Because they spend so little time in their actual office, salespeople who frequently make outside sales calls are known as field sales operatives. A field sales manager is in charge of supervising a team of outside sales representatives and ensuring that they meet their individual sales goals. In most cases, a field sales manager is paid a base salary plus commissions based on the revenue generated by their employees’ sales results.
Many businesses hire graduates with business, marketing, or finance degrees to work as managers. Other companies promote experienced salespeople into management positions because they have first-hand experience in the field. Every sales manager is in charge of salespeople in a specific district, and sales managers typically report to a general manager or executive who oversees multiple districts. Sales managers who succeed can advance to sales executive positions.
The sales executive gives the annual sales goals to the field sales manager. The sales manager must divide the annual goals into quarterly or monthly sales targets, taking into account factors such as business cycles and seasonal buying habits, which frequently result in sales peaks during specific months of the year. The manager must divide the company’s sales goals into short-term targets after dividing them into short-term targets.
Regular team meetings with the sales team are held by the sales manager, though managers with large territories may conduct these meetings over the phone rather than in person. At these meetings, company expectations for job performance are communicated, and salespeople are given ideas and best sales practices to implement. The manager reviews the latest sales figures for the team as a whole during the team meeting, while individual sales results are usually discussed in private.
New salespeople are usually given some on-the-job training by the sales manager, which usually takes the form of the field sales manager participating in sales calls to new and existing clients. Established salespeople are frequently accompanied by their sales manager on business calls to major clients, and the manager may take the lead in contract negotiations. In many cases, the field sales manager has the authority to offer clients discounts and price reductions.
When the manager conducts interviews with potential job candidates, vacant sales positions are filled. Employees who have performed poorly or who are otherwise unsuited to the role can also be fired by the manager. Managers compile reports to track each sales representative’s activities and results, as well as oversee quarterly and annual performance appraisals. The manager typically has the authority to give pay raises to top performers and to place others on various forms of corrective action.