Job profile
Sales Manager (m/f/d)
In order to increase their sales and maintain good relationships with their customers, companies like to rely on a special role. Sales managers are responsible for successful sales talks, acquiring new customers and building business relationships - whether in B2B or B2C.
Read this job profile to find out exactly what tasks sales managers have, what their salary prospects are and how you can become a sales manager yourself.
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What is a sales manager?
Sales manager definition
The job title Sales Manager describes the targeted sale of a company's products and services - both in the office and in the field.
The core competence of sales managers is to describe and present the benefits of a product or service so skillfully that potential customers (leads) have no choice but to buy and conclude a contract.
But good sales managers can do much more than that: in addition to the targeted sale of one or more products, they acquire new customers and take care of the strategic development of the sales concept. They know their company's customers inside out - whether they are corporate customers (B2B) or private end customers (B2C) - and maintain the relationship with them.
Sales managers (also known colloquially as salespeople) can work both in the office and in the field. No matter where they are deployed, they use their knowledge of human nature and their communication skills to increase the turnover of their company in a targeted manner.
The role of the sales manager overlaps in many ways with that of a key account manager or a sales consultant. In some companies, the sales management team is also supported by the role of sales assistant.
Sales manager salary in Switzerland:
a comprehensive overview
The average salary for sales managers in Switzerland is CHF 101,000 gross per year. Companies in the electronics and IT sectors are more generous.
The amount of your salary as a sales manager depends on various factors, which sometimes have a stronger and sometimes a weaker impact. The gender pay gap is also noticeable in sales management, which is why women in this profession generally earn less than men. The size of the company also plays a role in your earnings as a Sales Manager: you will therefore earn slightly less in small and medium-sized companies than in large corporations.
Your actual earnings also depend heavily on the sales you make. In sales, you usually receive a commission or bonus in addition to your normal salary.
Junior sales manager salary:
Your starting salary as a sales manager in Switzerland
At the start of your career as a Junior Sales Manager or (Junior) Account Manager, you can expect a salary of between CHF 61,000 and CHF 82,400 per year.
Young professionals with a technical or university degree and/or specialized industry knowledge generally earn more than their colleagues who do not.
Senior Sales Manager salary in Switzerland
Sales Manager commission:
you can expect these additional payments
In addition to your normal basic salary, as a Sales Manager you will usually also receive commission and additional benefits. These commissions represent a certain percentage of your turnover - usually between 5% and 10%. The amount of commission you receive in the end therefore depends on the number of sales you close and their value.
Like your normal salary, your commission also depends on various factors: Depending on the type of goods or services your company sells, the amount of your commission and the frequency of your sales will also vary.
Sales Manager tasks:
These are your activities as a Sales Manager
The actual sales pitch - although it is the core task - is only one of many day-to-day tasks for sales managers. They always keep an eye on the target figures, develop sales concepts and coordinate the next steps closely with their colleagues from the marketing department.
Another task concerns sales managers with personnel responsibility: if you take on the role of a manager, you are also responsible for setting individual goals and targets for each team member. This is used to develop strategies and identify sales potential - always against the backdrop of existing market opportunities for the company.
As a Sales Manager, you will work with your team to think about how new customers can be acquired and how regular customers can be inspired with customized offers.
The specific tasks in Sales Management include
- Conducting sales talks
- Maintaining customer relationships
- Establish and further develop sales strategy
- Observing market trends and market analysis
- Documenting and presenting results
- Customer acquisition
- Create and sendoffers
- In the field: travel activities and product presentations
Junior Sales Manager Tasks: Your activities to start your career
Junior sales managers often take on tasks such as assisting the sales management team or looking after the first customers. With a little more experience, you will spend your first few years looking after a certain region, a specific customer or the sale of a certain product. The "learning-on-the-job" principle is important for junior sales managers in order to develop their own skills and abilities and gain experience.
Other tasks of Junior Sales Managers are, for example, arranging customer appointments or analyzing customers' needs and requirements.
Senior Sales Manager Tasks
The tasks of senior sales managers with several years of experience are often at a strategic level. In addition to their core task of sales, they are therefore also increasingly responsible for the further development of sales concepts and ensuring smooth cooperation between sales and marketing. In addition, the territory for which a Senior Sales Manager is responsible also increases as their professional experience grows. This can mean the geographical expansion of the customers to be supported or the expansion of the customer base to include other sectors or key accounts.
Possible Senior Sales Manager tasks are:
- Further development of sales concepts
- Classic distribution
- Market research and analysis
- Optimization of cooperation with marketing
- Design of the target agreements
- New customer acquisition
How do you become a sales manager?
- Training, studies & further education
There is no classic training program for sales managers in Switzerland, as entry into sales can be very different.
A completed basic education or a degree in economics or communication science provides a good basis for entering sales management. A marketing background, e.g. as a marketing manager, can also qualify you for the job of sales manager. Nevertheless, sales management career changers are not uncommon.
Sales Manager training
In Switzerland, there are now many relevant training courses for sales managers. These include online courses, classroom training and full-time or part-time training courses lasting several months. As a rule, these courses conclude with a certificate and are therefore an option for lateral entry into sales management.
One good option, for example, is to train as a sales manager with a federal diploma at the MMI in Berne or at the FfD in Zurich.
Sales Management studies
There are still few relevant sales management courses in Switzerland. Nevertheless, this field of study has been on the rise in the DACH region for several years, which is why you will quickly find what you are looking for. In Switzerland, for example, you have the opportunity to complete the Master MAS Sales Excellence at the HWZ.
Other degree programs that prepare you for a career as a sales manager include:
- Marketing
- Business administration
- Business Management
- Communication sciences
- Psychology
Sales Manager further training: how to expand your skills
It is important for sales managers to undergo regular further training and, above all, to specialize in their own industry. Numerous providers, such as the University of St. Gallen, have an extensive portfolio of further training courses in sales management. There, for example, you can complete a CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) in Sales Management.
Possible training courses and subject areas that make sense for you as a Sales Manager are
- Marketing
- Business administration
- Communication training
- Stress management
- (Agile) project management
If you wish, you can advance to Head of Sales after several years of professional experience through constant further training and development. In addition to pure sales expertise, you will also need to expand your skills in the areas of team management and leadership.
Sales managers as career changers
A lateral entry into sales management is also not uncommon. If you have industry-specific knowledge based on your previous experience in a particular field and also have a talent for communication and numbers, you could be just right in sales management. A lateral entry as a Sales Manager can therefore be excellent under the right conditions.
Due to their previous knowledge, former medical students are often employed as sales managers in the pharmaceutical industry, for example.
Sales Manager skills:
Skills in demand in sales
Your most important skills as a Sales Manager include, above all, your strong communication skills and your enjoyment of dealing with people. You find it easy to make contact with other people and infect them with your enthusiasm. In addition, you are an absolute specialist in your industry and are able to convey information about your product or service in an easily understandable and attractive way.
Sales managers are also characterized by their high level of empathy, as they need to understand the wishes and concerns of their customers at all times - both in the Business2Business (B2B) and Business2Consumer (B2C) areas. They know the best way to reach their customers and are familiar with the challenges they face.
Sales managers should therefore have the following hard skills:
- Commercial knowledge
- Sound product knowledge
- Industry knowledge
- Marketing knowledge
- Knowledge of English
In addition, female sales managers should have the following soft skills:
- Communication skills
- Empathy
- Willingness to travel
- Quick comprehension
- Stress resistance
Sales Manager Careers:
Opportunities on the Swiss job market
Your opportunities as a Sales Manager in Switzerland look very good. Real sales professionals are needed across all industries and are an important part of the strategy for many sales-oriented companies.
The range of tasks performed by sales managers is both varied and demanding, which is why sales professionals are under a certain amount of pressure to meet certain targets. If you are prepared for these challenges, your chances are good.
A degree or specific technical knowledge will improve your job prospects even more.
With several years of professional experience and good industry knowledge, it is also possible to work your way up to sales manager, which will also increase your salary.
Find out now about your job opportunities as a Sales Manager with Hays. We offer jobs from Junior to Senior Sales Manager or Sales Director.
Top Vacancies: Sales Manager Jobs (m/f/d)
FAQ
As a Sales Manager, you sell your company's goods or services and also take care of customer acquisition as well as maintaining relationships with important regular customers. As a true sales professional, you know exactly what is important in a sales pitch.
On average, sales managers in Switzerland earn a gross salary of CHF 101,000 per year. Junior sales managers can expect to earn from CHF 61,000 gross per month when starting out.
No specific degree is required for a career as a sales manager in Switzerland. However, a completed apprenticeship or a Bachelor's or Master's degree in economics or communication science - e.g. marketing and sales - will greatly increase your chances on the job market.