BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasSales Managers

O*NET · 11-2022.00

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.

Also called Account Manager · Area Sales Manager · Area Supervisor · BD Director · BD Director (Business Development Director) · BD Executive · BD Executive (Business Development Executive) · BD Manager
49 more

BD Manager (Business Development Manager) · Business Developer · Channel Manager · Client Relationship Manager · Commercial Director · Commercial Sales Manager · Dealership Manager · Department Store Manager · District Manager · District Sales Manager · Division Manager · E-Commerce Director · E-Commerce Director (Electronic Commerce Director) · Export Manager · Fractional Sales Executive · GAM · Global Account Manager (GAM) · Hotel Sales Manager · Import Export Manager · Inside Sales Manager · Marketing Sales Supervisor · National Account Manager · National Sales Manager · Professional Equipment Sales and Service Manager · Regional Director · Regional Manager · Regional Sales Director · Regional Sales Manager · Retail Chain Store Area Supervisor · Retail District Manager · Sales Account Manager · Sales and Marketing Director · Sales and Marketing Manager · Sales and Marketing VP · Sales and Marketing VP (Sales and Marketing Vice President) · Sales Coordinator · Sales Director · Sales Manager · Sales Operations Manager (Sales Ops Manager) · Sales Ops Manager · Sales Promotion Manager · Sales Supervisor · Sales VP · Sales VP (Sales Vice President) · Territory Manager · Territory Sales Manager · Utility Sales and Service Manager · Vehicle Leasing and Rental Manager · Zone Manager

Job Zone 4 — Considerable Preparation NeededHolland code ECS35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Marketing Managers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed

Considerable preparation. Usually a bachelor's degree plus several years of work-related experience, knowledge, or training.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

ECSEnterprising · Conventional · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • E Enterprising7.00
  • C Conventional5.53
  • S Social3.37
  • I Investigative1.67
  • R Realistic1.49
  • A Artistic1.36

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Some College Courses19%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree5%
  • Bachelor's Degree71%
  • Master's Degree5%
Related work experience
Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (38%)
On-site or in-plant training
Up to and including 1 month (30%)
On-the-job training
Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (29%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Negotiation4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Contract with a wholesaler to sell items at a given cost
  • Speakingbasic4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Monitoringbasic3.94.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Direct the activities of a road repair crew with minimal disruption of traffic flow
  • Persuasion3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Convince a supervisor to purchase new office equipment
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Social Perceptiveness3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Coordination3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Time Management3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
Show the other 23
  • Active Learningbasic3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Complex Problem Solving3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Instructing3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Writingbasic3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Service Orientation3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Make flight reservations for customers using an online booking site
  • Systems Analysis3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Determine how a new piece of equipment will affect production rates
  • Systems Evaluation3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Identify the reasons why a client might be unhappy with a product
  • Learning Strategiesbasic3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
  • Management of Financial Resources3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Prepare and manage a budget for a short-term project
  • Mathematicsbasic3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
  • Management of Material Resources2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate an annual uniform service contract for delivery drivers
  • Operations Analysis2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Operations Monitoring1.81.5Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Quality Control Analysis1.81.0Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Operation and Control1.80.8
  • Programming1.60.8
  • Sciencebasic1.60.6
  • Technology Design1.50.5
  • Equipment Maintenance1.0—
  • Equipment Selection1.0—
  • Installation1.0—
  • Repairing1.0—
  • Troubleshooting1.0—

Tasks

15 core · 2 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.4.7
  2. Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.4.4
  3. Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.4.3
  4. Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.4.2
  5. Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.4.2
  6. Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.4.2
  7. Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.4.0
  8. Determine price schedules and discount rates.4.0
  9. Prepare budgets and approve budget expenditures.3.7
  10. Confer or consult with department heads to plan advertising services and to secure information on equipment and customer specifications.3.5
  11. Visit franchised dealers to stimulate interest in establishment or expansion of leasing programs.3.5
  12. Advise dealers and distributors on policies and operating procedures to ensure functional effectiveness of business.3.3
Show the other 5
  1. Represent company at trade association meetings to promote products.3.3
  2. Direct, coordinate, and review sales and service accounting and record-keeping, as well as receiving and shipping.3.1
  3. Direct clerical staff to keep records of export correspondence, bid requests, and credit collections, and to maintain current information on tariffs, licenses, and restrictions.3.0
  4. Assess marketing potential of new and existing store locations, considering statistics and expenditures.3.2
  5. Direct foreign sales and service outlets of an organization.2.9

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Sales and Marketing4.85.9
  • Customer and Personal Service4.45.2Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Administration and Management4.14.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • English Language4.14.3Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.44.2Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants for an administrative position
  • Computers and Electronics3.23.8Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Education and Training3.25.0Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Communications and Media3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Host a music radio show
Show all 33
  • Economics and Accounting3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Develop financial investment programs for individual clients
  • Mathematics2.93.8Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • Psychology2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • Administrative2.53.6Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Law and Government2.32.4Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Engineering and Technology2.21.8Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Production and Processing2.12.2Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.12.1Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Telecommunications2.11.3Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Transportation2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Public Safety and Security1.91.7Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Geography1.82.1Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Design1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Foreign Language1.61.4Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Mechanical1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Therapy and Counseling1.51.4Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Building and Construction1.3—
  • Philosophy and Theology1.3—
  • Biology1.2—
  • Chemistry1.2—
  • Fine Arts1.2—
  • Food Production1.2—
  • History and Archeology1.2—
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.1—
  • Physics1.1—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Comprehension4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Oral Expression4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Written Comprehension4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Written Expression4.04.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Deductive Reasoning3.94.0Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Inductive Reasoning3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Problem Sensitivity3.93.9Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Fluency of Ideas3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
Show all 52
  • Originality3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Speech Clarity3.84.0Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Category Flexibility3.33.6Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Information Ordering3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Near Vision3.13.4Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Flexibility of Closure2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.93.8Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
  • Memorization2.93.0Level 4 looks like: Recite the first names of the five people you just met
  • Number Facility2.93.6Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Speed of Closure2.93.0Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Far Vision2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Selective Attention2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Perceptual Speed2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Time Sharing2.62.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Visualization2.32.5Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Auditory Attention1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Trunk Strength1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Hearing Sensitivity1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.60.6
  • Depth Perception1.50.5
  • Finger Dexterity1.50.5
  • Spatial Orientation1.50.6
  • Control Precision1.40.4
  • Manual Dexterity1.40.4Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Multilimb Coordination1.3—
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness1.1—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Dynamic Strength1.0—
  • Explosive Strength1.0—
  • Extent Flexibility1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Rate Control1.0—
  • Reaction Time1.0—
  • Response Orientation1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—
  • Stamina1.0—
  • Static Strength1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Selling or Influencing Others4.96.3Level 7 looks like: Deliver a major sales campaign in a new market
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.75.5Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.75.8
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.65.5Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Developing and Building Teams4.65.2Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates4.65.8
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.65.5Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Coaching and Developing Others4.55.7
Show all 41
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies4.34.7Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Getting Information4.34.6Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others4.36.1Level 7 looks like: Provide ideas for changing an organization to increase profitability
  • Training and Teaching Others4.35.2Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Working with Computers4.33.6Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others4.25.3Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People4.24.9Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.15.4Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others4.15.9
  • Analyzing Data or Information4.04.8Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.04.7Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
  • Processing Information3.94.2Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Staffing Organizational Units3.94.8Level 4 looks like: Interview candidates for a sales position and make hiring recommendations
  • Thinking Creatively3.94.4Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Documenting/Recording Information3.63.8Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.63.6Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.54.2Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.54.1Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.43.8Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.24.0Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.13.0Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources3.14.2Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Assisting and Caring for Others3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.81.2Level 1 looks like: Drive a car
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Check that doors to building are locked
  • Controlling Machines and Processes1.50.9Level 1 looks like: Operate a cash register
  • Performing General Physical Activities1.40.7Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.30.7Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Handling and Moving Objects1.2—
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.1—
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.1—

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • E-Mail5.0
  • Telephone Conversations5.0
  • Contact With Others4.9
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.7
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.5
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.4
  • Level of Competition4.4
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.2

Technology

103 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (5)

  • Microsoft Excelhot
  • Microsoft Office softwarehot
  • Microsoft Outlookhot
  • Microsoft PowerPointhot
  • Salesforce softwarehot

Hot (34; 5 more marked hot above)

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • Eclipse IDE
  • Facebook
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Docs
  • HubSpot software
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • IBM SPSS Statistics
  • Marketo Marketing Automation
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Azure software
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • Oracle Database
  • Oracle PeopleSoft
Show the other 10
  • Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
  • R
  • SAP software
  • SAS
  • Splunk Enterprise
  • Structured query language SQL
  • Tableau
  • Teradata Database
  • Yardi software
  • Zoom
Other tools (64)
  • Act!
  • Adobe ActionScript
  • Airtable
  • Apple Keynote
  • Avidian Technologies Prophet
  • Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge
  • Contact management software
  • Database software
  • Delphi Discovery
  • Delphi Technology
  • Dropbox
  • Eden Sales Manager
  • Eko
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Google Ads
  • Google Drive
  • Google Meet
  • Google Sites
  • Google Slides
  • HEAT Software GoldMine
  • Human resource management software HRMS
  • IBM Cognos Impromptu
  • IBM Notes
  • IBM Power Systems software
  • Inventory software
  • LexisNexis
  • LinkedIn
  • LogMeIn GoToMeeting
  • Maximizer Software Maximizer Enterprise
  • McAfee
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Microsoft Dynamics GP
  • Microsoft Exchange
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • MicroStrategy
  • Minitab
  • NetSuite ERP
  • NetSuite NetCRM
  • NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
  • Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Oracle Eloqua
  • Oracle Fusion Applications
  • Oracle Hyperion
  • Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
  • Oracle PeopleSoft Financials
  • Oracle Taleo
  • Poll Everywhere
  • Qlik Tech QlikView
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
  • SAP Business Objects
  • SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports
  • SAP Crystal Reports
  • Scheduling software
  • SmugMug Flickr
  • Social media sites
  • Software on Sailboats Desktop Sales Manager
  • Tax software
  • Vanguard Software Vanguard Sales Manager
  • Web browser software
  • Workforce management software
  • YouTube

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Marketing Managers
  2. Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
  3. Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
  4. Advertising and Promotions Managers
  5. Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
  6. Purchasing Managers
  7. First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
  8. First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
  9. General and Operations Managers
  10. Advertising Sales Agents

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

Closest occupations

Compare any occupation →

Other O*NET occupations whose importance ratings on the 35 skills both rate are nearest to this one's, with the biggest differences named. A plain rule, not a hidden score.

Use this in your own job architecture

BlissPoint Organization Viewer can link a role directly to this occupation and suggest these skills as that role's starting requirements.

Try it free →

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.