Becoming an Export Sales Manager

The following article outlines the job duties, training involved, salary expectations and future prospects of taking on a career as an Export Sales Manager.

Preview:

Export sales managers are responsible for selling the goods or services provided by their company in areas of the world outside their own country. These areas are targeted by their organizations' strategic plans.

The Job:

The job of export sales managers can vary considerably depending on how their companies are organized. Some sell their products and services abroad through agents, some maintain their own sales forces in countries they export to, and others sell directly by making frequent trips abroad to visit potential and existing customers.

Companies may operate all three systems, with a full sales team in countries where they have strong markets.

In companies that use agents in different countries, export sales managers may decide the location and distribution of these agents, recruit and train them in the details of their companies' products and philosophies, provide sales materials and advertising, and service their orders.

When a full sales team is in place, export sales managers are responsible for deciding which geographical areas each part of the team will cover, appointing leaders of local, regional, and countrywide sales forces, and providing full support in terms of sales materials, advertising, and the delivery of products.

If the job entails visits to clients abroad, these may be carried out by export sales managers, who have a full understanding of their companies' products.

In small companies, export sales managers may be responsible for all sales abroad, anywhere in the world. As their companies grow and more staff is recruited, the world will be split into regions. Many export sales managers have responsibility for sales to one continent or to a specific country where they can gain a great deal of expertise in local conditions.

In large companies, the marketing aspect of the work is performed by the marketing department. In smaller companies, however, export sales managers will be responsible for gaining an understanding of the overseas markets, of competitors' sales activities, of local laws and customs, of acceptable product names and packaging, and of the most effective media through which to advertise their products.

The work inevitably involves a considerable amount of travel, spending a lot of lime in airports and hotels, setting up meetings, and maintaining long-distance communication by telephone and fax.

Training Involved:

Training is threefold. First, there is training in the details of the products and services the company is trying to promote. If these are very sophisticated, this may be extensive.

Some products, such as financial products, can only be sold in some countries by people who have taken certain courses of study and passed professional examinations relating to those products. People selling engineered products may have to spend time in the design, development, production, and quality- assurance departments of their organizations gaining a detailed understanding of their products.

Second, there is sales training. Trainees learn how to put forward the key selling points of their products, study the behavioral and psychological aspects of sales and understanding how to clinch a deal.

Third, comes training in all aspects of exporting. Trainees must gain a complete understanding of export documentation and procedures. As well, they must get to grips with the cultures of the countries with which they will be trading.

Useful Qualifications to Have:

Qualifications may be unimportant or essential. People with few qualifications but the right personality can have excellent careers in sales. However, to sell pharmaceuticals, for example, you may need a relevant degree. An ability to speak the language of the country in which you are selling is vital.

Salary Expectations:

The base salary range of an Export Sales Managers ranges from $81,383 to $161,106 annually, while the median salary for most Export Sales Managers is $110,500 annually. (US Base Pay)

Future Prospects:

International trade ebbs and flows. Prospects in international sales management depend on working for organizations that have products in international demand. In the longer term, the most flexible, innovative companies, which can keep their products at the forefront by maintaining their competitiveness, are those that succeed. For candidates making their careers with such companies, or changing employers regularly to stay with such companies, the prospects are bright.

All jobs in export sales, with the exception of those administering the sales systems from head offices, involve some travel. Many require job holders to travel extensively. Days spent at home could be few. Promotion may be from having responsibility for a specific product in one country to overall control of a network of agents or sales personnel throughout the world, selling all of a company's extensive range of products.

Opportunities do arise for becoming freelance. By becoming a self-employed sales agent you may sell the products of several companies to a wide range of clients, and take a percentage of the purchase price as your commission.

For further information, contact government departments responsible for encouraging international trade, international chambers of commerce, and professional bodies concerned with marketing and sales.