What do they do?

Sales management is essentially about maximising a company’s sales. Sales is the beginning of the revenue cycle for any company. When a purchase order is made, a sale is generated. It is completed when the goods or services are supplied, billed and the is payment collected. Often referred to as personal selling, sales involves communicating with potential customers, informing them about certain products and persuading them to buy the stuff. The actual act of selling a product follows marketing activities like brand building and awareness creation.

Skills Needed

. A good command over the language, both verbal and written, is a must
. A strong ability to persuade people and influence their buying decisions
. Awareness of the general business environment
. Must be a good listener
. Ability to devise and offer solutions to the customer’s problem areas
. Analytical ability
. Good reasoning power
. Should be skilled with numbers
. Must be comfortable working on the computer and should be well-versed with presentation software
. A pleasing personality is an added advantage
. Being a fast thinker helps
. Should be a smart worker

How do I get there?

After completing Class 12 from any stream, one can opt for a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. However, the ideal qualification is a graduate degree or a diploma in business studies coulped with an MBA with specialisation in sales and marketing. Earlier, one could find sales mangers without a management degree. But nowadays, a management degree is a must for making rapid progress in a career in sales and marketing.

Typical day in the life of a Sales Manager

Pros & Cons about this career