Sales Management: Key Considerations and Career Opportunities

Sales management is crucial for job seekers, offering entry opportunities, growth potential, and high success rates.

### Sales Management: A Strategic Career Choice for Korean Job Seekers
* 🏆 "When choosing a job, it is crucial to consider **how easily you can get in**, **how you can grow within the organization**, and **how beneficial it will be for you when you leave**."
* 💼 Sales Management is a highly recommended job, especially for engineering students and female applicants, as it offers **relatively easy entry**, **smooth growth within the organization**, and **excellent opportunities outside the organization**.
* 🌱 "Those with experience in sales or sales management are **less likely to fail** when starting their own business."
* 🌐 Sales Management is a position highly regarded in English-speaking countries, and it is **not too late to start preparing for it**.
* 💰 "All decision-making within a company is based on whether it helps **make money** or not."
* 📊 Sales Management involves planning sales strategies, setting targets, allocating resources, executing plans, and **continuously discovering new customers or markets**.
* 🛒 Sales Management roles can vary significantly depending on the industry and product type, with three main categories being **distribution**, **service and customer contact**, and **general companies**.
* 📝 In practice, the terms "sales management," "sales," and "sales support" are often used interchangeably, and it is essential to **carefully review job postings** to understand the **specific role** in each company.

We have prepared a table full of dishes suitable for Korean job seekers who are struggling. Today is the analysis desk time, and tomorrow, we will be joined by Coach Kim Tae-sung. Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you. Today's analysis desk time will focus intensively on the companies and positions that are crucial for job seekers. When students like you apply, one of the difficulties they face is choosing a position. Today, we will touch on the factors that job seekers should consider when choosing a position. It seems that many struggle with selecting a position because even though they may have had some opportunities to experience companies, they haven't had many chances to directly try out positions. As a result, they often have vague expectations and end up realizing that it's not what they thought. Therefore, it is important to accurately understand the positions.

It is very important to consider passing by, so when choosing a job, how should I go about it? I would like to consider about three things. First, in terms of entry strategy, it would be good to consider how easily one can get into it. After all, we need to get employed, right? Secondly, just getting in is not the end. I need to grow from here, don't I? I would like to see another aspect in terms of a growth strategy, how can I grow within this. Then, I have to live until I'm 100 years old, but I can't stay in the same place my whole life. So, when I leave the organization, how helpful will it be for me? Considering these three things at the same time and making a choice would be good. Could you please introduce a specific job today? Today, we will introduce Sales Management. Sales Management is actively recommended. When I consult, I often encounter job positions related to sales.

If someone says they won't try it once, their eyes change first. They are sending a strong message with their eyes. Are they avoiding here because it seems difficult and tough? Also, there is a prejudice. I keep thinking of them as someone who just goes and sells things. So, I keep thinking like, if I carry a rooftop board and go around, I keep thinking of a certain person I know. Sales, sales management, sales support, these kinds of things with sales in them are a bit different from what we think of as selling. That's why the job where sales is at the forefront is the one where misunderstandings occur the most. Because there are many misunderstandings, many people do not properly support those people. So, from the perspective of entry strategy, it's quite nice, especially for our engineering students. These days, typically about 80% of people are recruited from the engineering field in companies.

However, it is a job that is very open to those who are not experienced. Especially for female applicants, this is a question that is quite open. So, I recommend this. When I talked about considering this when choosing a job earlier, I would like to talk about separating the three conditions. First of all, it is quite good in terms of entry strategy. Because there are not many people who have supported sales management for four years. That's how competitive it is. If you start now, you can think that you can have a fair level of competitiveness. Another point is that companies mostly hire positions with the name sales in them. They hire a lot. So, not many competitive friends are there. Therefore, it is okay to prepare from now on as the entry can be relatively easy. The second point is about growth within the organization.

Once you enter a company, you will know that sales or sales management in a company is considered the flower of the company. It is said that growth is very smooth. For example, if you look at executives in a company, you will see that those from sales or sales management have the highest proportion of becoming executives. Therefore, it can be seen that there is a high possibility of growth within the organization. Thirdly, when it comes to opportunities outside the organization, when I briefly did headhunting, the most common requests were to recruit sales personnel from outside the organization. Therefore, when you make a different career move outside, you can have a great opportunity. Another point is that if you want to start your own business without changing jobs, people who have experience in sales or sales management have a very low probability of failure when they come out. On the contrary, within a company, you might think, Oh, I have a strategy.

Whether it's someone who has done it or someone who has planned it, people like this are likely to do well when they go outside. Looking at the people around me, many of those who performed tasks under such titles struggle in business when they go out. This is because when they were in a company, they had solid strategies and were planners, so when they go out, they lack those things. In a state where there is no foundation, it is difficult to lead their own business. Sales or sales management positions are recommended as they are likely to have received proper training at the company and have a higher chance of success when they go out. Therefore, from these three perspectives, sales management seems quite recommendable. The job is very attractive in English-speaking countries, and it's not too late to start preparing now. When someone says that, it gives a reassuring feeling.

I wonder specifically what business management does. You should think of everything a company does like this: a company doesn't just hire you because you are pretty. You should think of yourselves as parts to make money. It may sound a bit harsh, but that's the truth. Sometimes we misunderstand the essence of a company. When we usually encounter a company, we evaluate and judge the company based on its image that we can see through mediums like advertisements and promotions. In that case, all companies seem like social enterprises. So, it seems like they work for the world, humanity, and society. No, that's not true. All decision-making within a company is based on whether it helps make money or not. So, this job will be maintained if it helps make money, and it will be eliminated if it doesn't help make money. But.

The reason why the role of sales management continues to exist is because it helps to make money. You need to clearly lay this down and think about it. Sales management is about all activities related to sales in order to improve the company's sales. If we define it simply, with a little more detail, there will be a sales plan. This plan is established from two perspectives. From the top, there is a target point saying how much the company's sales should be increased this year, and each business unit will adjust this target. Then, at the midpoint, we will establish a sales plan for this year. If we made 300 million last year, let's aim for 500 million this year. After that, each department will establish their plans for each sales manager.

In the area I was in charge of at that time, I had to improve sales by more than 50% compared to last year, so I had to allocate such a plan. Therefore, I had to establish a plan and allocate resources. After the plan was established, we had to execute it. We would carry out the actual plan execution, ensuring that it continued to perform well and managing sales and profits. As I gradually moved up the ranks, I also took on the role of gradually discovering new customers or markets. I would like to explain sales management broadly. In fact, sales management or sales, depending on the type of business and the type of products sold, the scope can vary significantly. Therefore, it is important to closely examine whether each company is operating its sales management system properly according to its type. You mentioned that sales management duties can vary depending on the type, so it is necessary to carefully observe how sales management functions are operated according to the type.

Could you explain? Yes, that's right. It varies a lot depending on the type, industry, or product. The names are also different, and the scope of inclusion varies. I will try to explain it more easily by dividing it into three main categories. First, there is sales management in distribution. Secondly, there is sales management from the perspective of service and customer contact. Lastly, there is sales management in general companies. Let me explain each of them separately. In distribution, there are convenience store industry, department stores, and large supermarkets that we are familiar with. For example, in the convenience store industry, we often use the term SC, which stands for Store Consultant. So, when you work as a sales management staff, you are in charge of, let's say, 10 convenience stores in a certain area. You are responsible for the total sales that occur within those stores, as required by the company.

I've done all the activities to match the level of the sales plan, so when I meet the scores of the convenience stores I manage, I ask why the sales are not happening so much. I continuously push and manage how much we need to raise this year and support it. One of the roles in convenience store sales management is SC, and department stores have a slightly different name. The expression Flow Manager is used a lot. When you go to a department store, it's not spread out widely, but each floor of the building has different industries like food, general clothing, men's clothing, sports stores, furniture, electronics, and so on. I am responsible for the floor itself, so if it's a sports store, there are about 30 companies that have entered the floor I'm in charge of this year, and the total sales they generate.

I engage in all management activities to achieve the goals I have set, so while managing, I also analyze. Why is the sales not going well? What is the problem? I heard about a new emerging brand; should I bring it in? This brand here is declining; when should I let it go? While contemplating these things, I manage to maximize the total. I use the term Flow Manager for managing in a way that maximizes the total. In the case of large supermarkets, they are usually on flat ground, but everything is inside one building, so we don't use the term flow. We simply refer to positions like Food Sales Manager or Medical Sales Manager. In this distribution field, there are various forms of sales management. Additionally, there is a management form at the service-customer touchpoint. There are typical examples of these. In the food service business, for example, at VIPS.

There is a person called a store manager. That person is the overall responsible person, the manager of that store. You can think of them as the CEO of the store who needs to meet the company's goals, managing everything within the store such as facilities to maximize sales and profits. This store manager is in charge of managing to maximize sales and profits. There is also a sales manager, and another one is in sales. For example, if you go to Olive Young, it's the same there. There is a person in charge of overseeing the store, ensuring that sales are maximized. Also, there are sales managers in general companies. These are people who are not visible from the outside and cannot be seen by ordinary people. Typically, there are two types of sales managers, B2C area and B2B area. B2C may be a bit more familiar to you.

For example, if you are a sales manager at Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, there are people who are responsible for which region. At that business place, we have our finance planners. They support insurance salespeople to increase sales significantly and manage them. When you visit, they draw graphs, identify which areas need improvement, and push forward, sometimes utilizing support measures, providing education, and managing the B2C sales managers. Also, there are sales managers in the B2B sector, which is really challenging. They are hidden inside. For instance, at LG Energy Solutions, there are salespeople. They work behind the salesperson, putting pressure. We need to generate 500 million in sales in the first half of this year, but there is only one month left, and we have only achieved 100 million. How can we do this?

You're planning to do that, even calling at midnight. While looking at it now, looking at the graph, the sales are still lacking a lot. How do you plan to deal with this? What are the measures? How will you do it? Until when will you do it? Continuously managing and pushing forward these things, there are also those hidden English managers. If you think about it now, when you go to a department store or a mart, for example, on one floor, there is a cosmetics section where there is a store manager responsible for cosmetics, and in the distribution sector, there are department store managers. Or in the cosmetics section, there is a store manager responsible for a store called A. It seems to be related to this service. Also, in general companies, when you give examples of B2C, B2B, it really helps to understand clearly. You are now introducing and explaining about this sales management position. There are many terms related to sales management, such as sales management, sales, etc.

I've heard a lot of terms like sales support. Are these different job roles? Yes, they are different. These terms are used interchangeably. Even though every company talks about sales in the same way, there are roles with sales management characteristics. Even within sales management, there are sales roles, and even within sales, there are positions that are mixed with marketing. Therefore, since each company uses these terms differently, it is not meaningful to theoretically distinguish them. So, because the job descriptions vary by company, it is good to carefully review the job postings and consider what role you will be taking on here. If we still want to distinguish roles a bit here in this position related to sales, we can categorize roles on the sales floor. First, we have a place that supports the sales team, then there are middle offices that play a bridging role, and there are people working in the front office who execute tasks on-site.

Places that support descendants typically have what we call sales planning and sales support. Sales planning involves planning sales and creating strategies, while sales support involves educating and setting up in the field. Those who play a bridging role in between, in the middle office, are usually considered as sales managers of cooperation. On the other hand, people who directly generate revenue at the customer touchpoint in the field front office are the ones we call salespeople. Our sales managers, rather than directly increasing sales, push the target audience to achieve sales goals. So, you can think of sales management as the place that drives sales targets rather than directly increasing sales. To put it simply, if we take Son Heung-min as an example, you can consider him as sales.

People who are on the field running, and then there are directors who ensure they run well to achieve good performance. Yes, and there are people who support the descendants, and now there are team owners. It would be good to use this analogy. Do you have sales management intelligence? Yes, Sunhwa, I mentioned what I am currently doing, so the subjects we encounter have various job roles. Therefore, communication and interpersonal skills are crucial. In the case of scheduling, it is necessary to communicate continuously with the store owners. For example, if you are an operations manager at a mart, you can consider it as being in charge of food sales for each company. Communication with food sales representatives occurs frequently, and in B2B cases, there is a lot of communication with salespersons. Another aspect is analytical.

Problem-solving skills are necessary. We need to continuously manage how much revenue is generated and whether the profit and loss are happening, and if it is not happening as expected, we need to analyze the reasons for that and identify the problems, and come up with improvement plans for them. Analytical problem-solving skills are required for that. Another thing is, as I mentioned earlier, it's about money. We must have a sense of money for business, and we must definitely achieve our goals with that attitude. We need a sense of money like this. You have touched upon communication problem-solving and business mindset. Lastly, a word to English management applicants: The answer lies in the field. There are many friends who say they will be sales managers without going to the field. You have to go to the field. That's why we can easily access distribution and services in practice. So, you need to go to the stores and department stores yourself.

There, you will see new people, so when you go there, observe what those people are doing carefully. And when you go, don't just go trembling, take a notebook. We need problem-solving skills for our analysis point. Remember, we need to analyze by ourselves what products are selling well, what the problems are, and what the problems are here. Try to analyze these on your own and come up with alternatives. I have been with Nail Coaching's instructor, Kim Tae-sung, until now. Thank you for your words today. Thank you.

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Factors to Consider When Choosing a Job Position

Job seekers should consider three key factors when choosing a position: entry strategy, growth strategy, and the potential for future opportunities.

Sales Management is actively recommended for job seekers, especially those in the engineering field, as it offers good opportunities for entry, with a high demand for positions and is open to those without experience.

This makes it a favorable choice for those looking to enter the job market.

Sales or sales management is highly valued within a company, as it often leads to career growth and executive positions.

These roles also offer great opportunities outside the organization, including in entrepreneurship, due to the solid training and strategy development they provide.

Sales management is essential to a company's profitability, as all decision-making is based on its ability to generate revenue, making it a crucial and maintained role within the business.

The Diverse Responsibilities of Sales Management

Sales management involves creating and implementing plans to improve sales, as well as discovering new customers and markets.

It can be broadly categorized into distribution, service and customer contact, and general companies.

In distribution, such as the convenience store industry, sales managers are responsible for the total sales in a specific area and work to meet the sales plan.

Department stores have a different approach to sales management, with managers often being responsible for specific floors and the sales of the companies within them.

The Role of a Flow Manager in Sales and Store Management

Flow Managers focus on maximizing overall sales and profits while overseeing various aspects of management.

In retail, there are store managers who are responsible for the overall performance of the store, including maximizing sales and profits.

Additionally, there are sales managers in both B2C and B2B areas, who are responsible for supporting and managing sales teams to increase revenue.

Strategies for Sales Management and Role Differentiation

Sales management encompasses various roles such as sales support, planning, and execution.

These roles can vary between companies, so it's important to carefully review job descriptions.

In general, sales managers focus on driving sales targets for the audience, rather than directly increasing sales.

Sales management also involves supporting the sales team, playing a bridging role, and executing tasks on-site.

Sales managers are responsible for communication and interpersonal skills, especially with store owners and sales representatives.

They need strong analytical and problem-solving skills to manage revenue, profit, and loss, and to identify and address issues.

A good sense of business and a hands-on approach, including observing and analyzing sales in the field, are crucial for success in sales management.