monitor members' performances

After defining the most efficient indicators and his missions with the director, the Sales Ops Manager must manage a large number of data and members.

• Know how to use and interpret data analysis tools

In order to compare sales performance against expectations and report on them, the Sales Ops Manager must be a technician. Among other things, he must master no-code tools and the team's CRM. This will allow him to keep track of his strategy and to establish action plans based on the results of analyses.

• Listen to team feedback, make decisions and communicate them

As a manager, he is required to make important choices. He must be an observer of his environment and work both as a manager and collaborator with his teams. To supervise and get his choices accepted, the Sales Ops Manager asks himself the right questions and communicates in a clear and detailed manner. He may also have to master English or other languages depending on his environment or the international openness of his activity, which may be based in France but also abroad.

Most of the points mentioned above are soft skills, that is, it can be difficult to assess them in an interview, the reality is often much more complicated. To do this, the recruiter may decide to challenge the candidate with a Business Game that will put these skills into practice in a much more concrete and visual application.

Otherwise, past experiences and potential references can help identify the individual's personality and what they could contribute. A good recommendation is generally a good indicator and allows you to verify these statements.

‍