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Sales Management Career Overview Those working in sales management deal directly and personally with the market. Through their expertise and experience marketing can be made concrete and humanly important, as other marketers rarely interact with or see the customer they are trying to win over. Sales managers must interact with a diverse variety of people from their own employees to clientele as they try to meet the clients demands by effecting quality liaison work to meet the client's needs. Job and Employment Opportunities Many positions in sales management can be obtained through companies ranging from the for profit to not-for-profit organizations as well as service oriented institutions like those involved in financial services, insurance, consulting, and government. For instance, one type of sales is commercial banking. Positions in industrial and commercial sales and sales management provide rewards and challengers through opportunities including systems selling and the need for broad management as well as technical training in some scenarios. Since there are so many different kinds of product and market opportunities, and sales personnel are constantly facing new interpersonal situations, it is important to match sales personnel with positions that fit their background, interests, technical skills and academic training. Sales and sales management training programs can vary in length and format, lasting as little as a few weeks or taking up to two years. Every organization offers a different career path in sales, and thus each career path within in a particular organization should be examined. Entry Level Sales Management Positions
Positions in Sales Management for Graduate Degree Holders The majority of college graduates, especially MBA's, are not hopeful of obtaining positions in sales. Rather they prefer to become product or brand managers, advertising account executives, corporate planners, or marketing researchers. However, by passing up sales positions they might be foregoing a great chance to become a member of a firm and obtain helpful experience related to the position they hope to obtain. Work in sales can help MBA's obtain a broad perspective of how a firm's products, competitors and the economic conditions interact. Work in sales also grants MBA's the prospect of doing the job well and being noticed by corporate management. Sales work relies largely on an individual's motivation and dedication to the job. Many MBA's are able to develop a strong performance record in a just a year or two that affords them the opportunity to move up in the company. Many realize that climbing the ladder in sales management is a bigger challenge and offers more rewards than they had previously thought. Career Training and Job Qualifications As defined, personal selling consists of persuasive two-way communication with potential and future purchasers. Obviously it is necessary to relate well to others and enjoy their company in order to perform well in sales work, although more is required to be successful. Salespeople have an expansive knowledge of the products they represent as well as those they are competing against. Basically, when it comes to sales, a salesperson must realize what needs and desires the consumer has and match those needs and desires with the company's appropriate product. Maybe the biggest factor in selling a product is an individual belief by the sales rep that the product being represented can indeed help the buyer. If the sales rep does not believe in the product it will be difficult to sell it. Other important factors in sales are motivation and organization since sales reps must take the initiative themselves and are not closely supervised by managers. Additionally, sales reps must be very analytical in order to accurately track and understand the statistical performance measures, as well as the financial data which helps a consumer understand the financial advantages and disadvantages of buying the product. Basically a salesperson must first be empathetic towards the buyer's needs and desires. A salesperson also uses their ego as driving force in wanting to match the consumers needs with the company's product as well as be efficient in order to meet the needs of the consumer expediently. Nobody perfectly possesses all of these qualities or traits. As a person takes on more of these qualities they will be more likely to successfully sell products. Each student needs to start with the beginning class in marketing management at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Taking the sales management class is absolutely necessary, and the course covering marketing strategy is also helpful. Those interested in the field should also enroll in the marketing research course. After that, those desirous of becoming salespeople should take courses that interest them. Students with interest in marketing to consumers or marketing consumer goods to the trade, should enroll in the consumer behavior and advertising course. Especially helpful are classes which offer insight into the human mind such as psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, etc. Other courses like cost accounting, computer science, and statistical analysis which help develop analytical skills are also useful. Other classes that help develop communications skills like speech, drama, and creative writing will prove to be an asset. Lastly, classes associated with one's special interests should be taken. For instance, if one has interest in international marketing then courses in foreign languages should be taken, and those with interest in technical selling might enroll in engineering or physical science courses. 
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