First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers

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Sales worker supervisors help their teams stay motivated and on track to meet their sales goals, while ensuring no customer leaves dissatisfied. Dealing with the public is critical to success for sales worker supervisors; contact with customers or staff is frequent. They need strong leadership skills and the knowledge to handle additional duties such as budgeting, accounting, and human resources tasks. Most sales supervisors are responsible for hiring, training, and evaluating their staff. In retail sales, supervisors schedule and manage sales workers for an entire store or a single department. Retail sales supervisors work at all manner of stores, from big box and department stores to small clothing boutiques, grocers and supermarkets to gas stations and car dealerships. In non-retail sales environments, such as wholesalers, credit card companies, or travel agencies, supervisors coordinate sales workers’ activities, and develop strategies to increase sales and promote the business. They resolve customer complaints regarding services, products, or personnel. Jobs are typically full time, and the majority of supervisors work more than 40 hours a week. Sales worker supervisors typically need a high school diploma and related work experience; some positions may require a bachelor’s degree.