A sales manager plays a key role in the success and failure of an organization. He/She is the one who plays a pivotal role in achieving the sales targets and eventually generates revenue for the organization.

A sales manager must be very clear about his role in the organization. He/She should know what is supposed to be done at the workplace.

Let us understand the roles and responsibilities of a sales manager:

• A sales manager is responsible for meeting the sales targets of the organization through effective planning and budgeting.

• A sales manager can’t work alone. He/She needs the support of his sales team where each one contributes in his best possible way and works towards the goals and objectives of the organization. He/She is the one who sets the targets for the sales executives and other sales representatives. A sales manager must ensure the targets are realistic and achievable.

• The duties must not be imposed on anyone, instead should be delegated as per interests and specializations of the individuals. A sales manager must understand who can perform a particular task in the most effective way. It is his role to extract the best out of each employee.

• A sales manager devises strategies and techniques necessary for achieving the sales targets. He/She is the one who decides the future course of action for his team members.

• It is the sales manager’s duty to map potential customers and generate leads for the organization. He/She should look forward to generating new opportunities for the organization.

• A sales manager is also responsible for brand promotion. He/She must make the product popular amongst the consumers. A banner at a wrong place is of no use. Canopies must be placed at strategic locations; hoardings should be installed at important places for the best results.

• Motivating team members is one of the most important duties of a sales manager. He/She needs to make his team work as a single unit working towards a common objective. He/She must ensure team members don’t fight amongst themselves and share cordial relationship with each other. Develop lucrative incentive schemes and introduce monetary benefits to encourage them to deliver their level best. Appreciate whenever they do good work.

• It is the sales manager’s duty to ensure his team is delivering desired results. Supervision is essential. Track their performances. Make sure each one is living up to the expectations of the organization. Ask them to submit a report of what all they have done through out the week or month. The performers must be encouraged while the non performers must be dealt with utmost patience and care.

• He is the one who takes major decisions for his team. He/She should act as a pillar of support for them and stand by their side at the hours of crisis.

• A sales manager should set an example for his team members. He/She should be a source of inspiration for his team members.

• A sales manager is responsible for not only selling but also maintaining and improving relationships with the client. Client relationship management is also his KRA.

• As a sales manager, one should maintain necessary data and records for future reference.