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Sales Managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.
Other titles employers use
District Sales Manager · Fractional Sales Executive · National Sales Manager · Regional Sales Manager · Sales and Marketing VP (Sales and Marketing Vice President) · Sales Director · Sales Manager · Sales Operations Manager (Sales Ops Manager)
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
- Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
- Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
- Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.
- Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
- Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and helping work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Negotiation
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Subjects to know
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Personnel and Human Resources
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.3 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.4 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.6 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 71%
- A certificate or some college 19%
- A two-year degree 5%
- A master's degree 5%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Data base user interface and query software
- Development environment software
- Project management software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Sales and marketing software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Document management software
- Word processing software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 121,800
- Job openings each year
- 9,230
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 5.6%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 121,800 | 9,230 | 5.6% |
| Florida | 32,540 | 2,590 | 13.0% |
| Illinois | 31,500 | 2,350 | 3.8% |
| New York | 30,540 | 90 | 3.0% |
| New Jersey | 17,690 | 1,320 | 3.9% |
| Georgia | 16,710 | 1,330 | 12.3% |
| Ohio | 16,250 | 1,210 | 3.1% |
| Arizona | 14,930 | 1,210 | 15.3% |
| Michigan | 13,790 | 1,010 | 1.9% |
| North Carolina | 12,960 | 1,010 | 10.2% |
| Pennsylvania | 11,870 | 890 | 4.2% |
| Colorado | 11,300 | 920 | 15.4% |
| Tennessee | 11,260 | 920 | 16.8% |
| Connecticut | 10,790 | 830 | 8.2% |
| Maryland | 10,510 | 810 | 7.7% |
| Minnesota | 10,510 | 800 | 7.0% |
| Washington | 9,920 | 910 | 13.4% |
| Kentucky | 8,570 | 650 | 5.0% |
| Indiana | 8,320 | 620 | 3.9% |
| Virginia | 7,900 | 600 | 5.5% |
| South Carolina | 7,210 | 570 | 12.0% |
| Missouri | 7,030 | 530 | 4.9% |
| Utah | 6,960 | 580 | 21.9% |
| Wisconsin | 6,660 | 520 | 8.5% |
| Oregon | 6,620 | 520 | 10.9% |
| Massachusetts | 5,340 | 410 | 5.3% |
| Nevada | 5,340 | 440 | 17.9% |
| Nebraska | 3,780 | 290 | 7.1% |
| Iowa | 3,760 | 290 | 9.0% |
| Alabama | 3,740 | 280 | 6.3% |
| Louisiana | 3,430 | 260 | 5.5% |
| Kansas | 3,410 | 260 | 4.6% |
| Oklahoma | 3,020 | 230 | 3.8% |
| Arkansas | 2,450 | 190 | 7.9% |
| Idaho | 2,270 | 180 | 16.4% |
| Puerto Rico | 2,190 | 170 | 12.3% |
| New Hampshire | 2,120 | 160 | 8.2% |
| District of Columbia | 1,720 | 130 | 8.2% |
| Mississippi | 1,450 | 110 | 7.4% |
| New Mexico | 1,240 | 100 | 10.7% |
| Maine | 1,120 | 80 | −2.6% |
| West Virginia | 1,070 | 80 | 4.9% |
| Vermont | 730 | 60 | 5.8% |
| Alaska | 680 | 50 | 3.0% |
| South Dakota | 540 | 40 | 8.0% |
| Rhode Island | 520 | 40 | 6.1% |
| North Dakota | 410 | 30 | 7.9% |
| Montana | 350 | 30 | 12.9% |
| Guam | 250 | 20 | 19.0% |
| Wyoming | 150 | 10 | 7.1% |
| Virgin Islands | 80 | 10 | 14.3% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 5,827
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 3,033
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Indiana University-Bloomington
- Degrees each year
- 2,457
- Admit rate
- 80%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
California State University-Fullerton
- Degrees each year
- 2,134
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
San Diego State University
- Degrees each year
- 2,008
- Admit rate
- 34%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
San Jose State University
- Degrees each year
- 1,657
- Admit rate
- 80%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
- Degrees each year
- 1,523
- Admit rate
- 74%
- Annual cost after aid
- $11,000
University of Maryland Global Campus
- Degrees each year
- 1,523
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- —
Compare every college offering family and consumer sciences/human sciences business services