Sales Director The sales director can be and usually is one of the most important jobs in an organization. After all, a company can have the greatest product or service in the world, but it is worthless if you can't sell it. The sales director position usually reports to the CEO or General Manager. The purpose of the sales director is to plan and implement sales and marketing activities in order to meet company targets for growth and profitability, and will most likely be a part of the executive management team of the company. It is the responsibility of the sales director to plan and implement marketing strategy, including advertising and public relations. This a large responsibility for any sales director. Since this is so, it is imperative that a person applying for this type of job to possess skills that will help him or her succeed in this role. As always, a thorough background and criminal check should be performed prior to any consideration for an important position such as this. A sales director is given a budget and must plan and manage these resources effectively. It is also the responsibility of the sales director to manage the entire sales staff. This includes recruiting and training new hires. Setting goals and motivating the sales team are also very important duties for a sales director. Policies and procedures are expected to be adhered to for all staff, including the sales director. The sales director is also responsible for managing business development. This can mean strategic planning with the goal of obtaining and developing new business as well as supporting and growing existing business. Another responsibility of the sales director is to make sure his sales team completes the proper paperwork and is using recording and tracking software so sales data can be analyzed. Sales analysis is one of the most important tools a sales director can use. This data is useful not only to show where the company is today and where it has bee and how it got there, it can also help predict future sales. The sales director is a very high profile job in a company and therefore should be given to someone that has a personality that it amiable and has leadership qualities. I know of several companies that hired someone they thought would be perfect fit based on viewing accomplishments on resumes and a clean background check. It took only a few months for it to become clear that mistakes had been made in the hiring process. The sales director clashed with many others in upper management and the board of directors. He also was not respected by his employees. In his steadfast "my way or the highway" approach, managed to alienate most if not all of the sales staff. This individual was incongruent which became clear very rapidly. He used intimidation and coercion techniques in an attempt to be effective. He was an older gentleman who also used to be in the military. Related Articles Sales Coordinator Sales Companies