Sales / Business Development
Sales Supervisor
Overview
A First Line Supervisor of Non-Retail Sales Workers is responsible for overseeing the work of sales staff who are involved in selling products or services to businesses, governments, or other organizations. They ensure that sales targets are met, and develop strategies to improve sales performance. They also train and coach sales staff, manage budgets, and analyze sales data to identify trends and opportunities for growth.
The main responsibilities of a sales supervisor include managing and motivating sales teams, setting sales targets and quotas, training new sales staff, monitoring sales performance and analyzing sales data, providing feedback and coaching to sales staff, and collaborating with other departments to ensure that sales efforts are aligned with overall company goals.
Common tasks
| Task | Related trait(s) |
|---|---|
| Managing a team of sales professionals | Amiability Communication skills – Understanding others Communication skills – Expressiveness Understanding customers and others Leadership Equality and fairness in leadership |
| Participating in the recruitment process and provide training to sales team members | Amiability Communication skills – Understanding others Communication skills – Expressiveness Understanding customers and others |
| Developing and implementing sales strategies | Conscientiousness – Planning and attending to detail |
| Analyzing sales data to identify areas for improvement | Conscientiousness – Planning and attending to detail |
| Building and maintaining relationships with key customers and stakeholders | Amiability Communication skills – Understanding others Communication skills – Expressiveness Understanding customers and others |
| Conducting performance evaluations and provide feedback to team members | Amiability Communication skills – Understanding others Communication skills – Expressiveness Understanding customers and others Leadership Equality and fairness in leadership |
| Managing budgets ensuring cost-effectiveness | Integrity |
| Ensuring compliance policies, procedures and regulations | Integrity |
| Collaborating with other departments, such as marketing and product development | Amiability Communication skills – Understanding others Communication skills – Expressiveness Understanding customers and others |
| Representing the company at events and conferences | Amiability Communication skills – Understanding others Communication skills – Expressiveness Understanding customers and others |
Soft skills measured by TraitForward
| Trait | No of Questions | Cronbach’s alpha (α) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activity level | 6 | 0.72 | |
| Can they multitask? Can they handle demanding workloads? | |||
| Amiability | 6 | 0.81 | |
| Are they calm? Do they respect others? | |||
| Communication skills – Understanding others | 8 | 0.71 | |
| Do they understand others? | |||
| Communication skills – Expressiveness | 11 | 0.84 | |
| Do they express themselves effectively? | |||
| Conscientiousness – Planning and attending to detail | 7 | 0.75 | |
| Do they have a desirable work ethic? | |||
| Understanding customers and others | 8 | 0.76 | |
| Do they know what makes others tick? | |||
| Integrity | 9 | 0.73 | |
| Are they moral, honest, do they follow rules? | |||
| Leadership | 6 | 0.86 | |
| Can they take charge? | |||
| Equality and fairness in leadership | 11 | 0.73 | |
| Are they biased against people and social groups? | |||
| Teamplayer Positive group practices | 11 | 0.78 | |
| Do they like being included in a group? | |||
Did you Know?
Source: US Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics
Median wage:
$79,680 / per year
$38 / hour
The median annual wage for this profession is $79,680. Nonetheless several professionals may not be paid in that rate. A relatively low salary the 10th percentile of the annual wage is $47,510 whilst a relatively high salary, the 90th percentile of the annual wage is $160,120.
Expected employment growth:
Number (in thousands in 2021): 406.9
Number (in thousands in 2031): 405.5
Employment percent change: -1.4
Entry Education level:
To become a sales supervisor, one typically needs a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as business, marketing, or sales. They must have strong leadership and management skills and be able to motivate and manage sales teams effectively. Additionally, sales supervisors must have strong analytical and problem-solving skills and be able to develop and implement effective sales strategies. They should also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and be able to build and maintain strong relationships with customers and internal stakeholders. Many sales supervisors have several years of experience in sales roles before moving into leadership positions.
Find out the psychometric properties for the Sales Supervisor Traitforward questionnaire