When businesses begin to scale up from their original start-up model to a medium-sized enterprise, they have to take functional experts on board to drive things forward in the right way.
Directors are vital for building high-performing corporate functions, sourced by professionals who can deliver the necessary work. And in a commercial business, the sales director role is perhaps the most critical role. After all, the sales director is responsible for bringing in the business that will provide revenue, a pipeline of businesses and continuing sales for sustained growth and measurable results.
What does a sales director do?
Sales directors are employed to manage the work of sales teams and to devise and lead an effective sales strategy that will span the business as a whole. Usually, the director of sales will fully control the sales function and all reps that sit within the budget. This is a senior role that usually sits within higher management or on the board itself.
On a daily basis, sales directors will help to plan sales campaigns, work with marketing teams to align sales activity and work out how best to launch new market offerings. They will lead and motivate sales reps, set and communicate goals, train and organise training for sales reps and engage with customers to understand their needs.
These strategic individuals drive the sales function of the business and ensure the business can attract, convert and retain customers for revenue gains. They will also devise ways to develop a long-term sales pipeline to ensure sales can remain consistently high, working with the marketing director to tie in with marketing campaigns and launches.
How sales directors drive the business forwards
Here are just some of the ways that a sales director can help to drive a business in the right direction:
1. Sales directors set the sales strategy
Without a clear strategy, any business will simply deliver random tactics and never achieve its overall business goals. The sales strategy underpins the overall business strategy and ensures that the sales teams know what they are doing – with clear goals and objectives.
2. Sales directors lead the sales team
These directors are inspiring, energised and focused, helping to motivate, inspire and train their sales reps to deliver to their highest potential. They also implement the right training schemes, development programmes and upskilling opportunities and organise secondments, mentoring and other types of development to benefit the business.
3. They motivate sales reps
Sales directors also motivate their teams by implementing reward and recognition schemes that encourage their reps to deliver their targets and perform to their best abilities. They naturally know what builds a great business, and possess the skills and attributes to do this by enabling and empowering others to perform and be their best.
4. They build powerful teams
Sales directors will hire sales managers, consultants, trainers and other specialist sales roles to build powerful, capable teams that deliver for the business. They will fight to get the budget that they need to build these team capabilities and provide evidence and business cases to justify and unlock this spending from the corporate centre.
5. They report and evidence
Sales directors are also responsible for providing reporting and analysis that explains the results the sales team have achieved, and which evidences attainment and progress. They also produce sales pipeline reports to show where warm clients are being nurtured and progressed along the sales funnel towards an eventual conversion.
6. Sales directors work closely with marketing
Sales directors also work closely with their marketing colleagues to help create integrated campaigns that combine both functions to bring sales on board. Marketing and sales are invariably entwined and good directors will build close relationships with their marketing counterparts to achieve the best possible results for the business.
Find out more how Sales Geek can help you
Sales Geek delivers top-quality outsourced sales solutions to meet all business needs – without the cost and risk of hiring an in-house sales director. Whether you need a flexible sales consultant, trainer or director, our outsourced services give your business access to the expertise and delivery power it needs, with complete flexibility and affordability. Contact us to find out more!
