Recruiting a National Sales Manager
For organizations operating in the building industry, finding the right National Sales Manager is one of the most important hiring decisions your team will make as you consider the future of your organization and the team that will get you there.
In order to prepare your team to fill this role, below is an overview of the position and the key roles and responsibilities associated with it; along with some of the skills and experience TZR looks for when considering top candidates for the Talent Zone.
What is a National Sales Manager?
National Sales Managers are subject matter experts, responsible for the management of sales teams in a specified region or territory. Internally, they lead their team by helping set goals and sales incentives depending on the strategic vision of the organization as a whole.
What are the key roles and responsibilities?
The roles and responsibilities for a National Sales Manager can vary depending on the structure of the organization and the sales goals set within. However, most individuals in this role can expect to do the following:
- Recruit, hire and train other salespeople
- Set goals for teams and individuals, motivate their employees and encourage best practices.
- Create processes and quality customer service standards to build long-term relationships with clients and maximize the company’s profits
- Work closely with advertising and marketing professionals to improve sales promotions, methods and campaigns
- Prepare timely sales forecasts and reports
- Track and analyze sales data to find strengths and weaknesses
- Manage sales budgets
What skills and experience should a National Sales Manager possess?
In addition to a proven track record of success in sales and management of sales teams across increasingly larger regions, those responsible for hiring a National Sales Manager should consider looking for the following skills and experience in candidates:
- Superior customer service skills – the ability to build relationships both internally and externally will serve this role well; not to mention, these skills can “influence clients, potential customers and sales teams,” and “… might lead to higher profits.”
- Communication – strong written and oral communication skills are helpful for connecting with clients and sales team members across the country or region, especially regarding timely information.
- Sales Knowledge – effective National Sales Managers often have an extensive understanding of sales funnels, processes and functions.
- Creativity – the ability to create innovative sales ideas may help a company grow its revenue and profits” as well as provide positive collaborations with the marketing department
- Leadership Skills – the ability to motivate a team and keep it functioning as a cohesive unit will make reaching and exceeding sales goals more attainable
A candidate can have all the credentials in the world, but how they use them is what matters.
Those with strong character make the right choice when putting their knowledge and skills into practice – motivating their team and those they must collaborate with to achieve your company’s goals, regardless of the challenges they face.
Whatever combination of skills and experience a candidate comes in with, the most important thing is that they can sell their most valuable product – themselves.
Sharing their past successes and personal approach to sales is as important as anything; and be sure they are backing it up. “The more detail they can give you about what they did and how they did it, the better information you have to decide if they’re the right fit.”
If you’re ready to make a change, whether it’s stepping up to a National Sales Manager, or looking to continue to grow your skills in a new environment, TZR can help.
