Senior sales manager

The incumbent is responsible for the runs a company's sales department by hiring, training and organizing a sales staff. Senior salespeople work in a variety of industries and companies. In many industries, the sales leader is also responsible for making sales, as well. Once a sales staff is trained and hired, the senior sales leader assigns territories to his team and finds innovative ways to help them make, and close, a deal.

A senior sales manager implements strategies and sales goals, directing her team on the best way to sell the product or service offered. He must make certain her staff understands the product, displaying how it's used and its benefits. Senior sales managers also work with leaders or other departments, such as marketing or editorial, to find ways to improve the company's bottom line

There are a multitude of tasks that fall under Senior Sales Manager job description that would be related Sales Manager based on the specific needs of any particular company. These include but are not limited to-

• Hotel sales managers manage sales accounts for both boutique hotels and hotel chains. Their primary job responsibility is to close sales with associations and conventions for their hotels. Smaller accounts (with individual patrons) may be a secondary function at smaller hotels, while larger hotels might separate the two job duties entirely. Sales managers generally have a strong sales and hospitality background and enjoy working with people to help coordinate events.

• Research is essential to bringing in new business for the hotel, so sales managers spend part of their time researching and identifying accounts. Since many accounts are trade organizations hosting conferences in a specified city, research often includes reaching out to event planners or coordinators at organizations near and far to solicit business. Other types of accounts can include weddings and receptions, local corporate training groups or local events, such as a sports tournament. Sales managers stay abreast of the events happening in their city and pounce on those opportunities.
• Every job function should ultimately lead to "closing" or securing sales for the hotel. Sales managers may be evaluated at regular intervals on their ability to bring in business for the hotel, so this is a key component on their job. Identifying and courting customers, selling the benefits and amenities of their hotel and following up with the customer are all actions that help close sales. Intimate knowledge of the hotel and its place among local and regional competitors is generally required to close sales.
• Closing sales and securing accounts can sometimes only be half the battle. Hotels thrive on the repeat business of their existing accounts, so a senior sales manager is often tasked with keeping clients happy and managing accounts. Besides ensuring that the event is completed successfully, this can also include negotiating prices and rewarding customers for loyalty and/or accepting feedback to help make the next year's event even more successful. This duty might also include a small amount of problem-solving (if there were issues with the event) and a great amount of liaison with other hotel managers, if applicable, to help repeat customers get the best "deal" on an upcoming event.
• A hotel senior sales manager's job is not done after securing the sale. She is often called upon to manage the special events (including industry conferences, weddings and the like), ensuring that guests at the hotel are properly attended to, that the facilities are set up properly or even helping to greet guests. Since the success of one event might determine repeat business or a word-of-mouth recommendation, sales managers are usually willing to help with every aspect of the event.
• As a management position, a large part of the senior sales managers duties are creating, training and managing a staff of sales professionals. Depending on the size of the hotel, the staff can be as small as just one additional person or can include more than a dozen other workers. The sales team may be comprised of account managers, account associates or coordinators (both of whom may bring in sales) and also administrative, support staff positions.

Senior sales leaders must be driven, energetic, outgoing and possess strong communication skills. He should know how to delegate and be highly organized. Senior salesmen must be creative, professional and strong leaders, since their performance is often crucial for their staff to make a sale, and for their company to remain profitable.