Would you like to become a sales operations manager? Or are you considering hiring one?
Research from CSO Insights found that 79.1% of organizations in the technology industry already have a dedicated sales enablement initiative or function, compared to an average of 50% across other industries.
If you're like these companies, who need to create effective sales systems so salespeople can be productive and effective in their roles, then it's likely time to hire a sales operations manager.
So, what key skills and experience should a sales operations manager have? Let's dive in and take a look.
Sales Operations Manager
The goal of sales operations is to reduce friction in the sales process, so salespeople are successful in their day-to-day activities. A sales operations manager is responsible for supervising a team of sales operations specialists.
Leadership and prior sales operations experience are often required for a sales operations manager role. Sales operations managers often report to a VP or director of sales operations. A bachelor's degree is often required, and a higher level of education like a master's degree might be recommended for those applying to senior operations manager positions.
Sales operations managers should have the following skills:
- Business acumen
- Organizational skills
- Pipeline management
- Program management
- Analytics and reporting expertise
- Understanding of CRM and database software
- Experience with financial systems
- Prior people management experience
Sales operations manager salaries vary by company, job location, and years of experience. Here are a few average base salaries for sales operations managers.
1. $60,460 (Indeed)
This is the average salary for a sales operations manager in the United States. It was estimated by salaries submitted by sales operations manager employees and users, and from job advertisements on Indeed.
2. $76,033 (PayScale)
PayScale found that $76,033 is the average salary for a sales operations manager. Use the PayScale tool to enter you city, years of experience, skills, and education to get a customized salary estimate.
3. $93,876 (Glassdoor)
The national average sales operations manager salary in the United States is $93,876, according to Glassdoor. Filter the salary estimate by industry, company size, and years of experience to adjust the result.
4. $94,230 (Salary.com)
According to Salary.com, the average salary for a sales operations manager is $94,230. Create your own customized salary report to get a personal estimate.
Sales operations manager job descriptions often vary by company or the experience level the company is hiring for. Here are a few additional sales operations manager job description examples.
Sales Operations Manager Job Description Examples
1. Sales Operations Manager Job Description
This sales operations manager job description was created by Hewlett Packard.
Source: Indeed
2. Senior Manager Sales Operations Job Description
The senior sales operations manager job description was written by Skillsoft.
Source: Skillsoft
Sales operations managers are key to running a successful sales operation and enabling your sales team to do its best work. To learn more, check out this ultimate guide to strategic planning next.
