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As a Sales Director you are now on the board of your particular company and are responsible for its overall strategy along with the Chairman, Chief Executive, Directors and Non-executive Directors.
As such you have considerable responsibility for the performance of your company’s sales and its standing in the marketplace.
Much of your sales knowledge will have been assimilated into the marketing and branding of your company and often your role will end up becoming Sales and Marketing Director.
Many industries, such as housebuilding, for example, have Sales & Marketing Directors. Your strictly defined role is to oversee the sales department, develop and implement sales strategies, gather performance data and create reports for senior management and shareholders. |
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Sales Director Jobs
Is it for you?
The Sales Director is a highly important part of the corporate management team. Yes, all would say they are important, but you’ll be the one who is directly responsible for the sales which go towards making profit. Accountants may make savings which affect the bottom line, but you’ll be looking to grow the business. Needless to say, you’ll be someone who likes a challenge and is excited by the thought of reaching company objectives through your sales leadership. The rewards for achieving these objectives will always be high – perhaps even more than some of your fellow Directors.
The role you’ll play is one of visionary, but pragmatist. You’ll be looking to create growth and find ways of actually doing it. You’ll need to understand your markets and supply chains, but also the internals working of your department - from top to bottom and inside out. The responsibility for profit and loss and providing direction to your department requires strong business acumen but also excellent communications and people skills.
Some of the most successful Chairmen and Chief Executives have this – and most successful entrepreneurs. As jobs go, you’ll find yourself travelling and working long hours because there will always be people to see, places to go and meetings to attend – from suppliers, to clients to all sorts of stakeholders and affiliated companies. There will also be lots of PR and press to do if you’re in a high profile company.
Qualifications and Skills
To your excellent communications and motivations skills, you’ll need to be a good co-operator and persuader, sometimes convincing others of your plans and cajoling for more resources. A good Director is an ambassador for the company to the outside world but also a good political mover and shaker inside the company.
Good planning and organisational skills will help you immensely, but your personality and character are what count when you really want to get things done. A good knowledge of accounts and finance can make all the difference to the conviction with which you develop plans and strategies that others have to buy into.
Being able to speak at least one European language, preferably more, can be incredibly useful for you if you are working for a UK subsidiary or global company – as most large ones in the UK are. Some companies may prefer you to have a business-related BTEC HND or degree, but your experience and track record will be decisive in your progress.
Formal qualifications include NVQs in sales or qualifications from professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) and the Managing and Marketing Sales Association (MAMSA). However, specialist degrees related to the sector you are in will also be valuable and well-regarded.
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Opportunities and salaries
In percentage terms, Directors and Board members form a very small part of the workforce, so the word opportunity is possibly misleading. Most companies will only have one Sales Director – or Sales & Marketing Director so you’ll need to work hard and become highly accomplished to achieve the role of a Sales Director.
That said, once you have shown your ability to generate sales and achieve corporate objectives within your company, there will be little reason for any company to bring someone in over your head to fill the position if you clearly have what it takes.
You could work as a sales director all over the UK, for all kinds of industries and markets including manufacturing, wholesale distribution and consumer goods. Many good sales people are headhunted and attracted by better offers and a successful Sales Director will be one of the most sought after.
The next stop for you can only be Managing Director or Chief Executive so your salary will be correspondingly high, possibly £150k onwards. At this level your package will be purely based upon your skills and track record and will almost certainly include share options.
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