Explore by Career/Management
Sales Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.
- Median pay
- $138,060
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- +4.7%
- Stable
- Typical entry
- Bachelor's degree
Key skills
- Persuasion
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Negotiation
What they do
- Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.
- Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
- Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
- Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
- Determine price schedules and discount rates.
- Prepare budgets and approve budget expenditures.
- Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
- Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.
- Direct, coordinate, and review sales and service accounting and record-keeping, as well as receiving and shipping.
- Direct clerical staff to keep records of export correspondence, bid requests, and credit collections, and to maintain current information on tariffs, licenses, and restrictions.
Majors that lead here
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.