Career ladder - what mistakes should you be wary of? Career formula for a sales manager Career growth for a sales manager

The profession of sales manager has emerged relatively recently. Previously, it was believed that anyone can sell and only those who have not achieved anything in other areas of activity become sales managers. But over time, it became clear that this opinion was wrong: a successful “sales person” must be a highly qualified specialist. And in this profession, both professional and career growth is possible. Development director of a consulting company, career consultant Ekaterina Pasechnik told how to build a career in sales.

Career growth A sales manager can move in two directions: vertically and horizontally.

For a vertical career, the most promising business function is sales. Employees who are responsible for indicators that are significant for the company are always visible. Therefore, if you have ambitions to manage not only sales, but in the future the entire company, it is better to start a career in this field.

I also chose a vertical type of career development. She started with an administrative position in sales, then moved into active sales. I didn’t like my part of the job as a manager preparing “closing” documents: acts, invoices, and so on. I wanted to sell more and more easily using marketing tools. Therefore, I began to take on additional marketing tasks and build a sales system. As an example, I used a strategy called “functional selection”. It is very effective for those who want vertical career growth. Now I am a manager and solve problems for the development of the company, do sales, marketing and change management.

A vertical sales career might look like this:

Team Leader;
- head of department (this position also combines marketing activities);
- development director (providing “expensive” services with a long sales cycle);
- head of sales department;
- Sales Director;
- account director.

A horizontal career option might look like this:

Marketer;
- product manager/product specialist;
- project manager;
- account;
- loyalty manager;
- CRM manager;
- business analyst;
- development manager;
- Affiliate program manager.

You can also open your own business or engage in sales consulting.

Advantages of the profession

If you dream of moving to another field, or are sure that you want changes in your work, pay attention once again to the opportunities that working in sales provides. This direction has many advantages that will allow you to love your job and build a successful career:

1. this is the most in-demand profession. There are a huge number of vacancies on the market, and even if a company is not looking for new employees, it is always ready to consider a good sales manager;

2. the fastest horizontal career growth. Compare: according to my observations, it takes at least 8 years to become a chief accountant or financial director. You can rise to the position of head of the sales department or sales director in a year or three;

3. the ability to rely on results, since this area is very transparent: as a rule, a manager’s work always includes numbers that show the result - conversions, volumes, percentage of plan completion. Nowadays it’s easy to check all company data on the Internet, or get recommendations from colleagues, managers, partners or clients through social media. But if there are no results, this can be a minus.

4. lack of reference to age. Employers are ready to hire candidates aged 40 years and older. If the candidate knows how to sell or manage sales, then age is an additional advantage for some areas, such as consulting. Plus, an experienced and mature person has more established business connections.

5. the ability to work remotely and work with a flexible schedule. This is convenient for women, since work can be combined with maternity leave and raising children.

And most importantly, a good sales manager makes great money! This means that he always has the opportunity to influence his level of income.

Examples from life

Of the twelve marketers I had under me, ten came from sales. Almost everyone considered this a competitive advantage and often mentioned it, especially when disagreements arose with the sales department.

One employee moved from sales to internet marketing. There, his communication skills helped him a lot: he successfully convinced clients and managers of his position who did not know or did not understand the tools and results of Internet marketing and did not see the point in allocating large budgets to it. He now actively speaks at professional conferences.

And the most favorite example: when an employee was unable to prove himself as a sales manager, but he did not want to leave the company. He liked to analyze, sort out the customer base, channels, argue with the marketing department and management about dynamics, indicators and market segments. As a result, the person was transferred to work with a CRM system, and he became an excellent specialist in developing loyalty programs and a sales analyst.

In addition to working on your sales results, improving your negotiation skills and sales training, do the following:

1. Record all results. To manage your achievements, learn to record them. Each week, note what useful things you did to develop your skills? How did you improve your weekly results? What did this give you personally? What did this give the company? Include the answers in your resume or portfolio.

The following indicators need to be monitored:

Fulfillment of the sales plan. Sales managers may sometimes fail to fulfill the plan, but sales dynamics are important;
- reduction of the sales cycle at each stage of the sales funnel;
- expansion of the client base;
- increase in the size of the average check - dynamics of sales to regular customers;
- average price (size) of the transaction;
- accounts receivable, including overdue accounts receivable.

2. Work on your reputation so that partners, colleagues and clients speak well of you and give good recommendations.

3. Don’t steal clients away and don’t “take” your client base with you! There are not many cases when clients “leave” with a manager, but employers will definitely be able to get blacklisted. In addition, if you have built good relationships with clients, some of them will find you later. Be ethical when moving from job to job within the same industry.

4. Dive into the product: become experts in your product. The time of “super-communicative” managers who “can sell snow in winter” is passing. Previously, employers tried to recruit a large number of such managers. As a result, we were surrounded by a stream of dubious proposals that are no longer relevant. And those managers who do not help you choose a suitable offer cause irritation. This approach is ineffective and job requirements will soon change and the market will require experts with improved communication skills.

Nowadays, finding a good sales, intelligent and listening client who understands his product and the client’s needs is almost impossible. This means that you need to become just such a professional.

5. Develop your communication skills! Learn to express ideas briefly, clearly, and simply through verbal, written, and visual expressions, such as through presentations. You yourself have noticed that it is very difficult to stay on some text for a long time or listen to a long speech if it is boring. So hook the person somehow interesting fact or history: be brief, but explain clearly. Try to paint a person with a vivid image in his head - this way you will be better remembered.

6. Practice your self-presentation. You should have different preparations: for clients and for interviews, for networking and business partners, as well as for social networks.

The number of vacancies in the sales field is growing like mushrooms after rain. According to recruiting sites, recent years Such offers account for up to 10% of all vacancies. The demand is great, so companies are ready to hire not only experienced professionals, but also newcomers.

There is also an increased interest from job seekers in the job of sales manager. Indeed, in this area, even in the absence of special knowledge and education, you can count on a relatively high income. In addition, there is often the opportunity to undergo training and courses at the company’s expense, which will benefit personal development and career growth.

It would seem that the situation is mutually beneficial: companies need sales people, and many applicants are not averse to trying themselves in this field. But then things don’t go quite smoothly: up to two-thirds of newcomers become disillusioned with their work and leave. Sales is one of those areas that experiences the highest turnover of employees.

Is it possible to determine in advance whether a sales job is right for you? To avoid wasting time and nerves, answer yourself the following few questions. This will help you understand whether this job will bring you satisfaction and high income.

Contradictions on the surface

Am I a sociable person? “I won’t go into my pocket for a word”, “I know how to listen and hear” - is this about me?

Communication skills and the ability to understand other people are necessary for a sales manager like air. After all, selling is a process of reaching an agreement, as a result of which each party should remain satisfied. Good specialist is able not only to understand the position, interests and intentions potential client, but also to feel his mood, experiences, and predict reactions. If you easily achieve mutual understanding with people, it is natural for you to listen carefully to your interlocutor and feel his mood - these qualities will definitely help you in your work, and the work itself will not bring unnecessary stress.

Do I like helping other people? Does this bring me pleasure?

Ideally, the client should perceive you as a trusted advisor, and not a cunning swindler who is trying to impose something unnecessary. And to do this, you must win the client’s trust and show that you are acting in his interests. Sincere interest, the ability to understand and satisfy client needs, sometimes not obvious, are an integral part of skills good manager on sales. Do you like helping others? Are you not too lazy to explain, suggest, guide a person, and then you wholeheartedly rejoice at his success? This means that there is a high probability that you will succeed in sales!

I don’t think that “salesman is a job for deceivers”? Are there other moral and ethical restrictions?

Unfortunately, some people are prevented from actively growing and taking action in the sales field due to various prejudices and fears. For example, reluctance to be intrusive, fear of being rejected and looking stupid, stereotypes about the “dishonesty” of this activity. In fact, it all depends on the person: a deceiver will try to “warm up his hands”, and this happens in all areas, and an honest person will try to help the client. By the way: greatest number cases of deception for the purpose of obtaining benefits are recorded not in sales, but in purchases.

Ability to influence

Carefully analyze whether you have the qualities and abilities listed below. Apart from your personal feelings, is this confirmed by results in life?

Can I influence other people? Am I able to convince others and captivate them with my ideas?

If you recognize yourself in this portrait, you have a serious advantage for successful work in sales! In addition, to exert influence it is important to be able to address the client’s problems and concerns. Convincingly demonstrate that the proposed product or service will really be useful to the client.

Am I a proactive person? Do I know how to come up with something new and bring it to fruition, no matter what?

“I should leave earlier, do less”, “Why should I try, my colleagues are lazy!” - if you live by such rules, the sales field is definitely not for you. An enterprising person tends to do more than what is required of him according to instructions; he is determined to achieve results and looks for any opportunities to achieve this.

It is also important to be able not only to come up with something new and interesting, but also to be able to bring your plans to life, and if obstacles arise, to find workarounds and still achieve the goal.

Learning level

Professional knowledge, rules of communication, work patterns and effective techniques - all this can be learned. If, of course, you know how to study.

Do I like to explore new areas and look for non-standard solutions? Will I be able to learn a large amount of new information and immediately begin to put it into practice?

Even after gaining basic knowledge and some practical experience, a successful manager continues to constantly learn. After all, those who stop growing soon cease to be effective. What can we say about a person who masters the field of sales “from scratch” - he needs to grasp everything on the fly. Try, draw conclusions, adjust your actions, develop the necessary skills. If learning everything new gives you a surge of enthusiasm, and working on yourself is a healthy passion, then success will not be long in coming.

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The career growth of a sales manager can move in two directions: vertically and horizontally.

A vertical sales career might look like this:

group leader;
head of department (this position also combines marketing activities);
development director (providing “expensive” services with a long sales cycle);
head of sales department;
Sales Director;
account director.

A horizontal career option might look like this:

marketer;
product manager/product scientist;
project manager;
account;
loyalty manager;
CRM manager;
business analyst;
development manager;
Affiliate program manager.

You can also open your own business or engage in sales consulting.

Advantages of the profession

this is the most in demand profession. There are a huge number of vacancies on the market, and even if a company is not looking for new employees, it is always ready to consider a good sales manager;
the fastest horizontal career growth. Compare: according to my observations, it takes at least 8 years to become a chief accountant or financial director. You can rise to the position of head of the sales department or sales director in a year or three;
the ability to rely on results, since this area is very transparent: as a rule, a manager’s work always includes numbers that show the result - conversions, volumes, percentage of plan completion. Nowadays it’s easy to check all company data on the Internet, or get recommendations from colleagues, managers, partners or clients through social networks. But if there are no results, this can be a minus.
no connection to age. Employers are ready to hire candidates aged 40 years and older. If the candidate knows how to sell or manage sales, then age is an additional advantage for some areas, such as consulting. Plus, an experienced and mature person has more established business connections.
the ability to work remotely and work with a flexible schedule. This is convenient for women, since work can be combined with maternity leave and raising children.

And most importantly, a good sales manager makes great money! This means that he always has the opportunity to influence his level of income.

Examples from life

In addition to working on your sales results, improving your negotiation skills and sales training, do the following:

The following indicators need to be monitored:

fulfillment of the sales plan. Sales managers may sometimes fail to fulfill the plan, but sales dynamics are important;
shortening the sales cycle at each stage of the sales funnel;
expansion of the client base;
increase in the size of the average check - dynamics of sales to regular customers;
average price (size) of the transaction;
accounts receivable, including overdue accounts receivable.

2. Work on your reputation so that partners, colleagues and clients speak well of you and give good recommendations.

5. Develop your communication skills! Learn to express ideas briefly, clearly, and simply through verbal, written, and visual expressions, such as through presentations. You yourself have noticed that it is very difficult to stay on some text for a long time or listen to a long speech if it is boring. Therefore, hook the person with some interesting fact or story: be brief, but explain clearly. Try to paint a person with a vivid image in his head - this way you will be better remembered.

6. Practice your self-presentation. You should have different preparations: for clients and for interviews, for networking and business partners, as well as for social networks.

What is the career path for sales managers? Which sales managers should be promoted horizontally and which can be promoted vertically? This is exactly what this article is about.

If you are confident that your sales manager achieves great results in his activities only for the purpose of gaining career growth, you can do two things:

1) Method:

We somehow need to recognize the work of the best salesman. We give him the “title” of “senior salesperson”, “top salesperson” or “expert”. Changes in qualifications can be entered into the work book. However, a title alone is usually not enough - it must be supported by material compensation. Typically, in such cases, the manager’s salary increases by 3,000 -4,000 rubles. Such an increase in the fixed part of motivation shows the employee that the company recognizes his merits, and also shows other managers real example opportunities if you achieve high results and improve your skills.

Now let's talk about who needs to be promoted. Horizontal career growth is achieved by a manager who demonstrates stable performance over a long period (for example, a year). high performance in sales. This employee should also have minimal or no customer accounts receivable.

Also, to make a decision on promoting an employee, they evaluate his loyalty to the company and take into account the degree of his motivation, since a horizontal promotion is more likely a motivational measure than a promotion as such.

By the way, if you are completely satisfied with how a manager works and you want to promote him, do not rush to do this until you receive an additional “concession” from him. Set conditions for the manager under which you will be ready to give him career growth. For example, this could be a general increase in sales volumes or an increase in sales in one of the “difficult” segments, the sale of illiquid goods, mentoring or training of newcomers, an increase in market share or the number of regular customers, an increase in the average check or the number of positions for each client. However, do not forget that the conditions for obtaining career growth must be achievable, otherwise you will not only not be able to motivate the employee to achieve the set goals, but you may even lose a valuable specialist.

You can also invite the manager to take on a new position, and agree on a salary increase after achieving certain performance indicators. This option is also good, as it recognizes the manager’s services to the company and, at the same time, forces him to “prove himself” in a new position.

2) Method:

We need to promote one of the managers to head of the sales department, that is, provide him with vertical career growth. In this case, what is important to us is not so much the manager’s sales results (quite stable results above average), but rather his professional, business and managerial qualities, which are determined on the basis of quality indicators. Such an assessment is carried out by senior managers, competent employees of other departments of the organization, and customer service. You can also involve third-party experts, conduct group selections and cases.

Let us remind you that a good manager will not grow into a good leader that easily. They need to be engaged, trained, developed. You need to work with him. It is necessary to teach him how to plan the work of the department, delegate tasks to employees, organize work to implement assigned tasks and monitor their implementation.

You probably yourself know that not all successful sales managers can be good leaders. Often successful managers do not have developed management competencies, so those at the head of the department continue to sell in the same way, stretching the department only through their own sales. Therefore, no horizontal or vertical promotion guarantees that the new manager will cope with his responsibilities without additional training or supervision by a senior manager.

The following video will tell you how to make a manager improve his managerial competencies and not lose them if he refuses to give a promotion:

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Reference

Demand for the profession

Quite in demand

Representatives of the profession are quite in demand on the labor market. Despite the fact that universities produce a large number of specialists in this field, many companies and many enterprises require qualified ones.

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Useful articles

Description of activity

Working with clients means maintaining relationships with the most important partners for the company. Therefore, he must remember that he cannot look at clients only as a source of income; such an attitude is always intuitive and repulsive. It is important to be able to maintain a balance between your own interests and the benefit of your partner.

Wages

average for Russia:Moscow average:average for St. Petersburg:

Uniqueness of the profession

Quite common

The majority of respondents believe that the profession Customer Service Manager cannot be called rare, in our country it is quite common. For several years now, there has been a demand in the labor market for representatives of the profession Customer Service Manager, despite the fact that many specialists graduate every year.

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What education is needed

Two or more (two higher education, additional vocational education, postgraduate studies, doctoral studies)

In order to work Client Relationship Manager, it is not enough to graduate from a university and receive a higher education diploma vocational education. to the future Client Relationship Manager You need to additionally obtain a diploma of postgraduate professional education, i.e. complete graduate school, doctoral studies or internship.

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Job responsibilities

An account manager establishes and maintains relationships with clients that are important to the firm. Conducts presentation meetings where he concludes contracts on behalf of the company. Participates in determining the company's pricing policy. Deals with discount issues and creating special conditions for partners. Monitors the process of providing goods and services and compliance with agreements. Predicts possible difficulties or prevents their occurrence by quickly solving current problems.

Type of labor

Exclusively mental work

Profession Customer Service Manager refers to professions exclusively mental (creative or intellectual work). In the process of work, the activity of sensory systems, attention, memory, activation of thinking and the emotional sphere is important. Account Managers They are distinguished by their erudition, curiosity, rationality, and analytical mind.

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Features of career growth

A successful key account manager may subsequently take on the position of head of sales, development director or commercial director. Career growth is usually determined by the number of successful deals.

Career Opportunities

There are enough opportunities

The vast majority of representatives of the profession Customer Service Manager believe that they have enough opportunities for career advancement. If an ordinary specialist has such a goal, then it is quite possible for him to occupy a leadership position in this area.

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