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Top 11 Essential Sales Manager Skills in 2024

Updated on 30 May, 2024

33.58K+ views
13 min read
Essential Sales Manager Skills

A sales manager directly influences the revenue-generating potential of a company. It is common to assume that someone with the highest sales record is most eligible for a sales manager role. However, that is far from the truth.

A sales manager’s role has more to do with the ability to lead, mentor, and motivate a sales team to achieve or exceed an organization’s sales goals. Companies value sales managers who can successfully meet their customer acquisition and revenue growth targets while keeping the business innovative and competitive. 

With that in mind, let’s look at the top 6 skills for sales managers that determine the success of a sales department.

What is a Sales Management Skill

Sales management skills encompass the abilities and expertise required to lead and direct a sales team effectively. These skills include strategic planning, team leadership, performance analysis, customer relationship management, and the ability to motivate and coach sales representatives to achieve and exceed sales targets.

Sales Manager Responsibilities

Before we deep-dive into the Sales manager skills and responsibilities, it is crucial to understand the responsibilities of a sales manager:

  1. A sales manager’s foremost responsibility is to lead the sales department in fulfilling the set sales quotas. 
  2. They are expected to contribute to the growth of the business by using insights and analytics to make data-driven decisions. 
  3. A sales manager is often in charge of selecting his own team. Therefore, recruiting new salespeople by themselves or along with an HR rep is a part of their job description. 
  4. They are responsible for coaching existing and new salespeople and conducting regular performance reviews to help employees enhance their career skills
  5. Sales managers set the sales goals based on a company’s objectives and a sales team’s caliber. 
  6. They plan and execute sales strategies that have the potential to drive business growth.

A typical day in a sales manager’s professional life includes maintaining profitable relationships with their own list of clients as well as directly influencing the success of the sales department by ensuring they hit their daily quotas. A good manager creates a cooperative, peaceful atmosphere for everyone to work in and stay motivated to achieve their goals.

It requires strong communication skills, leadership skills, the ability to plan strategically and analytically, and effective people skills and relationship-building skills to interact with potential clients, customers, and team members on a regular basis. 

Top Most Desired Sales Manager Skills

Let’s explore the skills that determine the success of a sales manager:

1. Ability to Forecast Sales Goals Based on Analytics 

Sales managers need to be able to analyze and review sales data and make actionable decisions based on them to set sales goals. An important part of their job is conducting in-depth research of the market and customers to identify prospects and partnerships. 

This requires strong analytical skills and an ability to draw meaningful and productive conclusions to the benefit of the organization. Such insights are helpful in forecasting and setting sales goals as per the objectives of the company. This also forms the basis of strategizing sales plans which are again to be implemented by the sales manager. 

A sales manager who is good at pipeline management can forecast the revenue their team will generate in a given period.

2. Strategic Thinking and Planning Skills to Implement Sales Plans 

Planning is an essential step in ensuring the growth of a sales department and eventually the scalability of a business. Once sales managers have assembled the necessary data and insights to formulate a plan, they must strategize the course of action that would lead to the realization of the said sales plan. This involves enforcing, tracking, and updating from the beginning till the end to warrant the successful implementation of the plan.

It also involves bringing together the entire team to work towards a common objective to improve workflow management. To do so, a sales manager must know to effectively define the sales goals and document the process for everyone to follow, and provide necessary training and support so that the entire sales team prospers consistently. 

Planning is not a one-time activity. It requires updating with changes in the market and customer requirements. So, an aspiring sales manager must work on developing their analytical and strategic thinking skills to drive business growth. Taking a specialization course in sales management can help you greatly here.

For instance, upGrad’s PG Program in Management, Specialisation in Sales and Digital Marketing is designed for sales executives, managers, and marketing professionals, aspiring or experienced, to provide them relevant industry exposure. The 11-month online program is aimed at developing leadership and management skills, and strategic marketing, sales, and distribution abilities with a focus on business growth. 

3. Ability to Coach, Mentor, and Motivate Salespeople

As a sales manager, it is not relevant how good your sales record is if you can’t positively influence your members’ sales performance. It is imperative for sales managers to possess effective communication and interpersonal skills. 

A sales manager is as much invested in the day-to-day proceedings of an office as he is at tracking the big-picture progress of the organization’s goals. Thus, he/she must have an active role in improving the quality of salespeople’s sales process by soliciting effective coaching, guidance, and support. 

You might partner up with them so they can observe you in the act, or listen in on their conversations with prospective clients to review and provide feedback. Moreover, you can teach them standard business tactics to maximize the success of their presentations and strategies. 

It is also important to keep the team motivated towards their goals by organizing meetings, activities, and team-building exercises that push people beyond their comfort zones. This also involves encouraging transparency and communication to help them acknowledge the challenges and limitations in sales operations.

All of this contributes to greater revenue for the company. 

4. Ability to Delegate Responsibilities

The mark of a successful sales manager is how effectively he utilizes the sales department’s potential to achieve organizational goals. To be able to do this, a sales manager must know when and how to delegate responsibilities so as to enhance the productivity of the company.

A good sales manager doesn’t burden himself with responsibilities that could be delegated, nor does he micromanage his employees to an extent that hampers their natural productivity. 

If a sales manager has trained and mentored his sales department well, his only job now is to track their progress and provide assistance when necessary. 

Read: What does it take for a fresher to get a job in sales?

5. Ability to Lead

To be a sales manager means to lead every step of the way. It indicates creating a healthy atmosphere for everyone involved to progress and prosper. 

A good leader is expected to stay calm under stressful situations and help team members cope with the pressures of the daily grind. Sales managers should be compassionate enough to understand the challenges their employees are facing and help them solve their problems and be stern and authoritative enough to hold them accountable. 

It is a sales manager’s job to encourage amicable relationships between team members and resolve conflicts when necessary. The aim is to motivate and empower team members to excel in their respective spaces with proper guidance and support. 

Leadership skills come in quite handy when interacting with new prospects, initiating partnerships, and closing sales. It involves putting people at ease, building rapport, and putting forth an impression of reliability and trust. 

The incentive to take responsibility and stay committed to achieving goals reflects in the leadership skills of a sales manager. 

The above 5 key skills for sales manager are very important, now lets jump to the other skills.

6. Ability to Communicate

All of the above-mentioned skills fall flat if a sales manager does not possess the necessary communication and interpersonal skills. They should be able to clearly convey the goals, objectives, visions, and strategies so that everyone is aware of their respective role and what they need to do.

To be able to deliver sales information accurately, delegate respective tasks and duties, identify inconsistencies and provide mentorship to improve them, provide support, motivate the sales team with powerful words, and build profitable relationships with clients and customers, a sales manager must have strong communication skills.

7. Ability to use the CRM Systems

One of the most sought-after sales manager skills is the ability to use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. A CMS system assists a company in looking after and enhancing its relationship with various prospects as well as customers. This system is one of the most used management tools that increases the sales of a company that is using it.

The main task of a CMS system is to gather various information like residential addresses, identities, previous purchases, etc of the customers. All these pieces of information are later used by the sales manager to figure out various things like new sales possibilities, the latest sales trends, etc.  This system or software also helps a sales manager in making weekly as well as monthly sales reports.

In this technological era, where modern technologies are replacing the traditional ways of working, a sales manager needs to learn more about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to promote his position.

8. Ability to Hire New Employees

The ability to hire and recruit new employees are key skills for sales manager. This procedure allows a sales manager to hire a well-qualified team that can easily elevate the sales of a company.  While hiring a sales manager must also know the required skills a candidate should possess to be eligible in the sales team.

A sales manager should also know how to interview and set questions for potential candidates who will fit into the team. The qualification for sales executive are also supervised by the sales manager while hiring them.  These skills of sales manager will stand out on his resume.

9. Sufficient Knowledge of the Products

Having sufficient knowledge about the products falls under the top 5 key skills for sales manager. Having better knowledge and information about a product will assist a sales manager or his team in smoothly pitching it to the customers. A good pitching of a product is extremely influential and allows the customers to get a complete notion of it.

Sufficient knowledge of a product can also assist a sales manager in conducting successful sales campaigns or programs with maximum product purchases. Campaigns like this not only boost the purchases of a product but also help to build good customer relationships.

10. Ability to Manage Time Perfectly

The job role of a sales manager is quite tedious and creates time management problems. Therefore, one of the most required skills needed for sales manager is managing time tactfully. This will help them to maximize their productivity along with desired outcomes.

 A sales manager who lacks the art of time management will find it difficult to lead a team and this will hamper the targeted outcomes as well. A sales manager can easily overcome problems relating to time management by setting a strict project deadline for himself as well as for his entire team.

11. Ability to Comprehend as well as Collaborate with the Marketing Team

Sales and Marketing are two interconnected areas that are heavily dependent on each other. Therefore, understanding the marketing field is one of the many skills required for sales manager. Knowledge about marketing and its team helps a sales manager to easily collaborate with them on various new projects.

The marketing team and the sales team together can boost a newly launched product of a company as a result of seamless collaboration. Hence, companies are in dire need of a sales manager who has marketing knowledge and can easily work together in any new project.

Various Technical Skills of Sales Managers

Besides the essential skills, a sales manager must also possess some technical skills. These Technical skills of a sales manager required have been elucidated below:

1. Conflicts Solving Skills

One of the most required skills of sales manager is conflict resolution. This is considered a technical skill that is needed apart from the above-mentioned essential skills. During any sales procedure, there may be various kinds of conflicts like product disputes, delivery issues, and customer care problems which are to be sorted out by a sales manager.

These types of technical issues need to be tactfully handled by an experienced sales manager so that the company can continue working without any hindrance.

2. Ability to find out Customers’ requirements

Figuring out customer’s needs is one of those sales manager skills for resume. A sales manager must know how to study the market trends and the behavior of the customers to figure out their requirements. This procedure helps a company to grow in size and build a good relationship as well as trust with its consumers.

Important Sales Metrics for a Sales Manager

There are 6 sales metrics that a sales manager should follow daily to become more skilled and lead the sales team toward the path of betterment. These metrics help a sales manager to supervise the performance of the entire team and provide feedback simultaneously. These metrics that a sales manager must know are:

  • Sales Prediction

The first sales metric is sales prediction. A sales manager must learn to make sales forecasts so that he can easily predict future sales. A manager can make strategies, activities,  as well as budgets relying upon this prediction

  • Lead Response Time

The lead response time must be short and quick. This time must be ensured and supervised by a sales manager. An efficient manager can easily provide quick responses.

  • High-quality Sources

A sales manager needs to ensure that his team works with high-quality sources. This is usually figured out by studying the market trends and analyzing customer needs with various data.

  • Sales Team Productivity 

A sales manager also needs to make sure that his team’s productivity has increased over time. This can be easily tracked by calculating performance evaluation, income revenues, and expenditures. Besides these, the productivity of a team by be measured by tracking activity levels, conversion rates, and sales rates.

  • Conversion Rates

Conversion rates determine the number of leads that have been transformed into customers. This is a primary duty of a sales manager and therefore he needs to closely follow the conversion rates.

  • Rates of Upsell and Cross-sell

An efficient sales manager should know how to smoothly upsell as well as cross-sell. Upselling is a process where a customer is advised to upgrade a product to its expensive version. While cross-selling encourages a customer to add more products to their initial purchase. These methods increase the sales rate and revenue of a company.

Salary of a Sales Manager

In 2024, the average salary of a sales manager is around USD 70073 per annum. However, the salary may vary due to several factors like company, years of experience, location, industry, nature of work, etc.

Source

Sales Manager Salary Based on Location:

City Salary
Bangalore ₹6.7 Lakhs
New Delhi ₹6.7 Lakhs
Mumbai ₹6.8 Lakhs
Chennai ₹6.5 Lakhs
Gurgaon ₹7.8 Lakhs
Hyderabad ₹6.3 Lakhs
Pune ₹6.4 Lakhs
Noida ₹7.1 Lakhs

Source

Sales Manager Salary Based on Experience:

Experience Salary
2 Year ₹4.4 Lakhs
3 Year ₹4.7 Lakhs
4 Year ₹5 Lakhs
5 Year ₹5.4 Lakhs
6 Year ₹5.8 Lakhs

Source

Sales Manager Salary Based on Industry:

Industry Salary
IT Services & Consulting ₹12.3 Lakhs
Financial Services ₹5.6 Lakhs
Internet ₹7.6 Lakhs
Real Estate ₹7.1 Lakhs
Education & Training ₹7.8 Lakhs

Source

Conclusion

A sales manager’s job comes with a wide range of responsibilities, all of which involve uniting the entire department under them to work productively towards fulfilling company goals. 

If you are just starting out a career in sales, there is a lot you will need to learn to bolster your management skills along the way. Luckily, there are online programs that have made this easier than ever. upGrad’s PG Program in Management, Specialisation in Sales and Digital Marketing is not just confined to imparting in-demand sales skills and hands-on training. It also prepares aspiring young professionals for career advancement opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the hardest skill to learn for a sales manager?

One of the hardest skills for a sales manager is learning about product details. Very few of the sales managers whose resumes have this skill. This is because of the rapid production of new products. To be an efficient sales manager you need to know your products quite well.

2. What are the other soft skills that a sales manager should possess?

Besides the crucial soft skills or essential skills, there are certain other skills that a sales manager should know. Emotional intelligence, writing communication, listening, mental flexibility, etc are a few examples of some other soft skills.

3. Are there any rules that a sales manager must abide by?

There are certain rules that a company wants its sales manager to follow. These rules are: Be transparent, Be consistent , Be relevant , Set goals, Be open to new ideas and opinions.

Did you find this article helpful?

Sriram

Meet Sriram, an SEO executive and blog content marketing whiz. He has a knack for crafting compelling content that not only engages readers but also boosts website traffic and conversions. When he's not busy optimizing websites or brainstorming blog ideas, you can find him lost in fictional books that transport him to magical worlds full of dragons, wizards, and aliens.

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Sales Manager Salary in India in 2024 [List of Factors Affecting Sales Manager Salary]

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Grant Cardone rides a private jet and has more than a billion dollars worth of property. However, do you know how he made that much money? Through sales.  From Banking to IT Services, every industry requires the expertise of sales professionals. The importance of sales managers has increased exponentially in the last few years. If you’re wondering whether sales is the right career option for you or not, you have come to the right place.  This article will tell you about the average salary of a sales manager in India, the top salary in this domain, and how you can get there. Let’s begin! Average Sales Manager Salary in India The average sales manager salary in India is INR 483,175 per year. Beginners in this field earn around INR 2.49 Lakh per year.  The base salary in this field ranges from INR 2.49 lakh to INR 10 lakh per year while bonuses range from INR 10,000 to INR 2 lakh per annum. Due to the unique nature of their role, sales managers find employment work in various industries.  As we mentioned earlier, the role of a sales manager is among the evergreen professions because every industry relies on generating sales for its revenue.  (Source) Sales Manager Job Description Sales managers handle the daily management of sales-related activities and sales executives. They work in all kinds of industries including retail and non-retail ones. It’s possible for a sales manager to have an assistant for helping them with their job.  Sales managers are primarily responsible for implementing their company’s sales activities and programs to meet (or exceed) the determined goals. Every company sets sales-related goals based on its projections and plans for growth. It’s the responsibility of sales managers to help a brand achieve those goals by directing the sales and marketing teams in the right direction. Sales managers are responsible for enhancing their company’s profits while ensuring customer satisfaction. They must look after their subordinates and have to provide them with a stable and comfortable work environment. Sales managers motivate and help team members to reach their sales goals through meetings, directives, and other encouraging practices.  Sales managers conduct meetings with their national or regional sales managers regularly to discuss their progress and further plans via face to face meetings or virtual meetings. Apart from having strong communication and sales skills, a sales manager must have strong leadership and organization skills. As a sales manager, you might also have to mentor or coach new sales managers. Organizations require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree specializing in finance, marketing, business, or a related field. Strong oration and interpersonal skills are a must-have for this role. Sales managers have to stay up to date with the recent trends of their industry to keep up with the competition. Sometimes the job might require them to travel.  Top Sales Manager Salary in India The top salary for sales managers in India is INR 10 Lakh per annum. This pay consists of base salary, shared profits, commission, and bonuses. The shared profits might go up to INR 7 lakh per annum while your shared commission in this sector could go as high as INR 2.5 lakh per annum. That’s not all, you might get promoted to senior and higher-paying roles such as National Sales Manager which earns around INR 18 lakh per annum on average, or Business Development Manager who earns up to INR 20 lakh per annum.  To reach such a high-level salary package, you would need considerable industry experience and skills. Apart from these factors, getting the top sales manager salary in India depends on multiple factors that we have discussed in the next section.  Factors Affecting Sales Manager Salary in India There are plenty of factors affecting sales manager salary in India, such as: 1. Location One of the biggest factors affecting the salary of sales managers in India is the location. Some locations offer less than the national average while some offer higher than average pay. For example, sales managers in Mumbai earn around 44% more than the national average. Similarly, the professionals in Chennai and Pune earn 3% and 2% more than the national average respectively.  On the other hand, sales managers in New Delhi make 50.2% more than the average. Other high-paying locations for this field include Hyderabad where sales managers make 44.9% more than the average. Kolkata offers 31% less than average. Sales managers in Surat, Gujarat earn 26% less than the average as well. So, your location can have a huge impact on how much you earn as a sales manager in India.  2. Skills The second most important factor affecting the sales manager salary in India is their skills. Companies expect candidates to have certain skills for this role such as leadership, persuasion, CRM, and many others.  This role comes with dynamic responsibilities so it’s vital to have the above-mentioned skills. The most beneficial skill to have is Business Development as candidates with this skill reported to earn 42% more than the average. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is another rewarding skill that lets you get 7% more than the average while candidates with the Sales Management skill earn 4% more. Another in-demand skill for sales managers is Strategic Sales and professionals with this skill earn 4% more than the rest. It’s obvious that the more skilled you are, the higher will be your salary package. 3. Experience Probably the most influential factor in determining how much you make as a sales manager in India is the experience you have. Freshers (professionals with less than a year’s experience) in this field earn INR 3.33 lakh per year while professionals with one to four years of experience earn INR 3.89 lakh per annum on average.  As you gain more experience, you can expect to earn substantially more as sales managers with five to nine years of experience reported to make INR 5 lakh per year on average. Experienced sales managers with more than ten years of experience earn a total compensation of INR 6.22 lakh per year on average. Finally, sales managers with 20+ years of experience earn an average pay of INR 9.5 lakh per annum.  You should know that with experience, you might get promoted to senior sales roles and get higher compensation. National Sales Manager, Sales Director, are some of the higher-paying roles that you can only get through gaining experience as a sales manager.  4. Employer Which company you work for can affect your compensation tremendously. Different companies require different skill sets and different pays. For example, WhiteHat Jr. is reported to offer INR 7 Lakh per annum on average to its sales managers whereas HDFC Bank offers INR 6.79 lakh per annum to its sales managers. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance’s salary for sales managers ranges from INR 2.97 lakh per year to INR 10.3 lakh per year. As you can see the pay of this role varies from one employer to another. So, you should keep this in mind while looking for a job.  How to Bag the Top Salary as a Sales Manager in India? While you might not have a lot of control over your location or your experience level, you can certainly gain the necessary skills to bag the role of a Sales Manager with reputed companies.  upGrad’s PG Program in Management, Specialisation in Sales and Digital Marketing is not just confined to imparting in-demand sales skills and hands-on training. It also prepares aspiring young professionals for career advancement opportunities. Conclusion  Sales is a promising career option that’s never going away. As long as businesses continue to function in the industry, the role of a sales manager will be a pivotal part of every company or enterprise. We hope that you found our article useful!
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by Kamal Jacob

11 Feb'21
What is the Sales Executive Job Description? [Skills Required to be a Sales Executive]

899.75K+

What is the Sales Executive Job Description? [Skills Required to be a Sales Executive]

Do you aspire to become a sales executive? Then you’ve come to the right place.  In the following article, we’ll talk about the sales executive job description and understand the career trajectory of this field. You’ll also learn what you should do to kickstart a career in this field most effectively.  Sales Executive Job Description A sales executive is responsible for driving their company’s product or service sales by seeking out prospects and pursuing sales opportunities. They have to generate leads, make sales calls, and update the CRM database.  Sales executives have to meet with new and existing customers of their organisation. A sales executive has to build rapport with customers, pursue leads and close sales. They have to set sales goals and develop strategies to achieve the same.  They are responsible for generating leads and researching prospects. A sales executive has to contact potential and existing customers through email, in person, and on the phone, depending on their industry and organisation’s requirements. For example, a sales executive in the retail sector might meet clients in person, while a sales executive for a digital product might contact them through email more.  They must do thorough research on their industry and their products so they can handle customer questions and inquiries. However, they must also be prepared to handle customer complaints as they interact directly with them and are usually the preferred channel for a customer to contact the company.  A sales executive must prepare and send quotes and proposals. They are also required to manage the sales process through specific sales solutions. Therefore, they must be well-acquainted with sales and CRM software programs.  They have to build and maintain a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) database for their organisation. A sales executive participates in regular meetings and is responsible for meeting the daily, weekly, and monthly sales targets.  They have to participate on behalf of the company in conferences and exhibitions and create frequent reviews with sales and financial data. Sales executives collaborate with team members and ensure they achieve the team’s sales goals.  They have to identify new products and product improvements by staying up to date on industry trends and competition activities.  What are the work hours and conditions for a sales executive?  Usually, a sales executive works in the traditional office hours. However, the job might require them to put in overtime occasionally. Depending on the organisation’s industry, a sales execution would also need to travel frequently to meet prospective clients.  Another reason sales executives have to travel is to attend conferences and exhibitions on behalf of their organisation. They have to attend networking events and establish personal networks by participating in professional societies.  Sales Executive Job Profile: Required Skills  A sales executive must be proficient in multiple domains. They represent their company in various areas, and so companies look for highly skilled and qualified candidates for this role.  Due to this role’s unique nature, soft skills play a vital role in determining the competence of a professional. Without the necessary soft skills, it would be highly challenging for a sales executive to make any professional progress.  The usual sales executive job profile requires the candidate to have the following skills:  1. Communication  Most of a sales executive’s success depends on how they communicate with their prospects, existing clients, and team members. Hence, having strong communication skills is vital for any sales executive. This also includes interpersonal skills that determine how well a person behaves with different people.  2. Presentation  Sales executives should know how to present their ideas and pitch their products (or services) effectively. Presentation skills matter a lot for this role because a sales pitch can make or break a prospect. Good presentation skills help them pitch their products to prospective clients and maximise their chances of generating more sales.  3. Teamwork  In most cases, sales executives work in teams. They work together to achieve the organisation’s daily, weekly, and monthly sales targets. Hence, a sales executive must have strong teamwork skills. They should know how to motivate their team, collaborate with them on projects, and maintain sportsmanship in the workplace.  5. Research  A sales executive must know how to conduct proper research. They have to stay on top of the latest industry trends and keep a close eye on what their competitors are doing. Due to these reasons, strong research skills are vital for this role.  Read: What does it take for a fresher to get a job in sales? How to Become a Sales Executive? The role of a sales executive is quite a challenging one. They have to meet with new prospects, generate leads, pursue existing leads, and achieve their organisation’s sales target.  This role also requires a professional to develop multiple soft skills, including communication and teamwork. Learning and developing these skills all at once can be rather tricky.  Moreover, developing soft skills takes additional effort. You need proper guidance and strategy to learn these skills and become a proficient sales executive. The best way to go about this process is by getting a course on the subject. Taking a course will help you learn the necessary concepts and skills quickly and efficiently. It will give you a structured curriculum so you can plan your studies properly and ensure that you learn everything step-by-step.  Completing a course in sales will also help you stand out among your peers and make it easier for you to climb the corporate ladder. Companies prefer qualified candidates for senior roles, and as a certified professional, you’d become a preferred choice for them.  At upGrad, we offer a Job Oriented PG Certification in Sales. It’s an excellent program for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in sales.  More about our program  Our Job-linked PG Certification in Sales is a 6-month program and comes with placement assistance within the program duration. We have created this program for recent graduates and freshers who want to learn in-demand sales skills and strategies.  The program teaches you all the necessary sales skills and subjects: Interpersonal and Communication skills Prospecting the lead Account Management Structured Thinking and Problem solving Lead Generation Adaptability to Change Behavioural Management Productivity Management Teamwork and Leadership After completing this program, you can apply for sales roles in various industries such as FMCG, Edutech, Fintech, etc. The course only requires you to be a graduate in any discipline to be eligible to apply.  The program offers 160+ hours of learning through live sessions, videos, lectures, and assignments. There will also be dedicated soft-skill training sessions.  During the program, you’d have a dedicated mentor help you resolve doubts and learn the various subjects efficiently. You’ll have the option to learn industry-specific jargon depending on your career plans and aspirations.  The course also offers mock trials where you gain experience of how to perform during work and interviews.  Conclusion Sales executives are the backbone of a company. They drive growth and are responsible for generating revenue for their organisation by achieving sales targets.  They work in teams, contact prospective clients, follow up on existing leads, and represent their company in professional events. Certainly, their role requires a lot of effort and dedication. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a sales executive, we recommend taking the course we mentioned in the previous section. You can learn more about it here: Job-linked PG Certification in Sales.
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8 Crucial Skills Required to Become a Sales Manager in 2024

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8 Crucial Skills Required to Become a Sales Manager in 2024

So you want to pursue a career in sales? To bag a role in sales, you’ll need to develop the right skills. Without the necessary skills, it would be challenging to survive in the cut-throat competition dominating the sales world.  On the other hand, if you have the right skill set, working as a sales professional would be akin to cutting butter with a hot knife. The following list of skills for a sales manager will help you understand which skills you must develop to get ahead in this sector.  Top Skills for Sales Manager Enhancing your sales skills can do wonders for your career. Generating leads, pursuing them, and closing them takes a lot of effort and expertise. Following are the most important skills for sales professionals: 1. Planning  Planning abilities are crucial to a sales professional’s success. Good planning abilities would help you create realistic plans for achieving your sales targets that consider all the possible factors.  Having strong planning skills will also help you manage your time better. You can remain more efficient and, as a leader, keep your team more efficient.  On a macro level, planning would help you lead your team better. Alternatively, on a micro-level, your planning abilities would assist you with every sales prospect.  2. Leadership  Companies are always on the lookout for professionals with strong leadership skills. You should know how to take command of situations and lead your team towards success.  Developing robust leadership skills takes a bit of an effort, but it’s certainly worth it. Leadership skills consist of a wide array of related skills such as teamwork, communication, coaching, etc.  To develop strong leadership skills, you can start by helping your subordinates in succeeding. Also, you can strive to lead by example like Elon Musk and be a motivation for your fellow team members.  Read: Sales Manager Salary in India 3. Training and Coaching  This is one of the most important sales management skills for quickly climbing the corporate ladder. As you’ll gain more experience as a sales professional, your organisation would entrust you with training more sales executives.  Whether you’re a senior sales executive or a sales manager, you should know how to train other team members. Not only will it make your job easier as a leader, but it will also help you stand out as a valued member of your organisation.  4. Communication  Sales roles require you to communicate a lot. You’ll be communicating with your team members, with your leaders, with your clients, and with your prospects. Effective communication is key to closing sales deals.  Good communication skills help you become more persuasive and convincing. With their help, you can easily enhance the success rate of your sales efforts and convert more prospects into actual sales. It would also help you with handling difficult situations such as a dissatisfied customer or a distressed subordinate.  5. Organisational Abilities A sales professional has to handle a lot of responsibilities. As a sales manager, you’ll have to manage your leads, look after your team, track your progress, follow up on existing leads, and perform a plethora of other tasks. To ensure that you perform all of your duties correctly and on time, you must have strong organisational skills. You should know how to organise your tasks and manoeuvre through them.  Learn how to prioritise your tasks and determine which skills you should do first. Make sure that you maintain control over how you spend your time. When you’re working with a team, effective organisational skills will ensure that you manage their tasks properly.  6. Problem-solving  Sales is a bumpy road because every sales prospect comes with unique challenges. Maybe one prospect requires a lot more research than you expected? Maybe a lead didn’t react to your cold email as you expected?  To be able to overcome such challenges, you should have good problem-solving skills. This means you should focus on developing your critical thinking abilities. You should know how to analyse the different aspects of a situation and predict the outcomes of different actions.  You can enhance your problem-solving abilities by trying to actively solve small problems you face in your daily life.  Related Read: Must have skills at different stages of a sales career 7. Research One of the most important aspects of sales is research. With proper research on hand, you can enhance your success rate substantially.  For example, if you know the particular likes and dislikes of a prospect, you can easily use that information in your sales pitch. However, apart from researching prospective clients, you will also have to conduct regular research on your competition and market. Sales managers have to stay up to date with the latest industry trends. You must know what’s going on in the market, or you’ll lag behind your competitors. Competitive research is a vital aspect of the sales process.  8. Emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence means one’s ability to read human emotions. You should know how to know which emotion a particular person is feeling by recognising their body language and behaviour.  Strong emotional intelligence is a must-have for leadership professionals. Moreover, it will also help you with prospecting your leads and closing the sales. You can work on enhancing your emotional intelligence abilities by practising self-awareness.  Start with studying your behaviour and see how you behave while feeling specific emotions. Then, you can start identifying these behaviours in other people and strengthen your emotional intelligence.  How to Acquire the Requisite Sales Management Skills? Sales is a broad field and require you to develop numerous skills to succeed. Developing all of these skills by yourself can be very difficult.  The best way to develop these skills is by taking a course in sales. A sales course will help you get guidance from a mentor and learn these skills step-by-step in a well-structured order.  At upGrad, we offer a Job-linked PG Certification in Sales program. The program lasts for six months and teaches you all the necessary skills for becoming a successful sales manager.  As it’s a job-linked program, you will get your first interview opportunity from the third week of the program. We offer full-fledged placement assistance and support with this program to help you kickstart your sales career easily.  Some of the essential skills you will learn in this program are:  Interpersonal and communication skills Productivity management Lead generating Prospecting the lead Adaptability to change Business growth and marketing strategies Account management Thinking and problem solving After completing this program, you can pursue job opportunities in many lucrative industries such as Fintech, Edutech, BFSI, FMCG, and many others. You only need to be a graduate in any discipline to be eligible for this program.  This course offers you 160+ hours of learning and a dedicated mentor to help you learn every concept smoothly and efficiently. You will receive hands-on training and networking opportunities with this course.  Conclusion As you can see, sales managers must possess a versatile set of skills. Like most competitive roles, sales professionals must strive to stay on top of the industry trends and enhance their skills through continual upskilling. 
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Highest Paying Sales Jobs in India in 2024 [Average to Highest]

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Highest Paying Sales Jobs in India in 2024 [Average to Highest]

A sales professional’s job typically focuses on dealing with or convincing a client to purchase a product or service. To do so, they explore various territories to identify leads, provide potential clients information on the value of a product or service, answer critical questions, and explain the multiple advantages of a product, to turn a lead into a customer. Sales representatives require exceptional analytical thinking abilities and persuasive skills to excel at their jobs. Some of the highest-paying sales jobs require leadership traits as an essential skill because it determines their ability to lead sales representative teams towards achieving organisational goals. There are various sales positions, but the ultimate aim of the job is to secure sales that will ensure a company’s profit and progress.  One of the main reasons why sales jobs are highly sought after is because they offer an unmatched earning potential. Since the salaries of sales representatives primarily depend on commissions they make from sales, and most companies have no cap on end salaries, sales professionals are among the highest-paid employees in India. From real estate to automobiles, sales representatives work in a fast-paced, highly competitive environment to attract lucrative incomes.  This article will discuss the top 10 highest paying sales jobs and take a look at their primary duties. What are Sales Jobs?  Sales jobs mainly depend on what services or products you are selling and the audience you are targeting. You could be selling anything from a software solution to solving the problems of a company.  To put it simply, the plan behind making a sale is to identify your clients’ needs and convince them that the product or service you are selling is the solution they require.  Their main responsibilities are to set sales goals and objectives and determine the most ingenious ways to achieve them. Sales professionals tend to analyse the company’s reports and surveys and prepare budgets to determine the sales price and terms. They meet other departments’ heads to assign sales territories and highlight goods and services to focus on. Typically, sales representatives spend many years in the role before they are promoted to management positions. Ideally, sales managers are the conductors of the company’s income engine. One of the significant roles of a sales executive or manager is to manage his subordinates. These professionals interview candidates and eventually hire them based on their skills.  When it comes to generating revenue and meeting customer needs, sales executives create and nurture high-performance sales teams. Therefore, besides evaluating workers regularly, they also encourage them by providing excellent incentives and promotions. Top 10 Highest Paying Sales Jobs in India 1. Realtor/Real Estate Agent A realtor works in the real estate industry, representing buyers, sellers, or both. Additionally, they handle everything from marketing to closing the paperwork. Even though there is no need for any specific degree, one needs to pass a licensing exam in the state to become a real estate agent.  The average base salary of a realtor is Rs 307,226 per year. The realtor’s main source of income is the commission earned from both parties, so their annual salaries are relatively high. A real estate agent with a minimum of 5 years of experience can earn a base salary of ₹950,000 per year. 2. Medical Device Sales Representative These representatives tend to sell medical equipment to doctors, surgeons, and other medical professionals. From headings presentations to visiting hospitals or doctors’ offices to achieve their sales goals, medical device sales representatives have many responsibilities, all of which require excellent communication and interpersonal skills. These representatives don’t need to come from a medical background. However, they must hold a bachelor’s degree besides having an in-depth understanding of the medical implications of the devices they sell. The average salary for a medical device sales representative starts from Rs 257,821 per year. Like other sales jobs, medical device sales representatives also derive a large chunk of their salaries from commissions. 3. Sales Engineer A sales engineer holds a unique role in hybrid sales, engineering, science, and technology – they assume multiple roles on the job. But to bag this role, one must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in engineering. It is crucial to have in-depth knowledge of various mechanical, science, and engineering concepts. The average salary of a sales engineer starts from Rs 311,529 per year. A sales engineer’s annual income is the resultant sum of the base salary, commission, and bonuses. 4. Insurance Sales Agent However, their annual salary is based mainly on commissions they receive from insurance sales. An insurance sales agent provides customers with information on different kinds of insurance and helps them select a policy best suited to their requirements. It is an entry-level position and doesn’t require any educational qualification to succeed. As an insurance sales agent, you work in different sectors selling life, automobile, renters, or household insurances.  The average base salary of an insurance sales agent is Rs 274551 per year. If insurance sales interests you, you can pursue an 8-month PG Certification in Life Insurance to land a job with a starting salary of Rs 2.2 – Rs 2.4 lakh per annum.  5. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative These representatives tend to visit doctors, hospitals, and other medical institutions in a given geographical location to drive higher prescriptions for the drugs they are representing.  If you want to break into the pharmaceutical sales jobs industry, you must get a degree from a top-tier school with a high GPA.  The salary of a pharmaceutical sales representative starts from ₹519,866 per year. 6. Enterprise Sales/Account Executive Enterprise sales executives work in B2B sales and are responsible for selling products/services and managing an organisation’s most important customers. An MBA degree can help you get your foot in the door, but it requires experience to attain a sales position at the enterprise level. An enterprise sales executive’s job responsibilities are much bigger than sales representatives at lower levels because they are in charge of the clients who typically make the largest purchases. Due to this, the earning potential of account executives is also higher. The average salary for an account executive is Rs 1,987k per year. 7. Software Sales Representative These professionals are responsible for selling a companies’ software to different businesses and entrepreneurs. No specific degree is required here, but one must be tech-savvy enough to understand and explain the technology they are pushing. The salary of a software sales representative starts from Rs 784,153 per year.  8. Principal Gifts Officer They work to drive charitable giving for nonprofits and focus mainly on individuals instead of institutions’ grants. To work as a principal gifts officer, one needs to hold experience in fundraising for a nonprofit organisation. Their jobs also include planning, directing, and coordinating awareness programs to uphold their clients’ favourable image in public. They also indulge in raising funds and soliciting special projects that increase the awareness of an organisation. The average salary for a principal gift officer is Rs 11,43,085 per year. Read: Highest Paying Jobs in India 9. Consumer Packaged Goods/Wholesale Director A CPG sales director’s job is not restricted to selling packaged goods; they are also deeply involved in a company’s core business operations. They emulate a brand manager in many ways for a company dealing with toys, grocery, beverages, and other packaged goods. They maintain a network of buyers in the consumer market by developing profitable relationships and continuously attracting more contacts.  The average salary of a Consumer Goods/Wholesale professional is Rs 935,921 per year. 10. Account Manager Their job responsibilities are a combination of sales and customer support. They have a specific clientele who they provide their services regarding the products and services they sell. They must develop profitable relationships with customers and keep business persons and stakeholders to drive sales for an organisation. On the customer support end, they are answerable to customers when it comes to queries. Through this, they also identify potential opportunities that can help an organisation prosper.  An account manager earns an average compensation of ₹585986 per year. They earn lucrative salaries even at the entry-level, and with experience, can command much higher salaries.  How to Land the Highest Paying Sales Jobs? A career in sales can promise a plethora of opportunities and financial potential. Still, it is not everyone’s cup of tea to nail the position, as the field requires a specific skill set to be successful. You may not necessarily need an outgoing and extroverted personality. Solid interpersonal skills are crucial to succeeding at sales. You need to be able to connect with customers and be fantastic listeners to understand their requirements and provide apt solutions. There is plenty of rejection in sales. However, every no should be seen as a learning opportunity that can get you closer to a yes.  Here are the top skills every that determine the success of a sales executive: Product knowledge: Successful sales executives need to have as much product knowledge as possible. They must be able to effectively communicate the value the product offers to a business and explain the mechanism that drives it. This skill can be mastered after studying a company’s products extensively through product marketing collateral, training courses, and consulting other marketing experts. Thorough knowledge will help you develop an effective sales pitch. Strategic prospecting skills: Strategic prospecting starts with searching for referrals from existing connections to new prospects that align with the ideal customer profile. Sales representatives can also request referrals from current customers or look for investor portfolios for new opportunities or leads. It also means conducting thorough research on the market and competitors to identify what sales strategies are likely to be effective. Communication skills and persuasive powers: Communication plays a crucial role for sales executives because a large part of their job revolves around engaging with an organisation’s most important clients and pitching products to them. Being able to communicate a product’s details in a manner that clients understand will determine the effectiveness of your communication skills. Further, convincing them to buy the products you are offering is an indication of persuasive powers.  Rapport-building skills: As sales representatives, you must work on building a rapport with your clients. This can help develop a professional network of clients and contacts who can direct you to other prospective customers and advance your career ahead.  Time management: Sales representatives are required to work on several tasks during the course of a day. From identifying leads to strategic planning, pursuing leads, and cold calling, they should manage their time efficiently to deliver the best results. This also includes good organisational skills if you handle a large number of accounts. In this manner, you can effectively attend to all your clients and customers and provide solutions while keeping stress at bay.  Confidence: Making a successful pitch is hinged on confidence, be it a cosmetic product or a complex motherboard. Adequate knowledge of the products you represent and an effective strategy can help you become confident and allow you to deliver to the nest of your capacity.  Leadership skills: Leadership skills tend to go hand in hand with interpersonal skills, and when you know how to motivate your fellow members, you can achieve your goals efficiently. Developing leadership skills also allows you to target higher profiles and managerial roles.    Conclusion  If you are looking to build a career in sales, you can start with a PG Certification Course in Sales from upGrad that is designed for young aspirants with a bachelor’s degree in any field. The 6-month program is focused on imparting strong interpersonal & communication skills, structured thinking and problem-solving skills, and lead generation abilities.  If you are just starting out a career in sales, there is a lot you will need to learn to bolster your management skills along the way. Luckily, there are online programs that have made this easier than ever. upGrad’s PG Program in Management, Specialisation in Sales and Digital Marketing is not just confined to imparting in-demand sales skills and hands-on training. It also prepares aspiring young professionals for career advancement opportunities.
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by Dilip Guru

26 May'22
Sales Executive Salary in India in 2024

899.5K+

Sales Executive Salary in India in 2024

Sales Executive is a challenging yet interesting job profile with a significant role to play in the company, driving sales of the products and services offered. They use various tactics and strategies to boost sales and contribute to the business. Working under a sales manager’s guidance, a sales executive identifies and pursues prospects and leads to increase company sales.  A sales executive is the direct representative of the company.  Being the front face of the sales department, sales executives are adept with persuasive skills and well-versed with the company’s ideologies to be tenable in conveying the right message across to prospective buyers. The charge of a sales executive starts right from discovering new leads to negotiating the deal and converting sales while ensuring customer satisfaction post-sales. Building a rapport with the patrons being one of the key roles to increase the size of the sales funnel. Communication and interpersonal skills contribute highly to the role of a sales executive.  Any organization expects its sales executives to be self-inspired, aspiring individuals with exceptional demonstrative capabilities. Furthermore, they are always on the lookout for a personality that inspires, motivates and influences the audience for sustainable growth, and they often try to find one in their sales team. What Do Sales Executives Actually Do? Sales executives build business for their company by discovering prospective buyers and initiating a relationship with them through introducing the company, the product or service or strike a chord to the prospect about their unfulfilled need. A sales executive’s core job is to contribute to the revenue generation of a company, and there can be different ways and means to accomplish this goal. Below are some roles and responsibilities of a sales executive as per the expectations of a company or organization.  Identification of Prospects and Analyzing Sales Options A sales executive discovers new prospects and analyses the scope of sale conversion. Prior experience, insight and knowledge of sales personnel help them identify the right prospects and deliver a correct analysis about scope and capacity.  Sales Gap Analysis  Sales gap analysis is basically a tool for assessing the business holdings of a company and target volume that needs to be chased. This involves identifying the difference between business performance and requirements. This is the initial step for setting the sales target and finding ways to fulfil the targets.  Customer Relationship Management Approaching the prospect, identifying their need, and recommending solutions/product/service to meet the customer requirements – all fall under the customer relationship management umbrella. As a sales executive, you need to build a rapport with the prospect to ensure you can convince them to make a purchase.  This also includes informing, supporting, and guiding the clients and prospective buyers through the buying process. In most jobs, CRM is extended post-sales too.  Negotiation The sales executive negotiates with the prospect until the sale is converted, keeping the ultimate goal in mind, i.e., to close the deal. Usually, sales executives are equipped with a certain level of liberty by offering attractive deals to tenacious customers to ensure a lead is not lost.  Sales Analysis and Reporting  Sales analysis, forecasting and reporting all equally contribute to the advantageous use of data for better insights for sales & marketing. A competent sales executive studies the data meticulously to develop his own sales analysis, forecasting and reporting. This helps in strategy designing for marketing as well as product improvement.  Supply Chain Management  Although inventory and logistics are not the responsibility of a sales executive, circumspectly tracking these makes the supply chain management process seamless and also helps the sales executives in updating the client about the deliveries.  Contribute to R&D Be it a new, existing or related product, a sales executive who has been in the field actually as well as virtually is in a better position to raise requirements and suggest changes. By contributing to the research and development, a sales executive conveys the feedback of the customers.  What are the Skills and Qualification Requirements to Become a Sales Executive? To bag a post of a sales executive in a reputed company and to do justice to your job profile, you will need Graduation or Post Graduation Degree preferably with Marketing-Sales or Business Administration as subjects. Although the educational qualification for this job is not stringent and may vary between different industries and companies, the concentration remains on sales strategy, skills and experience. However, candidates with business administration and marketing background are always preferred over candidates from non-related fields. Gaining experience in sales isn’t a challenging task. Once you have 3-5 years of work experience in sales and marketing and a good performance record, getting a job as a sales executive in a reputed company becomes a realistic goal.  Be it soft skills or technical proficiencies, sales executive salary in India is determined by the aptitude and competence of a candidate. Consequently, having the below-mentioned skills and abilities contribute highly to not only getting employed but also negotiating for a respectable salary.   Selling Ability and Desire  Motivation and Persuasion Skills Creativity, Positivity and Confidence Determination, Energy Level and Attention to Detail Client Relationship Management and Customer Service Skills Excellent Communication Skills Resilience, Self Motivation and Competitiveness  Strong Numeracy and Ability to Reason Structured Thinking and Troubleshooting Lead Generation and Prospecting Adaptability, Leadership and Teamwork  Why Do you want a Career in Sales? You are made for a career in sales if you find yourself self-motivated to work in a challenging yet rewarding environment, bound by numeracy, logic and skill to convert sales. It is a way to exploit your potential with a continuous learning opportunity and boost your professional value.  Opportunity For Go-Getters Many professionals are ardent about performance-driven career options where your every effort is recognized and rewarded. Sales is one such field of work where an individual works without measure to find their own path and professionally escalate limitlessly. Be it the corporate ladder you climb or the instant gratification in the form of bonuses and commissions – sales is a lucrative career option.  Exhilarating Battlefield It is a highly exhilarating workplace where each sale counts tremendously. This gives rise to aggressive competition among sales executives from the competition as well as within the organization. If staying on top and leaving no opportunity untouched stimulates you and gives you an adrenaline rush, you wouldn’t need video games in life as long as you stick to your sales portfolio.  Connect with People  A career in sales lets you connect with people, understand their psychology and connect emotionally. Contrary to the prejudice that salespeople are cold and mean, only motivated to convert sales, this job profile also gives you an opportunity to actually connect with people on a one-to-one basis. When you are offering a product/service you believe in, you not only earn a customer and commission but also a person who trusts you. If this gives you inner peace and fulfilment, you are bound to outshine in sales.  Welcoming Career As long as you have the skill to convert sales and bring business, you are welcomed aboard by all companies. In the sales department, your professional background, qualification, experience, sex, age bracket are all secondary parameters in relation to your expertise to sell. So, if you want a career choice with not a zilch of favouritism, this one is definitely for you! Employment Opportunities for Sales Executive The role of a sales executive is high in demand since almost every sector or domain has a sales department. Companies hire sales executives to multiply their sales and boost revenues. As a sales executive, you can look for a job prospect in the sales department of the following domains:  Finance and Insurance Advertising Retail IT Hospitality Health Care Education Construction Manufacturing Consultancies Import and Export Firms Sales Executive Salary in India on Experience Basis Glassdoor   Sales executive salary at entry-level for a field job starts at around  ₹196,332 per annum, while 2-9 years of experience can fetch you a salary package between ₹226,266- ₹301,184. Since this is a performance-centric job profile, experience, skillset, and performance contribute immensely to the sales executive salary in India. As you clear your sales targets and climb the ladder, your salary increases, and so does your commissions and bonuses. With prior sales experience and a PG certification, you can expect a senior sales executive post with a salary range of ₹239,942 to ₹398,619. These salaries are inclusive of bonuses, commissions, tips and overtime wage. At a senior level post with 10+ years of experience, you can get a total compensation of ₹635,000.  Source Best Job-Oriented Short-Term Course for Aspiring Sales Executives  upGrad’s Job Linked PG Certification in Sales PG certification program designed for young aspirants of sales executive job is well suited for graduates looking for a bright and steady career in sales. This corporate training program with a 6-month duration prepares the young graduates with marketing, networking, sales skills and sales strategy concepts from experienced industry experts and academicians. Live sessions with domain experts, dedicated mentorship and placement assurance during the program; this short-term program is highly advantageous for ambitious candidates.  Become a Certified Sales Professional within six months and learn communication skills, structured thinking and problem solving, productivity and account management, lead generation, marketing strategy building and business growth, leadership and teamwork. All these skills will help you not just in getting a job in a reputed company but also in becoming winning sales professional. Conclusion After reading this, if you think you have it in you to enter the sales field, go ahead and prepare yourself for an adventurous journey ahead. Although the initial learning curve will be challenging, you will learn new things on the job as you gain more experience.  I hope this ultimate guide and comprehensive resource list would help you kick-start your career in sales and marketing and aid you to become a qualified professional and a significant player in your domain. Learning never stops. So, make it a part of your personality and always have an open mind to learn and adopt new ideas and knowledge.
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by Dilip Guru

30 Jul'22
Top 11 Essential Sales Manager Skills in 2024

33.11K+

Top 11 Essential Sales Manager Skills in 2024

A sales manager directly influences the revenue-generating potential of a company. It is common to assume that someone with the highest sales record is most eligible for a sales manager role. However, that is far from the truth.  A sales manager’s role has more to do with the ability to lead, mentor, and motivate a sales team to achieve or exceed an organization’s sales goals. Companies value sales managers who can successfully meet their customer acquisition and revenue growth targets while keeping the business innovative and competitive.  With that in mind, let’s look at the top 6 skills for sales managers that determine the success of a sales department. What is a Sales Management Skill Sales management skills encompass the abilities and expertise required to lead and direct a sales team effectively. These skills include strategic planning, team leadership, performance analysis, customer relationship management, and the ability to motivate and coach sales representatives to achieve and exceed sales targets. Sales Manager Responsibilities Before we deep-dive into the Sales manager skills and responsibilities, it is crucial to understand the responsibilities of a sales manager: A sales manager’s foremost responsibility is to lead the sales department in fulfilling the set sales quotas.  They are expected to contribute to the growth of the business by using insights and analytics to make data-driven decisions.  A sales manager is often in charge of selecting his own team. Therefore, recruiting new salespeople by themselves or along with an HR rep is a part of their job description.  They are responsible for coaching existing and new salespeople and conducting regular performance reviews to help employees enhance their career skills.  Sales managers set the sales goals based on a company’s objectives and a sales team’s caliber.  They plan and execute sales strategies that have the potential to drive business growth. A typical day in a sales manager’s professional life includes maintaining profitable relationships with their own list of clients as well as directly influencing the success of the sales department by ensuring they hit their daily quotas. A good manager creates a cooperative, peaceful atmosphere for everyone to work in and stay motivated to achieve their goals. It requires strong communication skills, leadership skills, the ability to plan strategically and analytically, and effective people skills and relationship-building skills to interact with potential clients, customers, and team members on a regular basis.  Top Most Desired Sales Manager Skills Let’s explore the skills that determine the success of a sales manager: 1. Ability to Forecast Sales Goals Based on Analytics  Sales managers need to be able to analyze and review sales data and make actionable decisions based on them to set sales goals. An important part of their job is conducting in-depth research of the market and customers to identify prospects and partnerships.  This requires strong analytical skills and an ability to draw meaningful and productive conclusions to the benefit of the organization. Such insights are helpful in forecasting and setting sales goals as per the objectives of the company. This also forms the basis of strategizing sales plans which are again to be implemented by the sales manager.  A sales manager who is good at pipeline management can forecast the revenue their team will generate in a given period. 2. Strategic Thinking and Planning Skills to Implement Sales Plans  Planning is an essential step in ensuring the growth of a sales department and eventually the scalability of a business. Once sales managers have assembled the necessary data and insights to formulate a plan, they must strategize the course of action that would lead to the realization of the said sales plan. This involves enforcing, tracking, and updating from the beginning till the end to warrant the successful implementation of the plan. It also involves bringing together the entire team to work towards a common objective to improve workflow management. To do so, a sales manager must know to effectively define the sales goals and document the process for everyone to follow, and provide necessary training and support so that the entire sales team prospers consistently.  Planning is not a one-time activity. It requires updating with changes in the market and customer requirements. So, an aspiring sales manager must work on developing their analytical and strategic thinking skills to drive business growth. Taking a specialization course in sales management can help you greatly here. For instance, upGrad’s PG Program in Management, Specialisation in Sales and Digital Marketing is designed for sales executives, managers, and marketing professionals, aspiring or experienced, to provide them relevant industry exposure. The 11-month online program is aimed at developing leadership and management skills, and strategic marketing, sales, and distribution abilities with a focus on business growth.  3. Ability to Coach, Mentor, and Motivate Salespeople  As a sales manager, it is not relevant how good your sales record is if you can’t positively influence your members’ sales performance. It is imperative for sales managers to possess effective communication and interpersonal skills.  A sales manager is as much invested in the day-to-day proceedings of an office as he is at tracking the big-picture progress of the organization’s goals. Thus, he/she must have an active role in improving the quality of salespeople’s sales process by soliciting effective coaching, guidance, and support.  You might partner up with them so they can observe you in the act, or listen in on their conversations with prospective clients to review and provide feedback. Moreover, you can teach them standard business tactics to maximize the success of their presentations and strategies.  It is also important to keep the team motivated towards their goals by organizing meetings, activities, and team-building exercises that push people beyond their comfort zones. This also involves encouraging transparency and communication to help them acknowledge the challenges and limitations in sales operations. All of this contributes to greater revenue for the company.  4. Ability to Delegate Responsibilities The mark of a successful sales manager is how effectively he utilizes the sales department’s potential to achieve organizational goals. To be able to do this, a sales manager must know when and how to delegate responsibilities so as to enhance the productivity of the company. A good sales manager doesn’t burden himself with responsibilities that could be delegated, nor does he micromanage his employees to an extent that hampers their natural productivity.  If a sales manager has trained and mentored his sales department well, his only job now is to track their progress and provide assistance when necessary.  Read: What does it take for a fresher to get a job in sales? 5. Ability to Lead To be a sales manager means to lead every step of the way. It indicates creating a healthy atmosphere for everyone involved to progress and prosper.  A good leader is expected to stay calm under stressful situations and help team members cope with the pressures of the daily grind. Sales managers should be compassionate enough to understand the challenges their employees are facing and help them solve their problems and be stern and authoritative enough to hold them accountable.  It is a sales manager’s job to encourage amicable relationships between team members and resolve conflicts when necessary. The aim is to motivate and empower team members to excel in their respective spaces with proper guidance and support.  Leadership skills come in quite handy when interacting with new prospects, initiating partnerships, and closing sales. It involves putting people at ease, building rapport, and putting forth an impression of reliability and trust.  The incentive to take responsibility and stay committed to achieving goals reflects in the leadership skills of a sales manager.  The above 5 key skills for sales manager are very important, now lets jump to the other skills. 6. Ability to Communicate All of the above-mentioned skills fall flat if a sales manager does not possess the necessary communication and interpersonal skills. They should be able to clearly convey the goals, objectives, visions, and strategies so that everyone is aware of their respective role and what they need to do. To be able to deliver sales information accurately, delegate respective tasks and duties, identify inconsistencies and provide mentorship to improve them, provide support, motivate the sales team with powerful words, and build profitable relationships with clients and customers, a sales manager must have strong communication skills. 7. Ability to use the CRM Systems One of the most sought-after sales manager skills is the ability to use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. A CMS system assists a company in looking after and enhancing its relationship with various prospects as well as customers. This system is one of the most used management tools that increases the sales of a company that is using it. The main task of a CMS system is to gather various information like residential addresses, identities, previous purchases, etc of the customers. All these pieces of information are later used by the sales manager to figure out various things like new sales possibilities, the latest sales trends, etc.  This system or software also helps a sales manager in making weekly as well as monthly sales reports. In this technological era, where modern technologies are replacing the traditional ways of working, a sales manager needs to learn more about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to promote his position. 8. Ability to Hire New Employees The ability to hire and recruit new employees are key skills for sales manager. This procedure allows a sales manager to hire a well-qualified team that can easily elevate the sales of a company.  While hiring a sales manager must also know the required skills a candidate should possess to be eligible in the sales team. A sales manager should also know how to interview and set questions for potential candidates who will fit into the team. The qualification for sales executive are also supervised by the sales manager while hiring them.  These skills of sales manager will stand out on his resume. 9. Sufficient Knowledge of the Products Having sufficient knowledge about the products falls under the top 5 key skills for sales manager. Having better knowledge and information about a product will assist a sales manager or his team in smoothly pitching it to the customers. A good pitching of a product is extremely influential and allows the customers to get a complete notion of it. Sufficient knowledge of a product can also assist a sales manager in conducting successful sales campaigns or programs with maximum product purchases. Campaigns like this not only boost the purchases of a product but also help to build good customer relationships. 10. Ability to Manage Time Perfectly The job role of a sales manager is quite tedious and creates time management problems. Therefore, one of the most required skills needed for sales manager is managing time tactfully. This will help them to maximize their productivity along with desired outcomes.  A sales manager who lacks the art of time management will find it difficult to lead a team and this will hamper the targeted outcomes as well. A sales manager can easily overcome problems relating to time management by setting a strict project deadline for himself as well as for his entire team. 11. Ability to Comprehend as well as Collaborate with the Marketing Team Sales and Marketing are two interconnected areas that are heavily dependent on each other. Therefore, understanding the marketing field is one of the many skills required for sales manager. Knowledge about marketing and its team helps a sales manager to easily collaborate with them on various new projects. The marketing team and the sales team together can boost a newly launched product of a company as a result of seamless collaboration. Hence, companies are in dire need of a sales manager who has marketing knowledge and can easily work together in any new project. Various Technical Skills of Sales Managers Besides the essential skills, a sales manager must also possess some technical skills. These Technical skills of a sales manager required have been elucidated below: 1. Conflicts Solving Skills One of the most required skills of sales manager is conflict resolution. This is considered a technical skill that is needed apart from the above-mentioned essential skills. During any sales procedure, there may be various kinds of conflicts like product disputes, delivery issues, and customer care problems which are to be sorted out by a sales manager. These types of technical issues need to be tactfully handled by an experienced sales manager so that the company can continue working without any hindrance. 2. Ability to find out Customers’ requirements Figuring out customer’s needs is one of those sales manager skills for resume. A sales manager must know how to study the market trends and the behavior of the customers to figure out their requirements. This procedure helps a company to grow in size and build a good relationship as well as trust with its consumers. Important Sales Metrics for a Sales Manager There are 6 sales metrics that a sales manager should follow daily to become more skilled and lead the sales team toward the path of betterment. These metrics help a sales manager to supervise the performance of the entire team and provide feedback simultaneously. These metrics that a sales manager must know are: Sales Prediction The first sales metric is sales prediction. A sales manager must learn to make sales forecasts so that he can easily predict future sales. A manager can make strategies, activities,  as well as budgets relying upon this prediction Lead Response Time The lead response time must be short and quick. This time must be ensured and supervised by a sales manager. An efficient manager can easily provide quick responses. High-quality Sources A sales manager needs to ensure that his team works with high-quality sources. This is usually figured out by studying the market trends and analyzing customer needs with various data. Sales Team Productivity  A sales manager also needs to make sure that his team’s productivity has increased over time. This can be easily tracked by calculating performance evaluation, income revenues, and expenditures. Besides these, the productivity of a team by be measured by tracking activity levels, conversion rates, and sales rates. Conversion Rates Conversion rates determine the number of leads that have been transformed into customers. This is a primary duty of a sales manager and therefore he needs to closely follow the conversion rates. Rates of Upsell and Cross-sell An efficient sales manager should know how to smoothly upsell as well as cross-sell. Upselling is a process where a customer is advised to upgrade a product to its expensive version. While cross-selling encourages a customer to add more products to their initial purchase. These methods increase the sales rate and revenue of a company. Salary of a Sales Manager In 2024, the average salary of a sales manager is around USD 70073 per annum. However, the salary may vary due to several factors like company, years of experience, location, nature of work, etc. Source: City Salary Bangalore ₹6.7 Lakhs New Delhi ₹6.7 Lakhs Mumbai ₹6.7 Lakhs Chennai ₹6.4 Lakhs Gurgaon ₹7.8 Lakhs Hyderabad ₹6.3 Lakhs Pune ₹6.4 Lakhs Noida ₹6.9 Lakhs Source: Conclusion A sales manager’s job comes with a wide range of responsibilities, all of which involve uniting the entire department under them to work productively towards fulfilling company goals.  If you are just starting out a career in sales, there is a lot you will need to learn to bolster your management skills along the way. Luckily, there are online programs that have made this easier than ever. upGrad’s PG Program in Management, Specialisation in Sales and Digital Marketing is not just confined to imparting in-demand sales skills and hands-on training. It also prepares aspiring young professionals for career advancement opportunities.
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by Sriram

17 May'24