Sales Manager
A Sales Manager leads a sales team by providing guidance, training and mentorship, setting sales quotas and goals, creating sales plans, analyzing data, assigning sales territories and building teams. Sales Managers are usually tasked with managing organizational sales by developing business plans, meeting planned goals, and coordinating with a marketing department on lead generation. They also oversee the activities and performance of sales teams by tracking goals, setting sales targets, and facilitating the training of salespeople.
On this page, Links Recruitment will walk you through the role of Sales Manager. For employers who are looking to hire a Sales Manager, this page can assist you in generating an application for hiring your next Sales Manager and attract quality candidates. For job seekers, you will learn more about the role as well as possible career paths as a Sales Manager.
What is Working as a Sales Manager Like?
Sales Managers are senior-level employees that manage and oversee a company’s sales growth and objectives.
The job description of a Sales Manager involves identifying sales leads and implementing feasible strategies for future sales development. They will be in charge of monitoring consumer feedback and satisfaction reports, analyzing trends and market shifts and implementing the right sales strategies to hit the right targets.
The following activities and responsibilities are generally included in a Sales Manager job description:
- Develop & plan effective sales and marketing strategies, to meet the business key performance indicators (KPI)
- Lead and manage the sales team to achieve sustainable growth and sales targets
- Spearheading sales marketing campaigns
- Implementing a strategic sales plan with other team members and departments
- Managing objectives and performance monitoring of sales
- Fostering customer engagement
- Work closely with other marketing teams to drive more sales opportunities and develop new business channels
Working as a Sales Manager is challenging, so you will need the right skills and experience to supplement this job position.
- Most Sales Managers hold a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Marketing, Business Administration or Accounting.
- Mid or Senior-level experience is necessary.
- A Sales Manager will also have to be able to collaborate and be a leader, as they must spearhead strategies and objectives for the department.
- They will present and partake in meetings and must demonstrate creativity in sales and marketing efforts.
- They must understand financial trends and work with graphs and numbers often to make predictions and reports.
To get to a Sales Manager position, you will want to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field. Try out a few internships or jobs in sales while studying. With some sales experience under your belt, apply for Assistant Sales Manager positions. After you gain more experience as an Assistant Sales Manager, you will be ready for a Sales Manager position.
After working a few years as a Sales Manager, you will likely start moving up into another sales leadership role. The next position is usually Sales Director, then VP Sales, then Chief Revenue Officer, and finally CEO or COO.
If you want to explore other areas, there are many related roles which might suit you well. Channel sales, sales operations, and even marketing offer numerous management roles that could be the right fit for you.
Sales Managers will generally have 6-8 years of mid or senior level experience. Sales Manager salary varies based on location and specialisation. You can find the following table for reference:
| Specialization | No. of Year Experience | Hong Kong Monthly Salary (HKD) | Singapore Monthly Salary (SGD) | China Monthly Salary (RMB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales & Marketing, Retail & FMCG | 5 – 8 | 40K – 50K | 6K – 7K | / |
| Industrial Sector | 5 + | / | / | 12K – 35K |
Check out Links International’s salary guide for more information on salaries and trends in 2019.
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