What responsibilities should a manager perform? Functions of a sales manager

If you want to lead the sales market in today's market, you'll have to put in a lot of effort. To achieve this difficult task requires the joint work of not just one, but a whole team of specialists.

You will learn:

• What are the main responsibilities of the position of sales manager?
• How to check how well a manager copes with his responsibilities.
• What responsibilities should a wholesale or active sales manager handle?

What are the main responsibilities of a sales manager?

Sales Manager - a specialist whose main responsibility is the sale of goods. If in the past products were sold directly from the hands of the manufacturer to the hands of the consumer, today this chain has expanded significantly due to the emergence of a large number of intermediaries.

They are needed to deliver goods to specific customer addresses, according to requests that include the exact quantity of goods required, the frequency with which the goods should be delivered to consumers, and other conditions. Thanks to the work of intermediaries, the customer always receives his product within the time frame he needs.

The sales manager, in accordance with his job responsibilities, must work so that the buyer, having once made a choice in favor of the product of his company, the next time again decides to purchase the product from the same organization, and not from a competitor.

The sales specialist is responsible for communicating with intermediaries, convincing them that there is a demand for the product and the level of sales will remain consistently good. The specializations that influence the activities and nature of the responsibilities of managers can vary significantly. It depends on the specifics of sales.

If we look at the general classification of sales objects, we can distinguish some specializations of a sales manager:

• sale of services;
• sales of consumer goods;
• sale of industrial products.

Every company that sells any product or service needs a specialist who performs the duties of a sales manager with specialization in a certain area.

In practice, it turns out that sales managers working in serious companies rarely have contact with specific consumers. Most often, their responsibilities involve interacting with distributors. The exception is organizations specializing in the sale of expensive and large goods.

In small companies selling any type of product or service, sales managers will negotiate directly with the end buyer or intermediaries about the sale of their company's product.

Example KPI for sales managers

Give up the usual assessment of staff performance, so that sales people fulfill KPIs not out of fear of getting a fine, but out of a desire to make a profit. Find out how to achieve this from the article in the electronic magazine “Commercial Director”.

A sales manager who knows his business well will understand that turnover indicators cannot be maintained at the proper level just by making “cold” calls to buyers from his client base, not to mention achieving their positive dynamics. Here you need to have a broader view of the market: understand the peculiarities of changes and developments in the market, take into account the wishes and preferences of end consumers, be interested in price dynamics, new products of the main competing companies.

TO job responsibilities of a sales manager This also includes the search and systematization of important data regarding the level of sales and perception of the product by the end consumer. In addition, it is important for such a specialist to be able to analyze information comprehensively, compare and contrast various indicators and parameters, and also make informed decisions based on the results of the research.

Sometimes in a company, the responsibilities of a sales manager consist of only a few positions, while the remaining tasks are distributed among other employees. The best option is when the sales manager is exclusively engaged in working with potential or existing customers and is responsible for concluding contracts.

All other tasks (bureaucratic, administrative, organizational) are solved by employees specially hired for this purpose, who will be able to quickly and efficiently cope with these responsibilities, as well as take on unskilled work.

If you expand the sales manager's responsibilities to tasks such as issuing invoices, monitoring deliveries, and other administrative activities, it would be like using a microscope to hammer nails.

If a sales manager is completely deprived of responsibilities related to the production process or the provision of services, this will also not be an optimal solution, since as a result such an employee may begin to sell something that his company will never produce or supply.

What are the job responsibilities of a sales manager?

If we are talking about serious enterprises, then the responsibilities of a sales manager are not only to work with clients, but also to search and process data on product sales, develop a company strategy, and prepare all the necessary paperwork for already successfully completed transactions.

A sales manager usually works in an office. The nature of his daily activities depends on the type of duties: these can be either telephone conversations or specific steps to sell goods.

Working in any position within a company's sales department contributes to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the entire department. A sales manager is no exception; he bears some responsibility for the success of the company in the market as a whole, regardless of what type of responsibilities are assigned to him.

Main responsibilities Sales managers are conditionally divided into 4 groups.

1. Responsibility for sales of the company's products: increasing sales levels, expanding the customer base, striving to obtain maximum benefits from each sales segment.
2. Planning, conducting market data analysis.
3. Sales.
4. Checking product shipments and settlements with consumers.

In addition to these large four sections, there are some narrower specializations that affect the job responsibilities of a sales manager. This additional functions:

• expanding and updating the customer base, conducting negotiation processes, maintaining contacts with customers and partners on the Internet, processing telephone requests and calls;
• establishing connections with possible buyers, strengthening existing business contacts through the organization of convenient and attractive factors for clients: discounts, promotions, calls expressing gratitude, letters;
• The responsibilities of the sales manager, according to the job description, include: direct contact with clients coming to the office, working on the road to potential buyers and conducting negotiations on their territory;
• increasing the level of sales in your sector, interaction with customers. Forming customer loyalty through paying attention to them and providing profitable offers on the company’s products;
• increasing customer motivation to cooperate with the company, collecting information about potential customers;
• consulting and information support for clients;
• informing dealers and distributors;
• concluding agreements with legal entities and individuals, preparing documents, working with reporting on concluded agreements;
• receiving products and checking their quality, as well as monitoring the display of products in retail outlets;
• daily collection of information on pricing policy, control of expiration dates (responsibilities of the sales manager);
• carrying out calculations of profits expected in accordance with the sales plan;
• assessment of the level of potential of all retail outlets for selling products;
• organization of educational events, trainings;
• advertising support at exhibition events, demonstration of new products from the company, holding promotions and events, attracting new consumers;
• interaction with suppliers, holding business meetings aimed at increasing the number of contracts;
• collection, processing and systematization of various data to optimize the sales process;
• monitoring competing companies, calculating product prices and the level of possible discounts;
• delivery of funds to the company's cash desk within predetermined deadlines, collection;
• regular reports (once a month) on percentages and work performed.

It often happens that a company loses some of its customers due to careless and irresponsible performance of its duties by managers. A guarantee of effective development of the organization is the careful and high-quality activities of all departments of the company. For example, the job responsibilities of a sales manager in the trade sector of small household appliances or food products will be as follows:

• responsibility for participation in exhibitions, organization of product tastings;
• conducting master classes on products and their new products;
• control over the display of products on retail equipment;
• support and verification of the work of merchandisers.

The list of responsibilities of a sales manager is determined by the direction of the company. Each company has developed its own job descriptions containing a list of responsibilities. That is, the range of actions of the manager is determined: “cold” calls, negotiations, working with market information, or, for example, working on the road. The above tasks are among the main ones, but in reality there are many more of them.

It is very useful for the company if managers periodically improve their skills at various educational events, courses, and trainings. Finding clients is one thing, keeping them for a long time is another thing. A true professional in his field, when selling a product, will definitely monitor whether the client is satisfied with his purchase or not.

An effective sales manager will strive to exceed the targets set by company management.

Sample list of rights of a sales manager

How to determine which functional responsibilities of a sales manager to assign to an employee

In order to determine how much workload a particular sales manager can withstand and what specific responsibilities to entrust to him, use the following three methods.

Method 1: Compare your goals to your current performance

Compare the results of a novice manager with the results of already experienced specialists. It is necessary to determine the average performance of one employee based on the numbers that came out at each stage of the funnel. Based on the data obtained, include specific tasks in the responsibilities of the sales manager.

Method 2: Do the analysis yourself

At the initial stage of forming a sales department, you can try to immerse yourself in the process of a sales manager’s activities.

Spend one day as if you were an implementation specialist. This will be a kind of experiment: from direct experience in this position, you will be able to understand much better what should be the responsibilities of a sales manager in accordance with the specifics of your company.

At the end of the experiment, multiply the results of your work by an efficiency indicator equal to 0.7: ordinary employees, as a rule, work less efficiently than the manager or owner of the company.

Method 3: Make a guess, create a workday map for sales managers

This method will not be accurate, however, it has a right to exist. Let's assume that each manager's call takes about 3 minutes on average. Calculate how many calls one specialist can make per hour, and then per day. Enter the resulting indicator into his responsibilities. An effective manager can make 160 calls in an 8-hour working day.

The workday map will help you check your calculations. When each employee fills out their workday card, you will see how much time the manager has to make calls and meetings and how much time is left to perform other work duties: preparing and sending a commercial proposal, completing documentation, personal issues.

In this way, you can better understand which tasks should be included in the job description of a sales manager and which should not.

Expert opinion

How to Test a Sales Manager's Ability to Perform Their Responsibilities

Maxim Gorbachev,

co-owner of Gorstka company, sales trainer-consultant, Moscow

Tatyana Modeeva,

General Director of Acsour, St. Petersburg

Employees should be interviewed, either in writing or orally. This can be done by the head of the sales department or a human resources specialist. It would be wiser for the general director to take on the responsibility for final control. He can conduct it with the help of a written report, which will reflect the responses of employees, including new ones. The questions may be as follows.

• What types of equipment would you offer to customers who already use such and such?
• How exactly does this product differ from its analogues on the market?
• Under what conditions is the product allowed to be used? How can the consumer find out about this?
• How can the product be packaged?
• How long does it take for a product to be delivered to the customer if it is in stock (when delivered to order, if the product is not in stock)?
• What solution would you find in a situation where a buyer wants to purchase a specific product, with a specific request for a set of functions, and the product is currently out of stock?

The sales manager's answers should show not only his awareness of all the characteristics of the product or services he sells, but also his understanding of the priorities of the company's policy and the characteristics of demand. You can check how a new employee copes with the responsibilities of an implementation specialist in three to four weeks.

Active sales manager: responsibilities and requirements

How to increase profits and replenish company accounts? How to increase your presence in the market, how to create a positive image for current and future clients?

Such lofty goals can be achieved by a close-knit team of sales professionals who will take on the role of the “locomotive” of your company and will be the main resource for converting your product into real cash.

An active sales manager is an honest and transparent professional activity that allows the specialist himself to control his profit, and the manager of the company to understand the value of each employee, realizing what material contribution he actually makes to the well-being and success of the company.

Key responsibilities of a sales manager

1. The main responsibility of a sales manager is to communicate with customers, work with objections, and answer questions from potential customers. He must not miss a single client.
2. The responsibilities of a specialist involved in active sales also include presentation and demonstration of goods at exhibitions and other events. Often, the demand for an entire product segment depends on how a manager presents his product. The specialist must understand well for whom he is presenting the product, what type of customers this product is aimed at.
3. The sales manager takes full responsibility for organizing meetings with new clients.
4. In addition, his responsibilities include negotiating the details and terms of the transaction. The manager must be able to name a price that is adequate to the situation and the client, and, if necessary, make a decision on a discount.
5. The responsibilities of an active sales manager include collecting, analyzing and structuring information about potential clients.
6. The sales manager’s responsibility is to communicate with product suppliers, which includes discussing the conditions for the supply of goods, prices and other details.
7. A professional manager must be able to handle document management (for example, know how to correctly draw up a contract).
8. The sales manager prepares reports on the work performed periodically for each week or each month.
9. A competent sales manager has the ability to quickly and accurately calculate the cost of goods in each specific case for any client, depending on the purchase amount and the quantity of products purchased.
10. The responsibilities of the sales manager also include a detailed and detailed study of the market in order to understand what conditions are offered by competitors in order to avoid poaching customers.

A sales manager is not only a profession, but also a special personality and character that has certain characteristics (it is important to pay attention when hiring), such as:

• openness in communication;
• perseverance;
• the ability to avoid conflict situations;
• ability to find a compromise;
• the ability to quickly find contact with any person;
• failure tolerance.

An active sales manager must have certain skills:

• making cold calls;
• knowledge of sales techniques and scripts;
• business communications (from an ordinary employee of a client company to the top management of an organization);
• work with primary documentation (control of issuance and payment of invoices, shipments).

A good salesperson can be identified by his manner of behavior, calmness, self-confidence, relaxedness, and free, but not plastic, movements. Facial expressions and gestures are open, the smile is sincere and natural. Even if a candidate for the position of sales manager has little or no experience in the profession, this is not a problem.

A good seller is distinguished not only by the presence of any specific knowledge. What is important is firmness and confidence combined with the ability to communicate easily and naturally, the ability to achieve set goals and objectives in material terms, and effectively cope with the range of responsibilities assigned to him. The manager's material success guarantees the profit of the company itself as a whole.

Expert opinion

During the interview, you should ask additional questions about the responsibilities at your previous job.

Alexey Slobodyanyuk,

owner and CEO of Astra Group

I once had the opportunity to interview a candidate for the position of sales manager. He indicated in the application form that up to this point he had worked in his previous place for three years. But, as it turned out, his tasks were not active sales, but working on the phone making incoming calls and consulting clients on issues related to the company’s products.

Experience may vary. It is imperative to ask additional questions about what exactly the candidate’s job responsibilities were at the previous place of work. Ask the applicant to talk about the sales techniques he used, describe his normal working day, what tasks he faced and how he solved them.

What should a wholesale sales manager do?

Wholesale sales manager is a profession in demand. To carry out quality work, you need a specialist with experience and the gift of persuasion. The responsibilities of this specialist are slightly different from the tasks of an active sales manager, since here it is necessary not only to organize deliveries, but also to increase their number in a short time.

Here we are no longer talking about telephone conversations; to work with promising distributors, a personal meeting is required, sometimes more than one.

However, such efforts are rewarded: at least one established contact with the distribution company will already mean respect from management and a possible promotion for the seller.

The wholesale sales manager must:

• find new potential consumers, replenish the company’s customer base, maintain a corporate information system;
• promote the sale of company products and generate consumer demand;
• disseminate information about the company’s products among clients and potential buyers: talk about the qualities and advantages of products, new products, opportunities and methods of use, etc.;
• every day study the goods that the company sells for assortment, quantity, sales dates, current prices;
• communicate with clients, provide them with up-to-date information;
• conduct negotiations with clients: current and potential, assume the responsibilities of an intermediary in the process of concluding commercial agreements and contracts for the supply of company goods;
• work with customer orders in accordance with the norms and rules adopted by the company, carry out active wholesale sales;
• resolve issues related to the delivery of goods within the agreed time frame, work with operators to comply with them;
• control the completeness of customer payments for delivered goods, take measures to timely identify and eliminate receivables, notify your boss in writing about delays in payments, indicating the reasons;
• inform customers about the company's product range;
• fulfill the sales plan and increase their growth;
• motivate customers to cooperate with the company, focusing on sales promotion programs approved by the company;
• create payment schedules for purchased company products, promptly inform the senior operator of the sales department about this. As necessary, accept payments from clients independently, deposit received funds at the company’s cash desk in accordance with the deadlines set out in the company’s regulatory documents;
• work on-site and on business trips as necessary;
• collect data on the market segment in which the company’s products are presented, conduct market research and study competitors, identify main trends and predict further market development;
• analyze market conditions, based on the results obtained, develop an advertising strategy for positioning the company’s products and plan sales volumes;
• draw up plans (operational and long-term) for the sale of products, engage in assortment and financial planning;
• process statistical data on sales and shipments of products;
• work with information on the ratings of competing companies among clients;
• timely provide analytical and other necessary reports on the implementation of the plan;
• participate in work meetings;
• coordinate the work of sales representatives, conduct training on studying the company’s products, their qualities and features, conduct presentations on the company’s new products;
• interact with sales representatives based on market conditions, reasons for difficulties in selling goods, and acquiring new potential customers;
• monitor the activities of sales representatives for compliance with customer service standards, compliance with instructions and instructions from the company’s management;
• maintain the level of qualifications necessary to perform the duties of a sales manager;
• carry out correct work with confidential information, maintain trade secrets;
• carry out all instructions from the direct supervisor and company management.

Regional sales manager: responsibilities and selection problems

Regional manager is a young profession that hides many prospects. It arose due to the growing financial well-being of the regions and the need to create branches of large companies that could represent at the regional level.

This position is necessary to position the company’s interests at the regional level and solve three main tasks:

• creation of strategic planning for the company’s development at the regional level;
• establishing contacts with new business partners and clients;
• processing data on the activity of regional consumers.

There are various options for what a company's regional manager can be called:

• regional sales manager;
• regional business development manager;
• regional development manager.

Job responsibilities of a regional manager

1. Studying the characteristics of consumer demand, collecting data on the income level of buyers and competing companies.
2. Working with collected information about the regional market, strategic planning for advertising and promotion of products and services that the company offers.
3. Calculations of funds received from the sale of products.
4. Work to improve regional marketing policy.
5. Planning actions to increase profits in the assigned territory.
6. Establishing connections with new clients and business partners.
7. Attracting new partners and implementing advertising policies in the region through conferences.
8. Monitoring the activities and training of sales representatives.
9. Control of contractual work on topics of finance, economics, and business issues of the company in the region.
10. Providing reports to the company's management on the following indicators: the level of consumer demand for the company's products and services; list of illiquid products; indicators on sales volumes, financial and economic data on the company’s activities in the region.
11. Monitoring the implementation of instructions from senior management.
12. Representation and protection of the organization’s interests in the region.

A regional manager must have certain skills:

• the ability to find and process information;
• the ability to formulate clear and precise instructions for employees and ensure their implementation;
• the ability to predict demand and calculate the effectiveness of projects;
• ability to organize and conduct negotiations, conferences and seminars, persuade and achieve goals.

The profession of regional sales manager today is one of the top 10 most in-demand positions. When searching for the right candidate for a given position, HR professionals face two main problems:

• the applicant has a higher education in the specialty “Enterprise Management”, but has no experience at all in this field, lacks the necessary skills and abilities;
• The applicant has excellent leadership, organizational and analytical skills, a great desire to work as a specialist, but does not have the appropriate education.

In these cases, we are talking about the possible training of a future sales manager. First, it is necessary to determine who exactly will conduct the training. The following options are available:

• send a newcomer to trainings, seminars and conferences;
• invite a specialist on behalf of the company who will train the new manager;
• The training will be conducted by an experienced company employee.

Companies often go to great lengths to prepare a future manager to work on their own. This is the best option because it saves time (training usually takes place in 2 weeks) and financial resources. It also happens that a company is ready to pay for training courses for a future manager.

Why do you need an assistant sales manager and what are his responsibilities?

Positions such as assistant sales specialist or assistant exist in a company to assist the manager in the performance of his duties. As a rule, assistants solve two main tasks:

• control orders;
• “unload” the manager by performing routine work, and thereby allow him to concentrate on solving more important tasks.

Sometimes assistants are not only involved in their own part of the sales process, but also overlap with the responsibilities of sales managers. They are required to have professionalism and knowledge, just like sales managers.

Based on this, requirements are formed for the qualities that employees of trading companies must display: communication skills, enthusiasm, the ability to clearly and clearly formulate their thoughts orally and in writing, rationality, the gift of persuasion, independence, organization, discipline, and determination. Both autonomous and team working skills are preferred.

The Assistant or Assistant Sales Manager performs the following duties.

• Organization and creation of a network for the sale of goods (under the control of a sales manager).
• Collecting information regarding demand for the company’s products, finding out the reasons for its increase or decrease.
• Attracting buyers (wholesale and retail trade enterprises, other intermediaries), establishing business contacts.
• Establishing contacts with clients or a group of clients (on behalf of the sales manager).
• Negotiating with clients on the terms of sale of goods, providing related services.
• Development of documents necessary for signing the contract.
• Concluding contracts (for purchase and sale or supplies) on behalf of the company.
• Organizing the delivery or shipment of products to customers in accordance with concluded contracts.
• Control of payments made by clients under concluded contracts.
• Monitoring compliance with deadlines for fulfilling contract terms.
• Collection of information from consumers:

About wishes for product quality (service life, rules of use, packaging, etc.);

About wishes for after-sales service of products;

On the volume and pace of sales of goods to end consumers.

• Accounting for consumer complaints regarding the execution of concluded contracts.
• Finding out the reasons for violations of contract terms, taking measures to eliminate and prevent them.
• Active participation in events to create demand for products: promotions, presentations, fairs, exhibitions.
• Collection, systematization, inclusion in an electronic data bank of information about consumers.
• Preparation of reports on work performed, as well as analytical reports (on behalf of the sales manager).
• Execution of official assignments of the sales manager in functional areas.

How do company executives see the responsibilities of a sales manager?

Let's consider what job responsibilities of a sales manager are important for the company's management.

What wishes does the director have for the duties of a sales manager? Stable level of product sales without special costs. Directors see such specialists as mini-enterprises that will lay golden eggs for the company. Of course, this is a joke, but there is also some truth in it: every manager dreams of a multifunctional specialist who can not only sell a product, but also conduct market research, optimize the product itself, etc.

What functional responsibilities of a sales manager are important for the head of the sales department? Heads of sales departments most often come from ordinary managers who were more active and better than other salespeople, so they understand well exactly how to work in order to achieve success in this position.

• maintaining a customer database;
• accounting of meetings, calls;
• reports on each sale;
• statistics, graphs, etc.

Based on these parameters, he judges the quality of the manager’s work, as well as how much time the specialist spends working in the office and how long his phone is silent.

For other departments of the company, the organization's salespeople are something secondary, created to satisfy their needs and wishes.

Accounting believes that the responsibilities of the sales manager include maintaining all primary documentation. Manufacturers believe that the main job responsibility of a sales manager is to prepare all technical specifications and find the most optimal solutions to the buyer’s problems and questions.

Lawyers believe that a sales manager should primarily be involved in negotiating contracts with clients.

Marketing needs data about where the client heard about the company, what he thinks about the latest promotion, and therefore they expect the sales manager to obtain exactly this data.

Sales professionals themselves often believe that they occupy a leading role in the enterprise or one of the main ones. They see their main responsibility as communicating with customers, which consists of presenting products that have been created by production, at prices that marketing has agreed upon, using a database that the department head has created, etc.

What competencies must an employee have in order to efficiently perform the duties of a sales manager?

Quality 1. Technical competence

Sometimes sales requires specialized technical knowledge. The manager must not only have excellent information about the company’s product and its scope of application, but also be able to give competent advice to potential buyers, and sometimes offer alternative options. Therefore, it is important for a sales specialist to constantly develop and improve. Large companies regularly conduct technical certifications. To do this, a commission of specialists is created that checks the manager’s level of knowledge about each company product and areas of its use.

Quality 2. Communication competencies

Ability to work and sell to customers at very different job levels. This is a prerequisite for working as a b2b sector manager. The responsibilities of such a specialist also include the process of preparing meetings for managers, planning conversations, which includes goals, stages and tasks. To do this, the sales manager always needs to carefully analyze data about the customer himself and his needs, wishes and preferences.

Quality 3. Office management competencies

Today, the sales process most often begins and ends with the email correspondence stage. Developing and distributing a commercial proposal, contacting debtors - all this requires a responsible approach to one’s responsibilities.

Quality 4. Legal competencies

The responsibilities of a sales manager include working with contracts and agreeing on terms and conditions with the client. Almost every company has its own sample contracts. It happens that the client wants to change something in the contract or draw up his own. In this case, the manager prepares a protocol of disagreements and coordinates it with the head of the department.

The contract is signed by the manager indicating his initials, which indicates that he takes responsibility for the transaction and the fulfillment of all agreed conditions. This specialist must be legally savvy to perform competent and high-quality work.

Quality 5. Accounting competencies

An experienced and professional seller himself monitors all the documentation accompanying the sales process: from invoices to shipping documents and reconciliation reports. If these documents are prepared using electronic programs, the manager must have primary knowledge in the field of accounting.

Expert opinion

When working over a large territory, logistics competencies are important for a sales manager

Andrey Nechaev,

Commercial Director, ATI Plant, St. Petersburg

The basics of logistics are necessary, especially where the sales area is large. Considering that our clients are located throughout Russia, logistics seriously affects the selling price of the product. In our company, transport costs should not exceed 5–10% of the order value. The responsibilities of the sales manager include independently determining the type of transport for shipment, depending on the delivery time and client preferences. Shipments of small shipments (up to 5 tons of cargo) are handled by the sellers themselves.

If we are talking about larger and larger orders delivered by road or rail container, the sales manager contacts the transport and warehousing service. Logistics specialists monitor the quality of delivered goods, conduct practical training for sellers, during which sales managers are introduced to the logistics system and its features (how delivery is calculated, how the mode of transport is selected, what the shipping schemes are), pricing policy, etc. d.

Expert opinion

Competency assessment is the best method for assessing a manager's abilities

Yuri Bogopolsky,

Vice-President of the National Association of Highly Qualified Top Managers - Management Experts, St. Petersburg

Finding a professional top manager is not easy; for this you need to have special skills. The head of the company must remember this and gradually assess the competence and professionalism of the candidate for the post of sales manager. The personal characteristics of the candidate, his communication skills, and ability for business communication are important. In addition to professional qualities and skills, a person’s value system and life guidelines play a significant role.

Competency assessment is the most optimal and convenient way to check the professional level of a top manager. It lies in the questions that are asked to the applicant. They must be thought out in advance and aimed at obtaining an objective result.

The manager must pay attention to precisely those competencies of the future manager that help him apply the acquired knowledge in practice, integrate existing experience into life and work, and successfully cope with the responsibilities assigned to him - this will be the key to the effective and productive activities of the future sales manager .

• Employee development: how to train professionals

What should I remember Sales Manager to perform their duties efficiently

1. There are no unimportant clients and customers.

All clients and customers are equally worthy of respect and attention, regardless of their age, weight, skin color and character.

2. Constant self-improvement.

3. A sales manager must have unique “tricks” in working with clients.

It can be anything: a personally signed card, birthday gifts, invitations to dinners and lunches, joint leisure activities, bonuses and discounts. It is important that your activities as a sales manager differ from others and increase customer loyalty to your company.

4. You need to be able to listen.

It is important to understand that the need to communicate with a pleasant interlocutor who can calmly listen to all your problems and doubts is very high today, and people are willing to pay money for the opportunity to satisfy it, including a sales manager, if he knows how to listen.

5. Self-confidence.

In sales, it is very important to have unshakable faith in yourself and your capabilities. Without this nothing will work. The implementation manager must have an unbending character and perseverance, perseverance and patience.

6. You need to become an expert on the service or product offered.

A manager who wants to preserve his own dignity and individuality will never simply force his product on the buyer. A talented and successful specialist will always be able to creatively approach the performance of his job duties and solve professional problems.

Typical mistakes of sales managers

1. Negative attitude towards life.

It is necessary to do deep and serious inner work in order to learn sincere love for people and an optimistic attitude towards life. You can turn to a psychologist for help or work on your own, but no professional training will teach you this.

2. Internal tightness.

There are no closed and unsociable sales managers. A person with such qualities will definitely not cope with his job responsibilities. It is worth understanding and seeing that the circle of your potential customers is incredibly wide: relatives, neighbors, friends, former colleagues, acquaintances from favorite activities, random fellow travelers.

3. Weak character.

One of the main qualities a sales manager needs is stress resistance. This quality can and should be developed in a variety of ways, such as sports, meditation, and trips to nature.

4. Lack of determination.

A sales manager must be able to show not only persistence in working with intractable clients, but also the ability to find a non-standard approach to such people. The responsibilities of such a specialist require patience and the ability to work long and purposefully with difficult clients.

5. Lack of ambition.

Successful performance of the duties of a sales manager is impossible without the desire to constantly develop and the ambitious desire to become the best.

A practitioner talks about typical sales manager mistakes that hinder sales:

Information about the experts

Maxim Gorbachev, co-owner of Gorstka company, sales trainer and consultant, Moscow. Maxim Gorbachev has two higher educations - legal and psychological. He has accumulated solid experience in the distribution and sales of consumer and industrial goods. Clients include Gazprom, Rostelecom, ABBYY, Siemens Russia, and Sony. Author of a number of books on sales, including “ROLLBACK: A Special Technique of Client Attraction”, “Exploitation of Sales Personnel” (both jointly with D. Tkachenko; M.: Vershina, 2008), “Intelligence Technologies in Sales” (together with D. Tkachenko and A. Khodarev; M.: Vershina, 2008), “How to conduct sales training” (together with D. Tkachenko; M.: Vershina, 2009).

Tatyana Modeeva, General Director of Acsour, St. Petersburg. Scope of activity: accounting services, personnel records management and payroll, consulting on tax and labor legislation. Form of organization: LLC. Territory: head office – in St. Petersburg; branches - in Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Veliky Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Pskov, Smolensk. Number of employees: 165. Annual turnover: USD 3 million. Main clients: GNLD, Tata Steel, Tele2, Woodward.

Alexey Slobodyanyuk, owner and CEO of Astra Group. He graduated from the Chisinau Technical University with specializations in “German Translator” and “Design Engineer”. He also has an MBA diploma in the specialization “Developmental management and patterns of development of organizations” and RANEPA. In active sales since 1998. In this position since 2009. "Astra Group" is a company founded in 2009. Specializes in conducting seminars and trainings on analyzing the activities of companies, forming development strategies, etc. Clients include Sberbank, Gazprom, Beeline, Rosgosstrakh, Hitachi, KROK, Synergy, VTB-24, Home Credit, IMB-Bank, Softline, Simplex and others.

Andrey Nechaev, Commercial Director, ATI Plant, St. Petersburg. Andrey Nechaev graduated from the St. Petersburg Academy of Refrigeration and Food Technologies and the St. Petersburg University of Engineering and Economics. From 1995 to 1997, he held the position of marketing manager at ATI Plant, from 1997 - marketing director, and from 2000 - commercial director. ATI Plant was founded in 1913. Produces brake products, sealing, heat and electrical insulating materials. Staff - more than 500 employees. Clients include: Gazprom, KamAZ, Lukoil, Norilsk Nickel, Russian Railways, Rosneft, Severstal.

Yuri Bogopolsky, Vice-President of the National Association of Highly Qualified Top Managers - Management Experts, St. Petersburg. Consultant on the management of an industrial enterprise - plant, service, workshop, site; on organizing world-class production - World Class Manufacturing (WCM); implementation of lean production (“Lean Production”), lean technologies; manager-practitioner; personal career - to general director of a group of factories; engineer, candidate of economic sciences.

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sales manager(.doc, 86KB)

I. General provisions

1. A sales manager belongs to the category of managers.
2. A sales manager must know:
   1. 2.1. Laws and regulatory legal documents regulating the implementation of entrepreneurial and commercial activities.
   2. 2.2. Market economy, entrepreneurship and the basics of doing business.
   3. 2.3. Market conditions.
   4. 2.4. Assortment, classification, characteristics and purpose of goods.
   5. 2.5. Pricing methods, pricing strategy and tactics.
   6. 2.6. Fundamentals of marketing (the concept of marketing, the fundamentals of marketing management, methods and directions of market research, methods of promoting goods to the market).
   7. 2.7. Patterns of market development and demand for goods.
   8. 2.8. Theory of management, macro- and microeconomics, business administration.
   9. 2.9. Forms and methods of conducting advertising campaigns.
   10. 2.10. The procedure for developing business plans and commercial terms of agreements, agreements, contracts.
   11. 2.11. Psychology and principles of sales.
   12. 2.12. Techniques for motivating customers to make purchases.
   13. 2.13. Ethics of business communication.
   14. 2.14. Rules for establishing business contacts.
   15. 2.15. Fundamentals of sociology, psychology and labor motivation.
   16. 2.16. Foreign language.
   17. 2.17. Enterprise management structure.
   18. 2.18. Methods of information processing using modern technical means of communication and communications, computers.
3. Appointment to the position of sales manager and dismissal from the position is made by order
4. During the absence of the sales manager (business trip, vacation, illness, etc.), his duties are performed by a person appointed in the prescribed manner. This person acquires the corresponding rights and bears responsibility for the improper performance of the duties assigned to him.

II. Job responsibilities

Sales Manager:

1. Develops schemes, forms, methods and technologies for selling goods and promoting goods on the market.
2. Develops and organizes pre-sale activities to create conditions for the systematic sale of goods and meet customer demand for goods.
3. Monitors the development and implementation of business plans and commercial terms of concluded agreements, agreements and contracts, assesses the degree of possible risk.
4. Studies the goods market (analyzes demand and consumption, their motivation and fluctuations, forms of activity of competitors) and its development trends, analyzes market opportunities.
5. Organizes the collection of information about the demand for goods, the reasons for its changes (increase, decrease), analyzes the needs of customers.
6. Identifies the most effective sectors of the goods sales market, develops a set of measures to use the opportunities of the goods market.
7. Develops and ensures the implementation of measures to organize and create a distribution network for goods (development and construction of channels for the movement of goods to consumers; building relationships with wholesale and retail trade enterprises, other intermediaries; development of dealer relations).
8. Identifies potential and promising buyers of goods (wholesale and retail trade enterprises, other intermediaries, etc.) and establishes business contacts.
9. Conducts sales negotiations with customers in the following areas: providing general information about products and their properties; introduction of sales-relevant criteria for evaluating goods; eliminating doubts about the unfavorable properties of goods; informing about the demand for goods and consumer reviews of goods; identifying potential customer needs; etc.
10. Takes part in pricing, works through the psychological aspects of price negotiations, determines methods of justifying prices, determines forms of settlements under contracts (settlements under letters of credit, settlements by checks, collection settlements, settlements on an open account, bank transfers, trade credit, payment orders, etc. ), develops and applies discount schemes depending on various factors.
11. Organizes pre-contractual work (selection of the type of contracts: distribution, purchase and sale, etc.; determination of methods and forms of fulfillment of obligations, development of pre-contractual documentation, reconciliation of disagreements, analysis of buyer documentation, etc.) and concludes contracts (purchase and sale, supplies, etc. ).
12. Manages the organization of work on the delivery or shipment of goods to customers under concluded contracts.
13. Controls payment by customers for goods under concluded contracts.
14. Organizes the collection of information from customers about the requirements for the quality characteristics of goods (service life, rules of use, packaging, etc.), as well as the requirements for after-sales service.
15. Analyzes the reasons for customers sending claims and complaints under concluded contracts.
16. Creates and ensures constant updating of information databases about buyers (organizational and legal forms, addresses, details, telephone numbers, names of managers and leading specialists, financial condition, purchase volumes, sales volumes, timeliness and completeness of fulfillment of obligations, etc.).
17. Maintains contact with regular clients and renegotiates contracts with them.
18. Analyzes sales volumes and prepares reports based on the results of the analysis for presentation to a senior official.
19. Organizes and manages events to create consumer demand for goods, stimulate sales, coordinates certain types of advertising campaigns, ensures the company’s participation in product presentations, fairs and exhibitions.
20. Takes part in solving issues of forming and changing the directions of development of the product range.
21. Recruits and trains sales personnel (sales representatives, sales consultants, merchandisers, sales agents, other employees), assigns tasks to subordinate employees and monitors their implementation.

III. Rights

The sales manager has the right:

1. Independently determine the forms of selling goods and establishing business relationships with customers.
2. Sign and endorse documents within your competence.
3. Get acquainted with the documents defining his rights and responsibilities for his position, criteria for assessing the quality of performance of official duties.
4. Request personally or on behalf of the immediate supervisor from heads of departments of the enterprise and specialists information and documents necessary to perform their job duties.
5. Submit proposals for improvement of work related to the responsibilities provided for in these instructions for consideration by management.
6. Require the management of the trading enterprise to provide organizational and technical conditions and prepare the established documents necessary for the performance of official duties.

IV. Responsibility

The sales manager is responsible for:

1. For improper performance or failure to fulfill one’s job duties as provided for in this job description - within the limits established by the current labor legislation of the Russian Federation.
2. For offenses committed in the course of their activities - within the limits established by the current administrative, criminal and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.
3. For causing material damage to the enterprise - within the limits established by the current labor legislation of the Russian Federation.

1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. A sales manager belongs to the category of specialists.

2. A person with a higher (secondary) professional qualification and work experience in similar positions of at least six months is appointed to the position of sales manager.

3. The sales manager is hired and dismissed by order of the General Director on the recommendation of the commercial director and the head of the wholesale sales department.

4. The sales manager reports directly to the head of the wholesale sales department.

5. In his activities, the sales manager is guided by:

• regulatory documents on the work performed;
• methodological materials relating to relevant issues;
• charter of the Company;
• labor regulations;
• orders and instructions of the commercial director and head of the wholesale sales department;
• this job description.

2. MUST KNOW.

1. Federal laws and regulatory legal documents regulating the implementation of entrepreneurial and commercial activities, including legislation and the legal framework of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, municipalities, etc.

2. Fundamentals of pricing and marketing.

3. Assortment, classification, characteristics and purpose of products sold by the Company.

4. Conditions for storage and transportation of products sold by the Company.

5. Psychology and principles of sales.

6. Current forms of accounting and reporting.

7. Ethics of business communication.

8. Rules for establishing business contacts and conducting telephone conversations.

9. The structure of the commercial service and wholesale sales department.

10. Rules for the operation of computer equipment.

11. Internal labor regulations.

3. FUNCTIONS AND JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

1 Organization and management of sales of the Company’s products:

• searching for potential clients;
• working with first-time clients, with subsequent transfer of the client to the leading sales manager, depending on the client’s territorial affiliation;
• conducting commercial negotiations with clients in the interests of the Firm;
• promptly respond to information received from customers and bring it to the attention of the relevant leading sales manager and head of the wholesale sales department;
• identifying customer needs for products sold by the Company and coordinating the order with the client in accordance with his needs and the availability of assortment at the Company’s warehouse complex;
• motivating clients to work with the Company in accordance with approved sales promotion programs;

2 Planning and analytical work:

• drawing up a monthly sales plan;

• analysis of statistical data on sales and shipments of the Company’s clients;
• providing reports on the results of work in accordance with the work regulations of the department and the Company.

3 Sales support:

• receiving and processing customer orders, preparing the necessary documents related to the shipment of products for the Company’s clients assigned to themselves, as well as for clients assigned to the corresponding leading sales managers when they are away from the office;
• providing information support to clients;
• informing customers about all changes in the assortment, price increases and decreases, promotions to stimulate demand, and the time of product arrival at the warehouse;
• final agreement with the client on the terms of prices, shipment date and method of delivery of products;
• transferring requests for delivery of products to customers to the logistics department;
• participation in the development and implementation of projects related to the activities of the wholesale sales department;
• interaction with the Company’s divisions in order to fulfill assigned tasks;
• participation in workshops;
• maintaining working and reporting documentation.
• Maintaining up-to-date client data in the information system.

4 Test:

• control of product shipments to customers;
• control of the client’s financial discipline based on documents received from the accounting department in wholesale trade and warning about payment deadlines.

4. RIGHTS

1. Raise the issue of increasing wages and paying for overtime work in accordance with the provisions, documents and orders regulating the remuneration system for the Company’s employees.

2. Report to senior management about all identified deficiencies within your competence.

3. Make proposals for improving work related to the responsibilities provided for in this job description.

4. Request personally or on behalf of management from structural divisions and employees reports and documents necessary to fulfill his official duties.

5. Demand that the head of the department provide assistance in the performance of his official duties and rights.

6. Require management to provide organizational and technical conditions and prepare established documents necessary for the performance of official duties.

5. RESPONSIBILITY

1. For failure to perform (improper performance) of one’s official duties as provided for in these instructions, within the limits determined by the current labor legislation of the Russian Federation.

2. For committing an offense in the course of carrying out their activities within the limits determined by the current administrative, criminal and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

3. For causing material damage and damage to the business reputation of the Company within the limits determined by the current labor, criminal and civil legislation of the Russian Federation.

6. REPORTING SYSTEM

1. The sales manager provides the following reports to the following officials of the Company:

2. The sales manager carries out the following operations with documents:

• signs:
• endorses:

3. The Sales Manager receives the following reports from the following officials of the Firm:

7. ADDITIONS AND CHANGES.

Which item has been changed?

New version of the clause

Employee signature

Date of change

Who approved the change

The job description of a sales manager is main document, which determines the order and mechanism of its operation. It reveals the existing requirements for candidates for the position, contains a list of the employee’s immediate job responsibilities, and the functions performed. In addition, employee rights, a knowledge assessment system and basic working conditions are defined.

The general provisions of the job description determine following:

In addition, there is scroll what a specialist should be guided by when performing his duties:

1. The procedure for organizing sales and marketing of the organization’s products.
2. Separate instructions from management, as well as general provisions of the enterprise relating to the management of the sale of goods.
3. Existing labor protection rules, which are common to all organizations operating in the Russian Federation.
4. Directly by points of your job description.

An applicant who is accepted for a position must have such information:

1. The list and content of laws and regulations related to the regulation of issues of marketing and sale of goods and services.
2. Various materials that contain the rules and basic principles of marketing and increasing sales.
3. Basic methods of work carried out both personally by the manager and by employees of his department.
4. Principles of organizing office work, taking into account the specifics of the company’s line of work.
5. Up-to-date information, including that obtained from foreign sources, on sales experience, activity analysis and improving labor efficiency.
6. A system for evaluating the work performed.
7. The procedure and form for submitting reports, the procedure for interaction in the process of the unit’s activities.
8. Labor regulations of the organization.

Functions and job responsibilities

Main functions, which the sales manager must perform, as well as his job responsibilities, according to the instructions, are:

1. Development of methods and technologies for selling goods.
2. Development and improvement of basic product sales schemes within the framework of the organization’s activities.
3. Organization of various events aimed at pre-sale activities, the main purpose of which is to prepare for the start of sales of a new product or cooperation with a new counterparty.
4. Creation of certain conditions to ensure the satisfaction of current demand for certain products.
5. Monitoring compliance with existing business plans that are used in the process of conducting work activities.
6. Compliance with the basic terms of contracts and agreements signed with clients and counterparties, if necessary, making changes bilaterally, which are registered in an additional agreement to the existing one.
7. Studying the market for goods sold by the manager. This function applies not only to the region in which the manager works - during his work, he must use the results of neighboring regions and cities in order to be able to apply any methods and technologies in his activities.
8. Predict sales growth and decline depending on third-party factors and respond accordingly to such changes.
9. Conduct an analysis of the activities of the company's competitors, especially those specializing in sales of similar products and goods.
10. Collect and summarize information that indicates product sales volumes over a certain period of time, fluctuations both upward and downward, and the reasons for such changes. In this regard, making proposals to senior management or taking actions within their competence.
11. Analysis of the main trends in the goods sales market, obtaining basic information regarding the forecast of demand, as well as planned releases of goods and products by competing firms.
12. Analysis of the basic needs of buyers, study of the main factors influencing it, division of statistics into main regions and zones.
13. Development of action plans aimed at carrying out various activities to increase sales of a particular product. This function is performed both to increase sales overall and to prevent a planned drop in interest in the product.
14. Developing measures to increase sales by using the most effective materials and methods, while using the best practices of competitors and other companies whose specific activities are also related to sales.
15. Focus on creating strong connections with large retail chains. Constantly maintaining relationships, holding promotions for regular contractors, the benefits of which benefit both the client and the organization in which the manager works.
16. Building relationships with various wholesale companies, analyzing cooperation opportunities, working out, together with other departments, the possible benefits from signing contracts with such counterparties.
17. Identifying potential clients among existing legal entities and individuals and establishing business contacts with them.
18. Negotiating with clients of any level, since even small retail in a certain quantity brings companies their share of income.
19. Active participation in the development of pricing for clients of various levels. Negotiating with clients in such a way as to extract the maximum benefit for your company in terms of the price of the product, but, at the same time, to ensure the possibility of cooperation on terms more favorable to the client than competitors can offer.
20. Conducting direct negotiations on cooperation. During negotiations, there should be a step-by-step discussion of the following issues: conveying to the client general information on a product or group of products that the organization wants to offer for sale, presenting information about the main advantages of such products, possibly mentioning existing shortcomings, but in such a way that they were truthful, but at the same time did not scare away the counterparty from cooperation. If the client has any doubts about the need to cooperate with the manager’s organization, skillfully manage truthful information in order to convince the client otherwise. Communicating to the consumer the main positive aspects of cooperation in general, what the client can expect in the future.
21. Determining the form of payment that will be used when paying for the delivered goods. In this case, both the wishes of the client and the capabilities of the company itself, of which the sales manager is an employee, are taken into account. In this case, cash payments can be used, non-cash, by checks, by open account, or by bank transfers. Determining the possibility of providing a deferred payment and the main conditions for repaying the debt (after a certain time, upon subsequent delivery, etc.).
22. Development, both within one’s competence and together with other departments, of a system of discounts that are beneficial, first of all, to one’s own company and those that can attract clients to cooperation.
23. Organization of the main work and actions performed that precede the direct signing of the contract with the client. This may include the elaboration of the basic rights and obligations of one and the other party, the determination of methods and forms of fulfillment of obligations, the coordination of existing disagreements on the main points of the agreements. Analysis of documentation provided by counterparties for compliance with the company’s basic standards, requesting additional documents if necessary.
24. Participation in the direct conclusion of contracts with the possibility of subsequent client management and monitoring of compliance by both parties with the points specified in the agreement.
25. Control of contractors entrusted to the manager for timely payment for the delivered goods. If for some reason the counterparty does not pay for the delivery on time, take appropriate measures to eliminate this fact.
26. Organizing the collection of information based on data from the sale of goods, both from clients with whom a cooperation agreement has just been concluded, and from those to whom the supply of goods has been carried out for quite a long time.
27. If necessary, support the shipment of goods to customers, such activity is possible both at the initial stage of cooperation and throughout the entire period of work.
28. Analysis of data on the quality of supplied products, collection and synthesis of information, if necessary, filing a claim with the manufacturer. It is possible to organize the return of goods that, for some reason, cannot be sold and used for their intended purpose.
29. If there are any claims regarding the quality of goods, timely response to information in order to resolve the conflict as much as possible.
30. Analysis and response to those events that impede the increase in demand for products.
31. Monitoring all existing quality indicators on product packaging and rules of use.
32. Providing information to the client on the terms of sale of products, their storage and basic terms of sale.
33. Maintaining constant contacts with existing clients in order to avoid the outflow of counterparties.
34. Creation of various information databases of the company's existing clients. Such data can be presented in tabular form and contain information about the address of the counterparty, basic details, including those that may be contained in payment documents, telephone numbers of managers and employees of the counterparties who can be contacted regarding the resolution of various issues, full name of the manager, leading specialists. In addition, shipments of products to a specific client, statistics on returns, history of current payments, etc. are included here.
35. Renewal of contracts with counterparties if it is impossible to prolong current ones and there is a desire to continue cooperation.
36. Ensuring participation in ongoing events (exhibitions, fairs) to increase the number of customers and increase sales.
37. Participation in advertising campaigns and, if necessary, coordination of activities performed.

The sales manager has the right to following:

1. Obtaining information about internal changes in the company's work that directly affect the employee.
2. Obtaining information about the availability of documents necessary for the manager’s work.
3. Making proposals to senior management to improve the company's operating principles, as well as improve the sales scheme.
4. Requesting personally or through the manager for reporting information regarding contractors managed by the sales manager.
5. Requirement to provide assistance in the performance of job duties.

The manager may be responsible for following:

1. For the consequences of decisions made that were made within one’s own competence without additional approval from management.
2. For failure to fulfill their official duties as defined in these instructions.
3. For violation of any legislative and regulatory acts in the course of their work, even if done to bring their company more profit.
4. For causing material damage to your organization by your actions while performing your official duties.
5. For deterioration of the company's reputation, which led to a decrease in sales or outflow of counterparties.

Reporting system

The applied system of reports on the work done by managers is aimed at monitoring their activities, which can be expressed in direct benefits and exclusively in the work done. In particular, reports may contain such information:

1. Number of days worked.
2. Late.
3. The number of calls made by the manager. Both the overall indicator and those that led to a specific result are indicated.
4. Conducted meetings with current and potential clients, which led to the conclusion of new contracts or an increase in sales volumes.
5. The number of products delivered to contractors managed by a specific manager.

Peculiarities

Let's consider the main features of positions that also relate to the process of selling goods - senior manager And sales development specialist.

The main feature of performing job duties will be general control of all actions which are performed by middle managers.

Perhaps the senior manager will independently oversee some projects and manage large clients.

In general, the procedure for performing work in such a position is determined in accordance with the internal procedures of the company, the size of the sales department, as well as the general structure of both the entire company and a separate division.

A senior manager may be held responsible for the mistakes of his subordinates resulting from a lack of control on his part.

Sales Development Specialist

Job responsibilities of a sales specialist may include: narrower than a sales manager and relate not to specific clients of the company, but to some aspects of the company’s work.

On the other hand, the organization also has the right to independently determine their job responsibilities. These may include conducting separate analytical studies, as well as collecting certain information, summarizing data, etc.

This video provides additional information on creating a job description for a sales manager.