Formal Report

Sales Management

Sales Management is one of the most lucrative career paths in the world today. It has gained a lot of popularity in the recent past, as a result of the massive growth of the corporate sector. A sales manager is a person concerned about the affairs of the sales department in any business organization. Since the primary goal of any business is to make profit, this department has become very important because it helps in coordinating the selling of products to the clients (Christensen, 2007).

Hence, in order to effectively do this work, it is upon the management of any organization to recruit the most competent workers to perform such duties. These should be highly trained creative professionals who can come up with innovative ideas to improve the quality of products. In other words, they should carry out an extensive market research to ascertain the level of competition in the market, along with consumer demand. Such information should then be used to advice the top management and the production department on exactly what to improve in the rate of stock turnover. This information is treated with the seriousness it deserves because it comes from experts who have a deep understanding of the market structure.

Similarly, sales manager links the organization with clients. It is the duty of sales executives to travel far in search of customers. After understanding their varying needs, appropriate steps must be taken to address them. This is done through improving the quality of production, mainly by branding, differentiation, and packaging. Moreover, they should come up with the most appropriate strategies to launch and sell their products in the market (Spiro et al., 2008). Any change in production should be aimed at counteracting the effects of competitors. Participation in the sales promotion activities will sensitize customers and keep them updates on the latest developments of the company's products.

Occupational Information About Sales Manager

To be a sales manager, one has to possess the relevant training. There are many training opportunities for this career. These are offered in many institutions worldwide. As a result of increasing prominence, there are a lot of colleges and chattered universities offering certificates, diplomas, degrees, Master's, and Doctorate courses on sales management and other related courses. Precisely, the top ten most popular sales management colleges include; CUNY Bernard Baruch College (New York); Texas A & M University (Texas); University of Phoenix (Arizona); Weber State University (Utah); University of South Carolina (Columbia); Johnson & Wales University (Rhode Island); Brown Mackie College (Indianapolis); West Chester University of Pennsylvania (West Chester); New York University (New York); Brigham Young University (Utah); University of Wisconsin (Stout); Everest University and Everest College (Florida).

Each of these institutions offers different degrees and diplomas for their graduates. Although each of them has internal policies regulating their operations, it is true that admissions must be pegged on internationally accepted standards. Besides, this may also depend on the perception of the institution to the general public. The more reputable an institution is, the more competitive it will be. In other words, if college is known to be producing quality graduates who end up getting jobs immediately after completion of their studies, it will receive a lot of applications. As a result, it will have to tighten its admission requirements in order to ensure that it sieves applicants and picks the best (Spiro et al., 2008).

Although the certificate, diploma and bachelor applicants should be in a possession of high school diploma certificates, the specific level from which to begin greatly depends on performance in high school. The highest performers will get admission to the Bachelor's course. Some will also qualify for the diploma, while the least performers will qualify for a certificate course. Successful completion at the lower levels will automatically guarantee a graduate for courses at the subsequent higher levels. Meaning, after the successful completion of course, one will can get Bachelor's, then Master's Degree, and finally Ph.D. Therefore, anyone willing to pursue a course in sales management should consider these universities (Blanchard, 2002). Otherwise, they can also look for training opportunities elsewhere, since this course is offered by at least all universities in any part of the world. However, before doing this, one must ensure that one produces excellent results at the secondary school level. This attitude must continue at college because such results not only land one to acquire college medals but also determine the kind of sales manager one will be in future.

As already highlighted, sales management is a very lucrative career that, if taken seriously, can empower an individual up to the tycoon level. This means that sales manager can opt for being an employer or seek for a job from another individual, organization, or government. Each of these organizations can recruit successful graduates as sales representatives, sales executives, assistant sales managers, or sales managers. After completing the training, graduates must look for internships in which they can acquire basic practical skills necessary for their development as sales professionals (Petersen, 2008).

From here, they can get an opportunity to interact with their colleagues, and apply their theoretical skills into practice. Thus, they will emerge as team players and responsible sales managers who will discharge their duties with the dignity and commitments they deserve. After this, they should establish their own businesses and manage them professionally, or seek for a job. Despite the fact that it may be challenging because of stiff completion, one must be determined in one's search. It is through this that they will be able to get an available position anywhere. Many employment opportunities arise because of expansion of organizations, attrition, promotion, dismissal, or death of existing workers. This is typical in any organization, which may be the perpetual entity, unlike workers who are always on transit (Christensen, 2007).

Upon clinching these positions, these graduates are assured of better working conditions, good salary packages, and empowerment. A responsible sales professional should know his duties and responsibilities and discharge them properly. For this to happen, an employer must create a conductive working environment, accommodative to all workers (Petersen, 2008). Hence, they will get good salaries progressively in line with their level of education and experience. At the same time, this career path is good because it gives people an opportunity to get a promotion. Even after starting as a sales representative, one may get the promotion to become a sales manager, and eventually rise to be the organization's Chief Executive Officer.

Personality Types

Anyone willing to pursue a course in sales management should know that this is a very important area which requires the following qualities:

1. Industry. A sales manager must be a hard-working person, who is ready to carry out the tiresome jobs expected of him. As already explained, this attitude should begin right from school, up to the organization.
2. Determination. A sales manager should show determination in whatever he does. This type of job is multitasking and needs a lot of dedication. Hence, if this is done, one will emerge to be a good professional.
3. Communication Skills. A good sales manager should have good communication skills. This is essential in his interactions with clients, colleagues, and an employer. They must learn to be critical listeners, respect others' point of view, and be fluent in their language. After all, the major work of a sales agent is to talk. This must be done in a presentable, audible, and eloquent manner (Joshi, 2005).
4. Personal Etiquette. A sales manager should be presentable at all times. Meaning, he must respect himself and others. In doing this, he should dress well have a good makeup and appealing hairstyle. Being neat is an essential element of a sales agent because it will make him have a good image in the market. They should be honest and truthful. Such traits will enable them to be trusted by their clients, as people worth being charged with different kinds of duties.
5. Time Consciousness. A good sales manager, just like any worker, should be time conscious. Thus, he will plan his duties well and perform them within the available time without being late. If a manager has this quality, he or she can cope with any kind of organizations, especially where employees are supposed to finish delegated tasks within a certain deadline. They will restore the confidence of their employer who will end up preferring them to other (Blanchard, 2002).

Conclusion

One would like to conclude by saying that sales management is a very lucrative career path. Each and every person willing to pursue it should understand that it has now become a very competitive specialty. In this regard, Career Consultants Incorporated should understand that there are many opportunities, both in training and employment for those expecting to venture into it. However, before making this choice, it is necessary that the potential manager should be equipped with the right and most appropriate information, which can help them to excel. In this regard, Ms. Schliermacher should take the necessary measures to acquaint the aspiring scholars of this discipline with the most updated relevant information.