Career guide

Sales Manager

Sales managers own a number and a team. The craft is pipeline discipline — knowing which deals are real, coaching reps on the calls that decide quarters, and forecasting honestly enough that the business can plan around you.

5 core skillsInterview questions →

What the work actually is

  • Pipeline reviews and deal strategy with reps
  • Coaching: call reviews, objection handling, negotiation
  • Forecasting and CRM hygiene
  • Hiring, territory design and quota setting

The skills that get you hired

Core — expected at interview

Pipeline managementCRM discipline (Salesforce/HubSpot)CoachingForecastingNegotiation

Differentiators

MEDDICC or similarSales engineering literacyMarketing alignmentAnalytics

The path

  1. Account Executive0–4 yrsCarry a bag; learn discovery better than pitching.
  2. Sales Manager4–8 yrsOwn a team's number; your calendar is coaching, not closing.
  3. Director / VP Sales8+ yrsOwn the model: segments, capacity, comp design.