Sales Director
Any business, whether they’re mass producing widgets or selling their consultancy services, needs a steady flow of new customers to achieve growth or replace those that are lost.
In a competitive sector, that can’t be done with placing ads in industry newspapers and building a website – it needs an overarching sales strategy that takes the board’s growth and sustainability goals and achieves them through winning new clients and keeping existing clients happy.
This strategy is the responsibility of the director of sales, an executive level position that ensures the commercial health of the company is assured, at least from the revenue perspective.
The sales director accomplishes this strategic goal by managing a team of sales consultants, which might have its own hierarchy or could be just a few people, depending on the size of the business.
Sales Director skills required
Sales director jobs always require a good understanding of the basics of sales: marketing, networking, negotiation and contracts. A vital component of the skill set will be an ability to fully understand the products and services they are selling, as they may well be asked very technical questions whether it’s a sales meeting or a trade fair, and full knowledge is impressive and expedient.
They’ll also need to know the capabilities of the production team, supply chain and logistics when they are promising to supply goods or services to customers. That means they should be able to communicate effectively internally and externally, and to maintain good working relationships across the board.
Sales Director Jobs in Blackburn
A large town in Lancashire, Blackburn is a busy place with many opportunities for those looking for Sales Director vacancies. Plus, it's just nine miles from Preston and 20 miles from Manchester, thus offering an easy commute for those who live or work in these other locations.
From the middle of the 13th century, Blackburn was a mill town that produced textiles - and was once known as the weaving capital of the world. The spinning jenny, was invented by local James Hargreaves in 1764 and it paved the way for Blackburn to become one of the first industrialised towns.
After the end of the second world war, Blackburn's textile sector experienced a brief boost, and then fell into decline. Along with the rest of the region, a combination of deindustrialisation and global competition meant much of the work was outsourced abroad and the town suffered economically.
Today, Blackburn is experiencing a renewal, as the economy switches from manufacturing-led industries to the service sector. However, around 20 per cent of the local workforce is still based in manufacturing, with one major employer being BAE Systems.
Other top employers in Blackburn include the local council and Blackburn College, as well as the East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.
The IT, finance and communications sectors also play a big part in the local economy, and many of the leading companies in these fields can be found in places like Greenbank Business Park and Shadsworth Business Park.
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Sales director jobs at Cast UK
Cast UK specialises in executive-level recruitment in a wide range of industries. We are a hub for both those seeking to take a step up the career ladder and those looking for top quality talent.
If you need to find that director of sales to realise your goals and strategies, get in touch with Cast UK on 0333 121 3345 today or contact us here.
If you’re a sales director or are ready to use your experience to become one, please register with us here to get ahead of your next career move.
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