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How to become a Sales Manager

Sales Manager

Career progression and salary expectations for a Sales Manager

1

Sales Executive

| Up to £20,000
2

Team Leader

| Up to £30,000
3

Sales Manager

| Up to £40,000

The role of a Sales Manager

You hate Mondays because you hate your job. You should be a Sales Manager…Sales Managers are responsible for leading a sales team, helping them get organised and motivating them to hit their targets.They could work in a number of different disciplines, and sell their products to a wide range of customer. However, no matter what type of services they sell, the job of a successful Sales Manager remains the same: to get the most out of their team and help them hit their core KPIs.Typical responsibilities for a Sales Manager may include:
  • Recruiting new staff, and integrating them into the team
  • Training team members and helping promote their development
  • Setting targets and sales goals
  • Running call coaching sessions to help people improve their skills
  • Helping any members of the team who seem to be struggling
As a Sales Manager, excellent motivational skills are absolutely essential. It’s your job to help everyone on the team reach their true potential, and a happy and engaged workforce will be key to your success.You will need to be able to build rapport within the team, and have the respect of everyone behind you in order to progress. For this reason, interpersonal and communication skills will also be of paramount importance.Other key skills for an Sales Manager include:
  • Excellent man-management skills
  • Confidence
  • Patience
  • Good business acumen
  • The ability to work well under pressure
"I’ve worked in sales pretty much straight out of school, initially by accident as much as anything else. I’ve always been comfortable talking to people, and almost immediate I realised it was pretty much the perfect fit. I started out as a Sales Executive, but moved up quite quickly, which is one of the best parts of working in Sales. Recently I took the step into management, after taking a course to sharpen my skills and get certified, and I’m loving it."

Get qualified as a Sales Manager

You will not need a degree to become a Sales Manager, although previous experience in the field and sales specific will be essential to progress.

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