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 York
Known for its towering cathedral and tiny medieval streets that weave through the centre, York may seem old-fashioned in some places, but it offers a wealth of modern-day opportunities for those seeking Sales Director vacancies.
Of course, behind York's modern charm lies a city with a long history dating back thousands of years. Archaeological evidence has been found of a Mesolithic settlement from around 8000 BC, while there are also ruins of Roman and Anglo buildings.
Until the Industrial Revolution, York was a prominent trading town, although this dwindled in the 17th century as the city's main competitors, Leeds and Hull, began to take over.
However, the railway made it to York in 1839 and the city once again became a prominent location for the British economy. Indeed, companies like the North Eastern Railway, Rowntrees and Terry's were all based in the region during this time - and continued to be throughout the 20th century.
These days, much of York's business is in the service industry, including finance, IT and tourism. Some of the top employers in the region include Aviva, Shepherd Building Group and British Telecom.
Much of the confectionary industry has disappeared from York in the recent past, with a significant portion of production being moved abroad. However, Nestle still has headquarters and a large manufacturing and distribution facility in the city, making tasty treats like KitKats and Yorkie bars.
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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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