Supervisor is a relatively new word in the Russian language, but it quickly caught on, and almost no one is surprised to find an advertisement for a supervisor vacancy in a newspaper or on the Internet. However, not everyone understands what exactly the responsibilities of a supervisor are.
Regional sales system
To understand who a supervisor is and what he does, you first need to understand the specifics of the regional sales network. The fact is that with the development of fierce competition in the Russian market for goods and services, it is not enough for producers to simply create one or another product: it is also necessary to convince the buyer to purchase it. The number of brands is huge, but the space on the store shelves is limited, so there is a real struggle for the possibility of placing goods in the store. The winners are those who are able to convince the owner of the outlet that this particular brand will sell better than others, which will provide the store with a higher income.
In fact, this is the main task of sales representatives working with manufacturers or wholesale dealers. A salesperson's job is to ensure that the product is present in as many retail outlets as possible in their area. In some cases, the store owner is interested in getting the product on his shelves, in others it is necessary to use persuasion skills, and sometimes not to do without the so-called "entry fee".
The closest analogue of the concept of "supervisor" in Russia can be considered the profession of a foreman, with the difference that the supervisor coordinates the activities of sales agents, not workers.
Supervisor work
"Supervisor" literally means "overseer". His job is to lead and supervise a group of sales representatives subordinate to him. At the same time, the supervisor is not bosses in the full meaning of the word: for example, he does not deal with personnel issues. This position implies the administration of the activities of representatives, checking the effectiveness of their work. In addition, the supervisor typically meets regularly with key customers in their area.
The supervisor must be sufficiently mobile, since he needs to regularly visit retail outlets and monitor the work of representatives with customers in the field.
Administrative functions of the supervisor include organizing planning meetings for sales representatives, informing them about current and upcoming promotions, and drawing up reports. Although the supervisor does not have the authority to fire employees, he can impose monetary penalties. In fact, the main task that the supervisor decides is to fulfill the sales plan. Most often, sales representatives become supervisors who perform well enough in sales. The regional manager is the immediate supervisor of the supervisor.
