Strategy is the main buzzword that can be applied to any Sales Director job title. It is their job, after all, to ensure all sales strategies are planned and met – in a nutshell.
However, this isn’t the only responsibility which comes with a typical role featured on Exec Appointment Sales Jobs. Here is a simple breakdown of the roles and responsibilities a Sales Director must embrace and action in such a high ranking position:
A good understanding of the industry
Any excellent Sales Director will know the ins and outs of the market they are strategising for. With this in depth knowledge they can then go about tackling their sales strategy in light of any recent events, changes or movements on-going in that industry to adapt accordingly.
Motivator
Sales Director are as clichéd as it sounds, the glue which holds a good sales team together. They must be the figureheads for the department, motivating, inspiring and encouraging their Sales Managers to push their sales people and hit targets. Their ideas and strategies should be clearly communicated and absolute transparency when required is a trait their team will greatly appreciate.
Evaluating performance
A Sales Director should keep a consistently close eye on the performance of sales and should there be a lull to come up with a strategy to combat this. The Director will also evaluate the performance of their team and work with those who are failing to meet the proper standards more closely to ensure they get back on track. This is where KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) come into play, to help the Director evaluate such issues.
Keep clients happy and source new partnerships
As the face of the Sales department in the company the Director should meet with clients regularly, establish strong relationships and then pass these over for the Sales Managers and team to maintain; this should be their main KRA (Key Result Area). Should these relationships become strained at all at a later date it is important that the Director weighs in to ensure contracts are not lost.
Attend conferences and events
A Sales Director must keep on top of developments for the industry they play a role in and therefore events, conferences and speaker sessions are essential to attend. These events also offer the opportunity to network with other influential members of the industry, keep tabs on competitors and increase the visibility of the company itself.
Continuously think up new ideas
Whether it’s a better way of inputting orders or how lunch breaks should be taken, the Sales Director should be continuously coming up with new ideas and processes for their team to execute which will in turn aid their development and performance. They should also be always looking for new markets to branch out into and then devising strategies for such transitions.
The qualities of a Sales Director
To conclude, a successful Director of Sales must possess the following qualities:
· Confidence
· Ability to motivate and inspire
· Good communication
· Skills in developing strategies and plans for increasing sales
· Excellent time management
· Problem solving in a variety of different circumstances
· Ability to brainstorm and execute ideas effectively
· Effective relationship building
· Professionalism at all times, especially when under pressure
· Skills in delegating tasks to other team members
· Ability to develop a product, team or idea
· Embraces the ethos and direction of the company fully
