Who is a sales manager and what do they do? The sales manger is responsible for sales in a big company or organisation. s/he can work in manufacturing or large retail stores.
What are the activities of the sales manager job? Informing clients about new products; providing clients with products; carrying out market research and evaluating the results and drawing up plans for future sales activities, taking account of this data. Depending on the nature of the items to be sold, the sales manager may spend time visiting potential and actual clients and customers to establish their needs and discover how the company’s products could meet those needs, or should be adapted. The sales manager will also be involved in arranging advertising for the products, and may prepare the adverts themselves but will usually liaise with advertising agencies for this. They will also be required to report regularly to the board of the company, either in person or on paper, and will be responsible for managing their own team of sales staff, as well as needing to communicate with other departments, especially production.
Where is it done and under what conditions? Mainly in offices or similar rooms but if need be, s/he will go out to visit clients on their own premises.
What tools/equipment do they use? Information technology, telephone, fax and possibly other office equipment.
What do you need to succeed? It is important for a sales manager to know about marketing and the operation of markets. S/he should have a university degree or at least some form of higher education with marketing as a special subject.