Selling ideas and products. What is a sales manager and how to become one?

Contents:

• Who is a sales manager?
• What they do
• What kind of person is suitable for this position?
• From what professions can you move into sales?
• How much does he earn?
• How to become a sales manager?
• How to develop in sales: the experience of a leading manager at Skillbox

Who is a sales manager?

A sales manager is a person who helps a company sell products or services to customers. They can be involved in "hot" or "cold" sales.

In cold sales, the manager calls the database or searches for clients themselves, establishing contact. In hot sales, they process incoming requests that came to the company. For example, by phone or from the website.

What does

But communicating with the client is not the manager's only task. Sales is a long process. And here's what depends on the manager:

• Attitude towards the brand, establishing contact and product presentation.The audience's attitude is formed long before the conversation with the manager. For example, the buyer often saw the brand on social networks, read a blog or watched an interesting advertisement. However, one conversation with a manager can ruin the entire impression if the specialist is unqualified;
• Identifying needs.At this stage, the sales specialist must find out what problem the buyer wants to solve with the help of the product. To do this, he asks him three types of questions: open, alternative and closed. Sometimes the conversation can change the client's decision. For example, the buyer will choose another product;

• Handling objections.“Expensive,” “Need to think about it,” “I’ll buy it somewhere else” — all these are objections that need to be handled. For example, explain what's included in the price and why the product costs so much;
• Closing the deal.The main goal is the sale. Therefore, the manager must support the client at all stages: from obtaining consent to making payment. It is important to maintain contact with the buyer. For example, call him back at a convenient time or remind him of yourself with a message in a messenger.

What kind of person is suitable for this position

First of all, a person who loves and is not afraid to communicate. Therefore, if since childhood you have been afraid to call a clinic or ask a consultant in a store for help, this profession is unlikely for you. And from communication, all the consequences follow:

• Empathy. An empath is a person who understands the feelings and internal states of other people. Imagine that a person left a request to purchase an expensive smartphone after hours. The sales manager called back the next day, and the buyer had already changed his mind. The manager's task is to understand the reason and thoughts of the client. It is easier to do this if the manager is an empath;
• Stress resistance.Stress resistance is not just a definition from Wikipedia. For a sales manager, this is indignation, and sometimes even rudeness and shouting from the buyer. After all, clients are different and you never know what kind of person you might get. You need to be able to react calmly to stressful situations, reassure the client and maintain professionalism;
• Product knowledge. Imagine that you call a furniture store and want to buy an expensive bed. You inquire about the specifications, but the manager cannot say a word about the product. Then you will go to another store where they will advise you. Without product knowledge, sales are impossible;
• Competent written and oral communication. Did you do well with essays and reports in school? Then you are doing well in writing. And if you also loved retelling literary works, you're priceless in sales.

What professions can you transition from to sales?

Actually, from any. If you love communicating with people and want to try the field, you can come to sales after working as a loader or plumber. But there are related professions from which it's easier to transition to sales:

• Marketer.Promotes goods and services on the market, implements marketing strategies. Knows the product and brings clients to sales managers;
• Realtor.A realtor is the same sales manager who specializes in apartments, houses and other buildings. Like a manager, brings the client to the purchase and receives a percentage of the sale;
• Sales consultant. The difference between a sales consultant and a manager is that their main goal is not sales, but rather consulting with the client and helping them make a choice. The salesperson also communicates with the buyer, telling them about the product and its assortment;
• Entrepreneur. Who, if not the business owner, knows what customers need. An entrepreneur understands how to identify the pain points and needs of customers.

How much does he earn?

In Belarus, almost 3,000 vacancies were found for the search query "sales manager" on Rabota.by.

Salaries start at $500. But as they say in this field, there's no ceiling. However, there is a target that can be exceeded and earn more money. In sales, a lot really depends on the manager. For example, in this company it is possible to earn up to $2,500.

A sales manager can also work remotely. For example, for a Russian company. In Russia, HeadHunter has 23,000 manager vacancies listed as "remote work." T-Bank offers salaries from $800 to $1,500.

How to Become a Sales Manager

Managers get into sales in different ways. Some were invited to work by a friend. Others studied for a long time at university. Choose the path that suits you best:

• Higher education.Suitable for those who want to delve deeper into marketing and management. You can enroll in the BSU Institute of Business, majoring in Management or Marketing;
• Online courses.On courses, you can learn the basics with experienced managers and immediately move on to practice and earning money. This is a middle ground between university and self-education. Because a course does not take as long as higher education. But not as fast as self-education, which allows you to jump straight into practice without experience;
• Self-education.Sales are open to everyone. Small and medium-sized businesses often hire managers without experience. But you'll have to learn and make mistakes yourself. This path takes longer and isn't suitable for everyone.

How to develop in sales: experience of a leading manager at Skillbox

• Help the client. The goal of a sales manager is not to sell a product as quickly as possible, but to help the buyer. For example, to offer another service that is more suitable for the client, even if it is not profitable for the manager;
• Don't be afraid of refusals. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. In life, there can be a hundred situations because of which the client refused to buy. And communication with the manager could play the final role in the deal;
• Consider the recommendations of experienced managers.Listen to the advice of experienced colleagues and change strategies during transactions;
• Use other people's tricks and come up with your own.Don't be afraid to use a colleague's strategy you like. If it works, then you should use it. And don't forget to come up with your own and test them;
• Remember about earnings.After all, the better the manager works, the better the sales and the higher the earnings. Especially if the desire to help the buyer is sincere and comes from the heart.