What Does a Sales Manager Do?
Sales managers lead and direct a team of salespeople to achieve sales targets and drive revenue growth. They create and monitor performance goals, provide mentorship, guidance, and feedback to sales reps, and create strategies to maximize revenue. They may also be responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training new sales representatives.
Success as a sales manager requires excellent communication and relationship-building skills. They must be adept at coaching and motivating their team to carry out sales strategies and processes, which requires deep product knowledge and the ability to lead by example when working directly with customers in the field.
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National Average Salary
Sales manager salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.
The average U.S. salary for a Sales Manager is:
$125,600
Sales Manager Job Descriptions
Example 1
Responsibilities
- Build and drive sales and strategy based on company strategy and business objectives
- Oversee 3rd party product management and development, directing the prioritization of conversion rate optimization and UX enhancements
- Manage all strategic and operational aspects of our selling channels (website, FBA, wholesale, etc.)
- Analyze/compile channel and marketing performance analytics & reporting and provide recommendations for more effective ways to reach customers and increase revenue
- Optimize across channels to drive company KPI’s (revenue, gross margin, profitability)
- Define/refine our target customer segments and drive actionable insights related to these segments
- Growing and fostering vendor relationships to drive long term growth and improved relationship
- Collaborate with internal teams such as marketing and purchasing to ensure we bring the right merchandise at the right price at the right time
- Ability to analyze sales reports, sales forecasts, and set goals and strategy for meeting those goals
Qualifications
- Minimum of five (5) years supervisory experience
- 3+ years of eCommerce management or ecommerce site merchandising experience
- Experience supervising Remote team
- Proven track record of growing and expanding vendor, buyer, and account manager relationships
- Experience growing and obtaining new seller relationships
- Ability to set and exceed sales goals
- Work well under pressure and multitask
- Passion for building and coaching a high-performing team
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Good proficiency with MS Word, Excel, and Outlook
- Commitment to learn about ALEKO products and systems
- Bilingual is plus.
- A positive, enthusiastic, and diplomatic attitude.
- A consistently professional decorum
Example 2
The Sales Manager is accountable for developing and maintaining relationships with accounts that sell beer for on and off premise consumption.
Responsibilities
- Achieve sales goals
- Accomplish timely and productive execution of sales plans and promotions at retail, securing trade support by communicating pricing and product promotions, coordinating use of product displays and point-of-sale materials, promotional events and other product promotion opportunities
- Maintain compliance with Quality Control and product code date standards
- Plan and conduct regular sales calls to accounts
- Manage accurate inventory levels to minimize out-of-stock and out-of-code issues
- Assess product rotation on shelf and in back room to maximize product freshness
- Ensure proper pricing
- Responsible for appropriate placement and effective utilization of point of sale material
- Manage product breakage return
- Other projects or duties as assigned
Required skills and experience
- High school diploma or GED
- Must be at least 21 years of age or meet minimum state legal age requirements
- Must have minimum of one (1) year of experience in related sales
- Must have reliable automobile transportation, maintain an acceptable driving record and valid driver license, and maintain auto insurance coverage at least to the minimum amount specified by the Company and state law
- Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization
- The employee must be able to lift products from 25 lbs. to 50 lbs. on a regular basis and up to 175 lbs. when handling keg product
- Must be able to work varied hours and days
- Proficient in Microsoft Office
- Available to work holidays and weekends as business dictates
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- This position must pass a post-offer background and drug test
Preferred skills and experience
- College degree
Example 3
Essential duties and responsibilities
- Responsible for all catered functions from organization to execution, including delegation of responsibilities
- Work closely with sales managers and coordinators to generate new business and maintain contact with present accounts
- Ensures excellence in guest satisfaction through effective training of staff, commitment to a “Do Whatever It Takes” attitude” and a hands-on, lead by example management style
- Identify qualifying business potential, closing business, overcoming objections, negotiating, upselling, and understanding the client’s needs through Features-Adjectives-Benefits selling
- Manage business on the books successfully and work pipeline of Inquiries, Prospects, Tentative and Definite bookings
- Work local Key Influencers including Hotels, Convention & Visitor Bureaus, Chambers, Retail Outlets, Office Buildings, and Condo/Apartment buildings
- Conduct client visits that are targeted and meaningful to build private dining sales
Requirements
- At least 3 years previous sales experience in a restaurant and hotel operation
- Ability to write business correspondences and set up contracts and function sheets
- Ability to professionally present promotional materials to prospective customers, and to effectively communicate and coordinate with catering, kitchen staff, and outside vendors
- Ability to calculate figures and amounts for guest catering contracts
- Ability to communicate with guests and employees using a positive and clear speaking voice, listen to and understand request, respond with appropriate actions, and provide accurate information
- Stable and progressive work history
- Strong work ethic
Sample Interview Questions
- Describe your experience managing a high-performing sales team.
- What do you like the most about sales and sales management?
- What do you dislike the most about sales?
- Describe your selling style.
- Describe your management style.
- What is the greatest success you’ve had with sales?
- What made you a successful sales representative? How will your success inform how you manage your team?
- What do you look for in new sales representative hires?
- What training method is best for new sales representatives?
- How would you handle a sales representative that misses quota on a regular basis?
- Tell me about a time when you missed your sales quota and how you handled it.
- What is the best motivator for a sales team?
- Can you describe a time when you had to let a salesperson go?