Sales Management Job Description & Career Opportunities

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers research the market, develop a marketing strategy, advertise, develop promotional pricing, manage public relations, and coordinate product development.

Many sales management jobs require or strongly prefer candidates who have earned a degree in business of a sales related field. Check out the programs below which offer free information:

    Associate in Business Management – Marketing and Sales by Rasmussen College
    Bachelor in Business Administration – Sales & Marketing by DeVry University
    A.A.S. in Business Administration/Sales by Kaplan University

Advertising managers design advertising campaigns and communications mediums. They work for an advertising agency in creative departments. They work in media, manage accounts, and sell advertising. They coordinate advertising staff and personnel. They can advance to director or copy chief.

Marketing managers promote products. They develop product demand estimates and develop plans for marketing strategies in terms of pricing. They coordinate activities with the sales department. They study marketing trends. They manage the development of the product.

Promotions managers develop programs and plans to increase sales. To increase sales, they use advertising mediums. They promote advertising through mail. They advertise in newspapers. They promote products on the Internet. They design store displays. They manage advertising events. As part of their promotional campaigns, they include samples, coupons, and contests to promote participant entry.

Public relations managers study public image trends. They improve the public image of corporate clients. They clarify the company’s point of view. They manage crises. They oftentimes work in healthcare. They coordinate activities with advertising staff. They work with the marketing department. They write newsletters, interoffice communications, press releases, and departmental reports. They manage events and conferences. They promote corporate products. They have direct contact with the national press.

Sales managers study territories for potential product sales. They implement goals. They create programs to train sales representatives. They develop plans to improve sales. They manage local and regional sales figures. They train staff. They manage vendor programs. They interpret sales figures. They formulate statistics. They monitor sales preferences.

The need for advertising marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales management professionals is expected to grow by thirteen percent through 2018.
Sales Management Job Responsibilities

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers work under extreme time constraints. They ensure that goals are met. They work within deadlines. National travel is required for sales managers. They meet with distributors and clients. Public relations managers meet with government officials. Job transfers occur frequently.

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales manager work over forty hours per week. They commonly work evenings and are expected to sacrifice some weekends.
Sales Management Training and Education Requirements

Although many employees may begin at entry-level as sales agents and support staff, in some industries, advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers are expected to have a college degree in the field. Marketing and sales managers are expected to have a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree. Employers expect marketing and sales managers to have completed coursework in business, economics, finance, and especially statistics. To gain experience, marketing and sales managers complete an internship in the field. For some technical areas, marketing and sales managers should consider coursework in manufacturing and complete a degree in engineering.

Advertising managers should expect to also complete a bachelor’s degree in the field. Such majors include advertising, marketing, and research. Students may supplement their studies with coursework in business, graphic arts, and sales. Public relations managers should also expect to complete a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree is preferred for this field. Employers prefer the following majors: public affairs, advertising, and technical writing.

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers must have computer skills. They must have a strong aptitude for interpreting and managing data. They must be familiar with marketing principles; and Internet marketing techniques. Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers who have studied a foreign language have greater opportunities for employment.

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers must be creative, able to work under stressful conditions, and must be decisive. They must be able to communicate effectively in writing and verbally and able to maintain a sound relationship with supervisory and support staff.
Sales Management Salary and Wages

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for advertising and promotions managers in May 2008 was $80,220; for marketing managers, $97,260; and for public relations managers, $89,430. Marketing managers within different industries earned significantly more than all of the managers combined.

For example, marketing managers who worked in the computer industry earned $127,870, only slightly higher than what they earned working for a non-computer company: $115,650. Sales managers who worked in the commercial wholesales industry earned $2,740 less than marketing managers who worked in the computer industry: $125,130. Sales managers who worked for the electronic industry earned $114,670. That is only $980 less than the marketing manager who worked for the non-computer company. In essence, marketing managers and sales managers who work in manufacturing often receive higher salaries than those managers who don’t work in the industry. To enter the marketing field, students majoring in the field should expect to receive approximately $43,325 as entry-level pay according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Sales Management Certifications

Although to be certified to be an advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales manager is not required, most managers obtain certification through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The PRSA offers its program participants a certification curriculum for managers involved in public relations.

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers may also receive training in management program seminars as part of their professional education in the industry. These training programs are part of the company’s leadership development curriculum.

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers may also enroll in coursework at colleges. They may take courses in brand management, product development, marketing evaluation, sales, research, and communication. Many companies assume the costs of such post-graduate training, on- and off-campus.
Sales Management Professional Associations

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers may join the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s). The American Association of Advertising Agencies represents the advertising industry. Membership benefits include services such as research, a savings plan for retirement and insurance, and professional development.

Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers may also join the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The PRSA is an organization of professionals who specialize in public relations. It establishes standards for the field of public relations. It serves as an advocacy organization for its members. It created the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) for local colleges. Membership benefits include such services as networking contacts, recognition in the field, learning opportunities through an accreditation program called the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) program, and daily communication updates through the website’s blog.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) offers different membership types based upon years of service in the industry. Potential members with two or more years in public relations may join and pay annual dues of $225, with a $65 initiation fee. Associate Members with one to two years of experience pay annual dues of $155; and associate members with less than one year pay annual dues of $115. Graduate students who join as a student member, majoring in public relations, pay only $60 annual dues. Members also enjoy other programs that include partnership discounts for insurance, shipping costs, and financial planning.