Sales managers are responsible for orchestrating a company or organization’s sales team. Their job includes planning how best to utilize available resources, determining and addressing any changes necessary to meet customer needs, and helping their teams improve sales performance.

“They have to have a focus on improving the effectiveness of the salespeople in the organization,” says Bob Kelly, chairman and founder of the Sales Management Association. “This has become an increasing part of the sales manager job, and it positions the sales manager as a force multiplier in the organization. This is why sales managers are so important because if they’re effective in this role, they can have a compounding influence in the organization.”

A sales manager’s duties can differ depending on the size of their team and whether they work in a business-to-business environment, such as a manufacturer selling to a wholesaler, or a business-to-consumer setting, such as a car dealership or other retail establishment.

But regardless of where they work, sales managers generally hire and train salespeople, create plans to attract and retain customers, set sales goals, assign sales territories (if applicable), and complete assigned administrative work. In some cases, they also may deal with customers directly.

“It’s less important now that sales managers supervise and sort of make sure employees are doing the right things. We now have a lot of technology that can automate that,” Kelly says. “So the sales manager role as nanny is much less valuable to firms.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.0% employment growth for sales managers between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 22,500 jobs should open up.

According to the BLS, sales managers typically have a bachelor’s degree. But Kelly says it’s becoming more common for people in these roles to have a master’s degree.

“In terms of formal certifications or credentials, a college degree is pretty much accepted as minimum educational requirements,” he says. “Given how the job is changing, you’re much more likely to see advanced degrees in management roles now. MBAs tend to be the norm.”

Business schools at some universities offer master’s degree programs in sales management or sales leadership, although these programs are not ubiquitous.

Students who want a career in sales management can benefit from taking classes in business law, management, economics, accounting, finance, marketing, math and statistics, according to the BLS. Sales managers must also possess good communication skills for interacting with their team, customers and upper management. They need analytical skills to interpret sales data and determine the best course of action for reaching customers, and leadership skills to help their team members meet sales goals and grow in their careers.