Sales manager

Sales manager
 

What is a sales manager?

Sales managers try to maximise sales in a company. This involves organising and motivating the sales team to ensure that targets are met.

You could be selling anything from cars to food and could work in many different companies. Your customers wouldn’t necessarily be individuals, you could be selling to businesses, retailers or manufacturers and be selling to anywhere in the world.

 

 

 

What sort of tasks would I be doing? 

  • Motivating sales teams
  • Setting targets
  • Monitoring overall performance
  • Liaising with customers
  • Staying aware of what competitors are doing
  • Making sure you are always up to date with all the company’s products
  • Writing reports and giving feedback to colleagues and managers

What qualifications would I need?

 

To become a sales manager you will need to work your way up to get some experience of sales. So you would normally start as a sales representative and then gradually with more experience you could be promoted up to manager.

There are so no set qualifications that you need to work in sales though most employers would ask for GCSEs in English and Maths.

Experience in customer service would be really useful so try getting a part time job in something like retail.

Think about doing some of these qualifications:

  • Diplomas in business administration and finance and in retail business
  • BTEC level 2 award and level 3 certificate in sales
  • City & Guilds level 3 certificate in sales
  • IMIAL level 3 diploma in vehicle sales.
  • The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) offers a part-time Certificate in Professional Sales.
  • The Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) Level 1 Award in Basic Sales Skills, the Level 2 Award in Sales and Marketing and the Certificate in Sales and Marketing are aimed at those new to sales.

A great way to get into sales would be to do an Apprenticeship which would give you structured training as well as time to study.

If you want to study at university but haven’t got the right qualifications, think about doing an Access course.

 

 

Would I suit it?

Are you...

  • Organised?
  • Comfortable  talking to people over the phone and in person?
  • Enthusiastic?
  • Able to manage and motivate people?
  • Able to work under pressure?

If so, you'd make a great sales manager!

Career Prospects

Salaries and promotion opportunities depend on your sales results – if you are very successful you will soon progress.

A good sales manager can become very successuful and earn a great salary.

  

Where can I go for more information?
 

Try to get some first hand sales experience - getting a part time job in a shop or restaurant would look great on your CV.

 

 

 

 

To find out more about the industry have a look at:

Have a look at the apprenticeships website for more information about what being an apprentice involves

More information about doing an Access course

 

 

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