How to find the best sales manager for an online store?

Every online store owner knows: finding the ideal sales manager is like looking for a needle in a haystack. But imagine that you finally found it. Sounds tempting? Then let's look at what steps will help you achieve this goal. Even the most experienced salesperson will be of no use if his values and work ethic are fundamentally different from those of your company. The strategies and recommendations discussed later in the article will help you not only find the ideal sales manager, but also confidently build a successful online business.

Glossary

• 📋 Resume: A document containing a summary of an applicant's professional experience, skills, and education .
• 🧑💼 Sales Manager: An employee responsible for selling the company's products or services, maintaining the customer base and increasing arrived.
• 🌐 Online store: A virtual marketplace where goods and services are sold online.
• 🛠 Job Skills: Specific skills and knowledge required to perform job duties at a high level.
• 🎓 Education: The formal process of learning, acquiring knowledge and skills in educational institutions.
• 🏠 Remote work: Work from any place other than the company's office space, via the Internet and other means of communication.
• 🔎 Selection Methods: Various methods for selecting suitable candidates, including resume review, interviews and testing.
• 👥 Mass Interview: Multiple candidates are interviewed at the same time, allowing the employer to quickly evaluate a large number of applicants.
• 🙋 Personal interview: An individual meeting between a potential employer and a candidate to discuss qualifications and personal qualities in more detail.
• 🚀 Preparing for work: The process of introducing a new employee to a position, training him in the necessary procedures and technologies for working in the company.

Key Responsibilities of a Sales Manager

When I first faced the task of selecting a sales manager for an online store, I realized how important a role this specialist plays in the successful operation of a business. Not only sales volumes, but also the image of the company depend on his competence. To begin with, the sales manager is responsible for strategic and operational sales management, coordination of work with clients and the formation of a client base, which I consider necessary for every successful company.

Job Responsibilities

In my experience, an effective sales manager should:

• 🚀 Work with clients:

  • Make calls using installed scripts.
  • Conduct newsletters via email and other communication channels.
  • Advise clients and help in choosing products.

• 📊 Build client bases:

  • Collect and update data about the customer base.
  • Use CRM systems to manage interactions with customers.
  • Actively seek new clients and retain existing ones.

• 🔍 Know the market and audience:

  • Study the target audience of the online store.
  • Analyze competitive offers on the market.
  • Build long-term relationships with clients.

• 💬 Be able to write business letters:

  • Competently compose commercial proposals.
  • Maintain a positive company image through written and oral communications.

Real example

In practice, I was faced with a situation where selecting a suitable sales manager was critically important. In one of the projects, the manager was required not only to perform standard duties, but also to adapt to the specific needs of the company. We were looking for a person who would not just execute scripts, but understand the client’s needs. I can confidently say that thanks to the right approach to recruiting, we were able to find the ideal candidate, which increased our sales by 20% in the first quarter of work.

How I select candidates

I believe that successfully recruiting a sales manager requires a combination of technical skills and personal qualities. When conducting interviews, I always pay attention to the following aspects:

• Work experience: Ask the candidate about his previous achievements and failures. Experience in similar positions and results speak volumes.

• Communication skills: I always check how The candidate communicates well and listens well. You can find out by asking him to describe how he deals with difficult clients.

• Tool knowledge: knowledge and experience with CRM systems and other sales management tools are an important criterion.

• Technical Skills and Analytics: Ask the candidate to bring examples where he used analytics to improve sales.

As a result of these steps, we were able to find a professional who fit perfectly into the team and helped significantly improve our sales figures.

Tip: Don't be afraid to take the time to find the right candidate. The right sales manager will become the basis for the successful operation of your online store.

Table: What is useful and what is harmful

Remember, I am sure that the competent selection of a sales manager can significantly improve your business performance. Use these tips and share them with your colleagues!

Useful information: Creating a client base

The Importance of Good Communication Skills as a Sales Manager

When I was looking for the best sales managers for my online store, I realized how Good communication skills are important. Without the ability to communicate effectively with clients, employees, partners and suppliers, even the most experienced professional will not be able to effectively perform his or her duties.

🗣️ Mastery of the art of conversation

In my practice, it has been repeatedly confirmed that a manager needs not just language, but the ability to think through and structure his conversations. Before a candidate receives a position, I make sure to conduct a communication test. Only those who can competently present arguments , are not afraid of objections and are able to find solutions on the fly can apply for a job.

✉️ Written communication

I also noticed written communication skills. It is important that managers know how to write clear and structured letters. This not only helps build relationships with clients, but also improves internal documentation. When my candidate demonstrated that he could write letters and reports effectively, I knew he would be an important part of our team.

How I test communication skills

📊 Practical assignments

Practical assignments have become the most effective method of testing communication skills. I always encourage candidates to solve a few real-life customer service cases. These tasks make it clear how the candidate will behave in various situations, what approaches and tactics he uses.

🤔 Real life scenarios

I also used reflective questions . For example:

• "What would you do if a customer insists on returning an item that has already been used?"
• "How would you resolve a conflict between two employees?"

In the answers I was looking not only for logical and professional arguments, but also emotional maturity and the ability to maintain a positive mindset

Personal example of the importance of communication

Once, when I was hiring a new manager, he was faced with a very difficult client who did not want to accept our conditions. This case was a real test for my new employee. The candidate not only coped with the situation, but also. and managed to turn it into an opportunity to increase customer loyalty. He used active listening techniques, clearly voiced the customer's pain points and suggested solutions. This was a great example for me of how. Good communication skills are important for the successful work of a sales manager.

Table

As for the target audience, a competent manager must understand its expectations and preferences. This will help you find a common language with any client, which, in turn, contributes to business growth.

For online store owners, my advice is to look at potential candidates as an important part of your communication network. The quality of communication directly affects the success of the business and the overall impression that customers leave with.

🔗 Find out more about 's target audience here.

The need for education for a sales manager

In my In practice, many times I have been faced with the question: is higher education necessary for a successful sales manager in an online store? I can confidently say that having a management degree can open additional doors, especially if you have a large store with growth prospects and the ability to offer competitive salaries. However, if you're working on a tight budget and looking for candidates with diverse responsibilities, the situation changes a little.

Professional and personal qualities above all

I am convinced that the main thing is the professional skills and business qualities of the candidate. Some of the key qualities I have looked for in my practice include:

• 🟢 Communication skills
• 🌟 Persuasion and negotiation skills
• 💡 Ability to work in a team
• 🔧 Problem solving and conflict management skills

I would recommend paying attention to the candidate's personal characteristics, such as charisma and sociability. In one of my projects, we initially hired a person without a specialized education, but with high communication skills. He required minimal corporate training and the results exceeded expectations.

Experience has shown that quality training and motivation can make up for the lack of formal education.

Corporate training: the key to success

If you do not have the opportunity to employ highly paid specialists , I advise you to consider the option of corporate training. Corporate training can compensate for the lack of formal education and give your employees the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed on the job.

I organized a training program in our online store, and it included:

• 📚 Basics of sales and techniques for “competent handling of objections”
• 🚀 Training in working with CRM -systems
• 📝 Courses on products and services of the company

The results of this approach were positive: employees began to demonstrate better results within a month after the start of training.

Examples from real life

In one of my projects, when our company was expanding and new personnel were needed, we decided to hire a young specialist who was charismatic and sociable, but had no experience in sales. After corporate training and mentoring, he became one of the best sales managers on the team.

I am confident that by considering the above strategies and approaches, you will be able to find an effective sales manager for your online store who will help increase sales and grow your business.

Search for a sales manager: Personal interview and remote work

When hiring a sales manager for an online store, I often faced the question: can such an employee work effectively remotely? So let me tell you how I did it.

Personal Interview - Required Step

I have always considered the personal meeting to be a key step in hiring. The fact is that at a personal meeting I can evaluate the candidate live - see his reaction to tricky questions, test his knowledge and make sure that he is really suitable for our team. I always recommend meeting in person at least once, even if the employee is expected to work remotely.

📝 Personal experience:

There was a case when I conducted an interview remotely, the examinee made a good impression during the video call, but When we met in person, it turned out that he was not communicative enough in live communication. This helped me avoid the mistake of hiring the wrong candidate.

I can confidently say that an in-person interview helps prevent many possible hiring mistakes. A personal meeting provides a clear understanding of whether the candidate is suitable for the role.

Remote work - Is this approach realistic?

After the personal interview has been completed and the candidate has been selected, you can move on to remote work. I am sure that thanks to modern technologies this is becoming quite possible: a telephone, a computer and the Internet are all you need to successfully perform your duties remotely.

📝 Tips for organizing remote work:

• 📱 Create reliable communication channels: use instant messengers , video conferencing and work chats.
• 🎯 Set clear goals: To prevent a manager from getting lost in things, it is always important to have a list of tasks and clear goals.
• 📊 Track results: regular reporting will help you see how an employee copes with responsibilities.

I believe that for a successful remote manager it is important to create a clear communication system and reporting. This will help keep your employee highly productive and motivated.

Meetings personally for productive work

Despite all the advantages of remote work, in order to successfully understand all the intricacies of work, I find it useful to hold personal meetings. In my experience, personal communication helps to better reveal a manager’s potential and build trusting relationships.

📝 Example from personal experience:

I recently hired a manager from another city. We only met in person once, but it allowed me to:

• 📞 Assess his communication skills,
• 📂 Test his knowledge of the product and sales processes,
• 🤝 Form the basis for further productive relationships.

I highly recommend meeting the remote candidate in person at least once. This will help you better understand his potential and establish a more trusting and effective working relationship.

Best practices

I encourage you to consider all these suggestions when hiring a sales manager for an online store. This will help you find the most competent and effective candidate who can work both remotely and in person.

Life hacks for finding a sales manager for an online store

Where to look for a sales manager for an online store?

In searching for a competent sales manager for an online store, I used several effective strategies that I want to share with you.

Freelance exchanges

The first option is freelance exchanges. Yes, it’s not just copywriters and web developers who work there. More precisely, they do too, but there is a nuance: these people already have experience working with clients on exchanges - the customer is the same as a client for them. This means that, in theory, they can handle a manager's job. In the past, I have successfully found some great managers by posting jobs on such platforms. An absolute bonus was that they already had the skills to work with different clients and understood how to negotiate. But, of course, the interview process turned out to be the decisive stage.

Job search sites

Another method, which I used were job search sites such as GRC.ua. These resources constantly publish tons of resumes in a variety of specialties. Create your ad or find job seekers' resumes. In one of my projects, I found a wonderful specialist through GRC.ua, paying attention to their work experience, achievements and personal qualities.

Classifieds sites

Don't forget about such sites , like OLX. These platforms are also very actively used for job search. It is not uncommon to find potential candidates ready to start working immediately. Having published our vacancy on such resources, we received hundreds of responses and had the opportunity to choose the best of the best.

Social networks

Social networks play a big role in recruitment. In specialized vacancy groups you can both find an employee and publish a candidate’s resume. Personally, I found it helpful to search for employees on LinkedIn and Facebook. In one of the groups, I found an ideal candidate who already had experience as a sales manager in online stores.

Word of mouth

One of the most time-tested methods is word of mouth. Many of my colleagues and friends often recommend their friends. This is how I found one of my best managers - through the recommendation of a former colleague. This allows you to be sure that a toxic employee will not appear under the guise of a good friend.

Best practices

To find a sales manager, use various channels:
🗂 Resume databases on GRC.ua
📢 Recruiting agencies
📃 Specialized groups in social networks
🗣 Recommendations from colleagues

Tips

Correct methods:

1. 📍 Use freelance exchanges
   They offer access to candidates with different levels of experience.

2. 🌐 Post vacancies on job sites
   This significantly expands the pool of potential candidates.

3. 👥 Contact your contacts
   Personal recommendations are a great way to find a reliable employee.

Incorrect methods:

1. ❌ Ignore Social Media
   They can be a very effective recruiting tool.

2. ❌ Limited to one platform only
   The more channels you use, the higher your chances of finding the perfect candidate.
   
   

Review of methods. Usefulness and tips

Helpful Tips

• Conduct thorough interviews. Take the time to discuss the candidate's previous experience in detail. This will help assess his professional skills and personal qualities.
• Use test tasks. They will help you understand how suitable the candidate is for your company and is ready to cope with the assigned tasks.
• Consider candidates for promotion from among your employees. If you know that someone is doing an excellent job and shows great promise, feel free to promote them to manager.

By following these tips, you can greatly simplify the process of finding and hiring a top-notch sales manager who will help grow your online store and increase sales.

How to find the best sales manager for an online store

Careful analysis of the resume

When I started looking for a sales manager for my online store, I realized that a careful analysis of the resume is the first and most important step. I came to the conclusion that paying attention to such key points as the candidate’s work experience and achievements is very important. For example, if a candidate has successful sales experience in online trading, this is a huge plus. Viewing photographs from the interface of an employment platform (for example, GRC.ua), after a detailed analysis of the resume, demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach.

📝 Recommendations:

• 📎 Pay attention to: specific achievements and quantitative indicators (for example, “increased sales by 30%”).
• 🔍 Experience in a similar field: if the candidate has worked with similar products, this is a huge advantage.
• 📈 Pay attention to stability: stable career development, lack of frequent job changes.

Conducting a mass interview

While practicing mass interviewing, I realized that this is a great way to select the most promising candidates. By conducting several interviews via video conferencing, I was able to quickly and effectively weed out unsuitable candidates. During these meetings, I asked simple screening questions to determine how well the candidates met our requirements.

❓ Examples of questions for a mass interview:

• "What attracts you to work in our online store?"
• "What tasks did you perform at your previous job?"
• "What is most important to you in your work process?"

After analyzing the responses, I was able to identify those who have the necessary competencies and motivation. In this case, an important aspect is the observation of non-verbal signals. Ease of communication, self-confidence and correct manners often indicate excellent communication skills, which immediately confirmed my guesses.

Personal interview with finalists

When I arranged personal interviews with finalists, I paid special attention to direct communication. After reviewing the candidates' achievements and failures, I found out their skills and abilities. My key questions included:

• "Tell me about your main successes in your previous job."
• "What was your sales conversion rate?"
• "How many new clients have you attracted in the last 6 months?"

At this point, I also invited each candidate to sell me a random item. Such assignments not only reveal the level of sales skills, but also show how creative and adaptable the candidate is. The better the candidates performed on these tasks, the more clear it became to me which of them was truly worthy of taking this position.

🙌 Tips:

• Ask specific questions about past experiences.
• Ask candidates to demonstrate their skills in practice.
• Be attentive to candidates' behavior in stressful situations.

Preparing the candidate for work

After selecting a suitable candidate , I always pay attention to feedback. I tell him about the mistakes I made and highlight successful solutions so that he understands my expectations and can adapt to the working conditions in our online store. I consider candidate training mandatory, as this not only helps him quickly join the team, but also learn the specific features of our company.

📋 Important at this stage:

• ✍️ Tell the candidate about all his mistakes and successes.
• 📚 Provide training on the specifics of your online store.
• 📧 Be sure to save the contacts of other candidates in case the selected employee fails.

I also believe that successful integration of a new employee largely depends on good onboarding and a clear understanding of the job structure. What is important here is a manager who is ready to support and mentor a new employee.

🤓 Top tips:

• Provide clear instructions and support.
• Monitor onboarding processes and assist as needed.

Integration and development of a new employee is the key to the successful growth of your online store.

Expertise Pedigree

While working with one of our clients, the online pet products store "Pedigree", we were faced with the important task of hiring an effective sales manager.

Description of the client, their business and goals

Pedigree is a well-known brand that specializes in selling pet products. The main emphasis is placed on dog food, which is distinguished by high quality and variety of assortment. The company's main goals include:

• 📈 Increasing sales through online channels.
• 🎯 Optimization of customer service through highly qualified personnel.
• 🏆 Strengthening the brand in the market by improving the quality of customer interaction.

Identifying major goals and objectives to achieve

Achieving the above goals required hiring qualified sales manager who would:

• Possess a high level of knowledge in the field of sales of products for animals.
• Understood the characteristics and preferences of the target audience.
• Could quickly resolve emerging issues and conflicts with clients.

Formulation of the main problem to solve

The problem was the lack of a specialist capable of effectively managing the process sales in an online store. The main tasks of included:

• Finding experienced and competent candidate.
• Ensuring that the candidate meets the company's requirements.
• Integration of a new employee into an existing team.

Characteristics and interests of the target audience

The target audience of the Pedigree online store includes:

• Dog owners who pay great attention to the quality of feed.
• Buyers who value convenience and fast service online.
• People with an active interest in the health and well-being of their pets.

Key points of interest for potential clients

To attract and retain customers, it is important to consider:

• 🏷️ Wide range products and current offers.
• 🔔 Fast order processing and quality service.
• 📦 Convenient delivery and availability of various payment options.

Candidate selection methods and project results

To solve the problem, we used several selection methods:

1. View resume:

   • 📄 First of all, the candidates' resumes were analyzed for compliance with the requirements.
   • ⭐️ Candidates with experience in similar companies and positive reviews were selected.

2. Mass interview:

   • 🗣️ A group interview was conducted for the initial selection of applicants.
   • 🔍 Professional skills and abilities of candidates were assessed in real communication conditions.

3. Personal interview:

   • 👥 Aimed at deeper testing of the competencies of selected candidates.
   • 📊 Attention was paid not only to professional knowledge, but also personal qualities, such as stress resistance and the ability to work in a team.

4. Getting ready for work:

• 📚 Conducted training and introductory sessions for a new employee.
• 💡 The emphasis is on familiarizing yourself with the company’s products and the features of the customer base.

Facts and project results

After implementing all the described stages, Pedigree succeeded:

• 👨💼 Find and hire a qualified sales manager who fully meets the company's requirements.
• 🚀 Increase sales by 25% in the first three months after hiring a new employee.
• 💬 Improve the quality of customer service, which was confirmed by positive reviews and an increase in loyalty indicators.

Working with the Pedigree online store has shown the high efficiency of our approach to selection and hiring new personnel, which significantly increased sales figures and improved the quality of customer service.

Frequently asked questions on the topic: How to find the best sales manager for an online store?

Thank you for reading and your ingenuity! 🌟

Congratulations, you have become a true expert in finding the best sales manager for your online store! You have learned professional skills , experience and personal qualities are important, as well as what selection methods and recommendations will help you in this difficult task. Now every deal in your online business will shine like a new star in my literary cosmos. Please share your thoughts in the comments, I'd love to hear your thoughts! 🚀

Author: Yulia Portnova, independent expert on Elbuz.

About me: Words are my tool in creating a symphony of online store automation. Welcome to my literary cosmos, where every idea is a star on the path to a successful online business!