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By Nsim Team
Like many careers, there are many different paths you can take to become a marketing director. The best path however, is to have an education related to marketing, combined with a few years worth of progressive experience in the field.
This work would involve developing and implementing budgets, developing and implementing marketing plans and strategies, overseeing subordinate staff, and keeping abreast with industry and economic trends.
By Nsim team
This field also offers diverse opportunities for advancement, great pay, the opportunity to make a lot of professional contacts, and the opportunity to use your critical thinking, project management and creative skills.
Like many careers, there are many different paths you can take if you want to become a district sales manager (DSM). The best path however, is to have an education in business, combined with a few years worth of progressive experience in sales.
This work would involve developing and implementing sales plans, continuously developing sales and support staff, collaborating with area managers and sales personnel, and developing key customer relationships. It would make excellent use of your sales and personnel management abilities.
This line of work can also be quite rewarding, and not just when you accomplish the goals you develop and implement; it offers great pay, the opportunity to develop many professional contacts, and diverse opportunities for further career advancement.
Who is a District sales manager?
As a district sales manager (DSM) you would be responsible for the overall performance of all sales staff in your district. This could include sales representatives, retail managers, and/or other subordinate sales employees within your organization.
Your primary objective as a DSM would be to drive sales by setting goals and targets for your teams, and giving them the tools and support they need to achieve them.
Typical Job Duties
Although your specific duties could vary from job to job, you could expect to be responsible for the following functions in any district sales manager role:
• Creating and implementing effective direct sales strategies
• Partnering with sales personnel to achieve corporate sales objectives
• Developing a sound knowledge of all corporate capabilities in order to effectively sell full suite of services
• Participate in the hiring, orientation, training and continuous development of sales staff and support staff
• Participating in joint calls with regional sales forces as necessary
• Developing and analyzing market sales reports
• Collaborating with area managers and sales personnel to develop key customer relationships and strategies for district sales
Education Needed to work as District sales manager
The education you will need can vary from job to job. Many job postings however, state that a general business or specialized marketing degree is an asset, but not necessarily a requirement.
Many employers however, will hire you if you have formal education in a different field (such as the social sciences), provided you have a sufficient track record of experience and success on your resume.
It’s important to note that if you’re planing to work in a technically specialized industry, such as IT or pharmaceutical sales, you may be expected to have a degree in a relevant field.
Skills Needed to Become District sales manager
To be successful as a district sales manager, you need certain skills… but these skills don’t come overnight.
While you’re working in sales roles of lesser responsibility, try to hone the following skills, they will be crucial in your future career:
Understand the Customer: Gain an understanding of the customer's strategy and decision-making process when purchasing products or services. Later on, you’re going to have to make sure an entire team has this ability.
Recognize Strengths and Weaknesses: Get to know your strengths and weaknesses, really learn to recognize and acknowledge them. When you’re a DSM, you’ll need to recognize these traits in subordinate staff, and use that knowledge to coach and mobilize them effectively.
Coach and Motivate: Learn to congratulate success in front of others and respect the pressure and constraints that others are under. Provide feedback, offer help and respond positively to all ideas.
Strategic Planning: Top managers can produce a sales plan that sets out clear actions and goals that connect to the business's targets and the customer's needs.
Align with Other Departments: An effective DSM can work proactively and cross-functionally to improve systems and internal relationships that are essential in meeting the needs of the customer. For example, your internal finance and customer service departments may also be working with your account. How is your account being handled by them? Start learning how to develop internal relationships before you're in this position.
Who Creates Jobs for District Sales Managers?
As a district sales manager, you could potentially work for any type of organization that sells goods or services. This might include (but is not limited to):
• Government agencies
• Non-profit and not-for-profit agencies
• Retail sales organizations
• Manufacturers
• Service sector organizations
• Distributors/wholesalers
• Sales, marketing and management consulting firms
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