What Is The Main Function Of Sales Management?

How many companies do you know that don’t sell a product or service? Sales is something that has been part of the business since the dawn of commerce, and no business that sells can survive without regular sales. Since it’s such an important component of company success, it makes sense that owners employ and nurture effective sales managers. This article looks at what exactly sales management entails, and the various functions of it within the company.

Sales Management Defined

The role of a sales manager is rather nuanced, with very few people having a clear idea of what exactly a sales manager does. For starters, a sales manager and a salesperson are completely different. The salesperson is responsible for making sales.

The sales manager is accountable for making sure that salespeople are doing their jobs properly (selling). The term ‘sales management’ refers to the administration of the personnel and resources used in the process of selling a company’s products and/or services.

This includes the planning, implementing, and managing of sales programs, as well as handling the hiring, firing, and training of sales staff.

Functions Of Sales Management

There are four main functions of sales management, each with a specific purpose to ensure that a company’s sales activities are being executed with the best chance of success. These four sales management functions are:

1. Set Targets
   

   A sales manager must be able to set realistic targets for their team, based on previous performance and in line with the organisation’s overarching strategy. Target setting should take into account sales team skills and each person’s track record up until that point.

2. Manage The Sales Process
   

   Customers are hardly ever going to be at the same stage of a company’s sales process at the exact same time. A sales manager must understand the sales process from start to finish, and be able to manage this process as and when they spot potential conversion roadblocks.

3. Improve Efficiency
   

   This management of the steps of the sales process is another function of sales management. It involves assessing every interaction between the brand and the potential customers and coming up with ways to rectify hurdles and capitalise on opportunities, thereby improving the efficiency of the sales process.

    

4. Identify Excellence

Sales management is also a people role. One function is to ensure that the personnel conducting lower-level sales activities are managed correctly and efficiently. A sales manager should monitor how well salespeople perform and step in to congratulate and motivate top performers.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

Are you a future rockstar sales manager in the making? If handling company sales efforts is what you were destined to do, get the right qualification with a Sales Management course from DSM! Alternatively, contact us and we’ll help you find the best path for your specific industry aspirations.