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Sales manager: Job description and activities

Sales managers organise, motivate and lead sales teams in a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) and finance. They are responsible for the combined performance of the team and for ensuring that everyone within their team reaches their targets. They may set the targets themselves or receive them from the sales director. They may also operate incentive schemes that motivate members of their team to reach or exceed sales targets.

Whilst management structures vary significantly between companies and sectors, most sales managers will be responsible either for specific geographical areas (area sales managers) and/or particular products, or for specific types of customer.

Sales managers will usually be responsible for:

• recruiting and training sales staff;
• supervising, motivating and monitoring team performance; 
• allocating areas to sales executives;
• setting budgets/targets;
• liaising with other line managers;
• reporting back to senior managers;
• liaising with customers (which may include actual selling);
• maintaining detailed knowledge of the company’s products or services;
• keeping abreast of what competitors are doing.

Depending on the culture of the company and level of seniority within it, sales managers may also be involved with product development, identification of new business opportunities and the development of marketing strategies.

For more information see Sales executive.

AGCAS

Written by Neil Pritchard, Glyndwr University

Last updated:

July 2009

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