First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers

Sales & Account Management

Level 4480 of 1200 points

Job description

First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers

Job purpose

To supervise and coordinate the activities of non-retail sales workers, monitoring performance against goals, resolving customer complaints and developing methods to increase sales, so that sales targets are met and stock, pricing and records are properly controlled.

Skills

Customer service principles and service quality standards, the business and management principles needed to plan, resource and lead a sales team, personnel procedure covering recruitment, selection, training and reward, economics and accounting for pricing and profitability, sales and marketing method, and arithmetic for quotas and margins. A bachelor's degree is the norm, with a further group holding a master's, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job or vocational training.
Listens to and resolves customer complaints about services, products and personnel, and visits retailers and sales representatives to promote products and gather information. Coaches, trains and evaluates sales staff and assists them with difficult or complicated duties, confers with company officials on methods to increase sales, expand markets and promote business, and attends company meetings to exchange product information and coordinate with other departments.
Analyses the details of sales territories to assess growth potential and set quotas, formulates pricing policies according to profitability requirements, and examines products and merchandise for condition, correct pricing and display and whether they function as advertised. Problems mix commercial judgement with staff performance and customer dissatisfaction; precedent exists in company policy, but decisions are frequent and their effect on colleagues and results is direct.
Plans and prepares work schedules and assigns employees to specific duties, sets long-range objectives and strategies for the team, coordinates sales promotion activities such as merchandise displays and advertising copy, and inventories stock and reorders at specified levels. Determines tasks and priorities to a considerable degree, within sales goals and profitability requirements set above.
Predominantly seated office work using computer systems, with travel by vehicle to retailers and sales representatives. Involves repetitive motions at a keyboard and the handling of merchandise for examination, but no other manual demands.

Responsibilities

Directly supervises and directs employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts and performing specific services. Hires, trains and evaluates personnel, monitors their performance against goals, plans their schedules and duties and assists them with difficult work, and carries some responsibility for their health and safety.
Formulates pricing policies on merchandise according to profitability requirements, sets quotas from territory analysis, prepares rental or lease agreements specifying charges and payment procedures, and directs the reconciling of cash receipts. Influences revenue and margin directly, within profitability requirements set by company officials.
Holds responsibility for stock: inventories it and reorders when levels drop to specified points, examines products purchased for resale or received for storage to determine condition, and checks merchandise for correct pricing and display. Coordinates merchandise displays for sales promotions and prepares agreements for the use of machinery, tools and other items.
Keeps records of purchases, sales and requisitions, and prepares sales and inventory reports for management and budget departments. The territory and sales analysis on which quotas and pricing rest is the postholder's own, so accuracy carries into commercial decisions, while the content and structure of reporting are set by management.

Effort required

Sustained analytical and supervisory attention: interpreting sales data, territory potential and pricing against profitability requirements while remaining available to staff and customers. Decisions are frequent and taken under marked time pressure, and interruption by telephone, e-mail and callers is constant.
Handles customer complaints about products, services and staff, conflict situations, and dealings with people who are unpleasant, angry or discourteous. Also evaluates and disciplines staff, presses a team towards targets it may not be meeting, and speaks to assembled groups, all of which requires composure under commercial and interpersonal pressure.
Largely seated at a desk with continuous screen and telephone use, with repetitive motions and periods in an enclosed vehicle when visiting retailers and representatives. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office and sales premises with no significant physical hazard, with travel by vehicle to retailers and sales representatives and some noise that distracts. The demand is psychosocial: continuous contact with staff and customers, part of it with angry or discourteous people, recurring conflict, and a competitive market in which results are visible.
Hours run beyond forty a week for the great majority of incumbents. Schedules divide evenly between an established routine and an irregular pattern following production demands or contract duration, with some seasonal working. Time pressure is high and much of the routine repeats, while decisions are frequent and carry direct effect on colleagues and results. Holds real freedom to determine tasks and priorities within sales and profitability goals.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 160 points▾

PeopleLevel 3 of 5
86 of 144 points
Moderate responsibility for people. The job includes overseeing or coordinating the work and well-being of others. This may involve supervising, providing regular support, managing conflicts, responding to an individual's needs and ensuring the personal and professional development of individuals.
Goods and equipmentLevel 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Limited responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the care and proper use of low-value tools or materials, with minimal responsibility for their maintenance or security.
InformationLevel 2 of 5
38 of 96 points
Limited responsibility for information. The job requires the individual to gather, process or share information in a controlled way, following guidelines or predefined procedures.
Financial resourcesLevel 1 of 5
19 of 96 points
Very limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling small amounts of cash or processing simple transactions, such as recording expenses or maintaining basic financial records.

Effort

15% · 65 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 2 of 5
29 of 72 points
Occasional psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires occasional involvement in emotionally demanding situations, such as handling minor conflicts or dealing with upset individuals.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.