The task of the sales manager is to liaise between the buyer and the trading or manufacturing organization. The profession is most widespread in the wholesale trade. In addition, there are different specializations of sales managers: services, consumer goods, industrial products.
Professional knowledge of a sales manager
A sales manager has a very wide range of responsibilities: from finding a buyer to completing a deal. In the interval between these stages of sale, there is always the attraction of the attention of potential buyers, contacts with partners, the organization of advertising, presentations, participation in exhibitions, the search for mutually beneficial deal options, the creation of prerequisites for further cooperation. First of all, a sales manager needs to familiarize himself with the history of the industry and the direction of the organization's work, to delve into the work process. To do this, it is imperative to study the standards of customer service adopted in the company. In principle, interaction with the buyer implies compliance with the rules of business communication, and besides this, the company must have its own peculiarities in the sales technology, which the employee must be able to apply in practice. Of course, a novice manager needs to thoroughly study the product that he sells. Moreover, it is necessary not only to learn all the information about the product, but to be able to correctly present its advantages and skillfully talk about the disadvantages, focusing all the same on the benefits that the buyer receives.
Developing the correct psychological attitude of the sales manager
It is imperative for the sales manager to be experienced in communicating with the buyer. Even a novice manager should at least have negotiation skills. It is important to be able to understand the different types of buyers, to be able to adapt to them. A real professional grows up not only on the basis of experience, but also as a result of various educational trainings. When teaching sales techniques, a lot of attention is paid to the internal psychological mood of the manager. The ability to concentrate well, aim at results, tune in to serious work with a client, act with enthusiasm and self-confidence: these are the psychological qualities of a sales manager. To develop them, future professionals often draw knowledge from books. For example, Nikolai Rysev's manual "Active Sales" or co-authorship of Ekaterina Gorshkova and Olga Bukharkova "Sales Management". These books are written by experienced professionals who have something to share: the secrets of increasing sales, negotiation strategies, practical tools that affect the financial result, and much more. These editions are a top-down view of sales, covering all the nuances. An incompetent sales manager is more of the enemy of a company that aims to make a profit from sales.
