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Advertising and marketing generate prospective customers for companies that sell products and/or services. So do salespeople as they call, email, fax and personally visit potential customers. Once a prospect has been validated by certain criteria, they are considered a lead; salespeople are responsible for converting these leads to sales. Sales managers oversee and direct sales activity in order to meet organizational goals.
Their responsibilities often include:
Assigning and managing sales territories
Setting and tracking progress toward goals
Sales to high profile clients
Training and motivating staff
Working with marketers to identify new products that meet customers' needs
Capturing and analyzing sales data to determine sales potential
Monitoring inventory requirements
Mentoring subordinates in sales techniques
Managing regional and local sales staff
Regularly communicating with distributors and dealers
Most sales managers travel frequently to visit clients, present at events and attend trade shows. They work closely with staff in departments such as marketing and advertising, database and IT, and production / fulfillment.
Sales Management Degrees and Sales Management Schools
While some employers expect sales managers to have a bachelor's or master's degree in business administration, journalism or advertising, many sales managers are promoted from within after consistently meeting and exceeding sales goals. High-tech companies often seek sales managers with a bachelor's degree in engineering or science.
Sales Manager Classes
In school, aspiring sales managers typically study:
Advertising, communications and sales
Market research and data analysis
Economics, accounting and finance
Management and business law
Mathematics and statistics
Psychology and consumer behavior
Creative writing, journalism and public speaking
Internships or related work experience are valuable for demonstrating employability to prospective hiring companies.
Online Sales Management Classes and Programs
There are many online sales and marketing degree programs available, from associate's to master's degrees. These programs offer convenience, but may not offer internships or job placement assistance. There are also many online classes and non-degree programs designed to help salespeople improve their performance.
Look for accreditation through direct-learning oversight organizations when comparing programs.
Sales Manager Requirements
Many employers require that candidates hold a bachelor's degree in business, advertising or journalism. In some industries technical degrees, such as in engineering or sciences, may be required or at least desirable.
How to Evaluate Sales Management Schools
Prospective sales management students should evaluate bachelor's and master's degree programs in business, journalism or advertising for:
Course offerings and focus - How much emphasis is placed on sales technique, public speaking / presentation and managing goals? Is there significant emphasis placed on marketing?
Tuition, fees and amenities - Does the school offer substantial assistance to students seeking financial aid such as scholarships, grants, student loans and work/study? Do career centers, recreational facilities, libraries, online resources and other amenities add value as well as additional cost to tuition?
Class size and experiential learning - Consider the student-teacher ratio - are popular classes crowded or hard to get into? Does the school arrange internships where students can gain relevant experience within desirable opportunities?
Graduate success - In the last several years, how many graduating students have successfully found work through the school's career center?
Example Job Titles for Sales Managers
(Titles per survey respondents and career experts.)
Artist Relationship Manager
Auto Dealer
Auto Dealer (Automobile Dealer)
Business Developer
Business Development Director
Business Development Executive
Business Development Officer
Business Development Specialist
Car Dealer
Channel Manager
Clothier
Commercial Director
Contracts Specialist
Dealership Manager
Department Store Manager
Director of Business Development
Director of Sales
Director of Sales and Marketing
Director of Sales Marketing
District Manager
District Sales Manager
Division Head
Division Manager
E-Commerce Director
Export Manager
Field Representative
General Manager
Global Account Manager (GAM)
Hotel Sales Manager
Import Export Manager
Importer Exporter
Inside Sales Manager
International Trade Specialist
Liquidator
Marketing Sales Supervisor
Product Distribution Specialist
Professional Equipment Sales and Service Manager
Regional Manager
Regional Sales Manager
Retail Chain Store Area Supervisor
Retail District Manager
Sales Account Manager
Sales Administrator
Sales and Marketing Manager
Sales and Marketing Vice President
Sales Coordinator
Sales Director
Sales Manager
Sales Officer
Sales Promotion Manager
Sales Representative
Sales Supervisor
Sales Vice President
Store Manager
Territory Sales Manager
Utility Sales and Service Manager
Vehicle Leasing and Rental Manager
Vice President of Sales
Vice President Worldwide Sales
Zone Manager
Apply For a BrainTrack Business Scholarship
To help students currently pursuing a business or management degree, BrainTrack's Business Schools Scholarship offers a winning and second place award every semester. Applicant essays are designed to help others considering business and management career paths in general management, marketing, advertising, sales, accounting, finance, management analysis and consulting, and more. Eligible degrees include associate, bachelors, masters, or higher.
For recent winners and a selection of entries please visit BrainTrack's Business Student Stories section.
The BrainTrack Scholarship for Business helps current students pay for their education. Entrants must respond to essay questions that are geared toward helping people evaluate business as a potential career path. BrainTrack will publish those essays which prove most helpful to future students.
The scholarship is open to students with at least one semester of credits towards graduation with an appropriate degree in business. One student award of $1,000 for the best entry and one of $500 for the second best entry is planned for each of two semesters, on an annual basis. Entry deadlines are November 1 and March 1, with awards payable towards the student's current or following semester.
Winners will be selected based on the creativity, focus, overall thoughtfulness, accuracy, and practical value of their responses to essay questions. Determination of winners will be undertaken by a committee that includes independent judges familiar with business as well as BrainTrack staff.
Submit answers to questions designed to help those considering business as a career path. All answers must be entered into the scholarship entry form, which is started by clicking the I Agree button below.
Rules
Scholarship entry deadlines are November 1 and March 1 of every year. The deadline for the next scholarship award is March 1, 2010.
The scholarship competition is open to enrolled students who have completed at least one semester of credits in a business degree program and are currently pursuing a degree. Students must be enrolled in one or more relevant classes at the time of the entry deadline. Students may be in either a full-time or part-time program. They may also be enrolled in an on-campus and/or online program.
Winners will be notified by email and telephone, typically within six weeks following the entry deadline. All award payments are made to the school, toward the student's tuition.
Candidates may submit only one entry every 12 months.
Entrant's school must be in the US and have accreditation recognized by the US Department of Education.
Entrant must be a US citizen, have permanent resident status, or have an appropriate student visa.
Entrant must be living in the US or if living abroad entrant must be a US citizen or permanent resident currently enrolled in an online degree program with a qualified US-based school.
All submissions become the property of BrainTrack's publisher, FutureMeld LLC, and entrants grant permission to FutureMeld to use their essay answers, school name, and degree status for promotional or other purposes.
Entrants that are selected as finalists will be contacted by FutureMeld to provide one or more references from their school. FutureMeld will contact the reference(s) to verify an entrant's qualifications for the scholarship.
For non-winning entrants, FutureMeld will keep a student's name, contact information, and references private for use only in conjunction with this scholarship.
Winning entrants will have their name published. Winners must agree to a brief telephone interview with a BrainTrack staff writer for publication as part of the winners' announcement.
BrainTrack reserves the right to change rules between scholarship competitions at its discretion and to make rule clarifications at any time as needed.
Questions or comments? Please contact BrainTrack using our contact form.
Relevant Schools for Sales Managers Which Respond Quickly to Info Requests Through This Site
School names link to detailed profiles. Use the Info from the School link to contact the school directly for more information. You may request information from as many schools as you like.
Career Highlights for
Apply For a BrainTrack Business Scholarship