Head of Sales Operations
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The Head of Sales Operations is the leader of the entire sales operations department, overseeing all of its activities. The Head of Sales is responsible for driving sales efforts in order to enhance the business’s position with consumers and to solidify the position of the business in the market.
This is inclusive of maintenance and development of the business’s sales information platforms, production steering, market intelligence, sales training, and consumer loyalty programs.
Objectives and Responsibilities of the Head of Sales Operations
Leadership/Supervisory Role: The first and most prominent role of the Head of Sales Operations is leading the sales operations department, monitoring the effectiveness of sales efforts and ensuring that they are aligned with the overall business objectives. In this position, the Head of Sales Operations creates processes that enable visible and transparent management and that utilize the available tools or implement new ones that bring about increased sales effectiveness.
The Head of Sales Operations ensures the availability of proper sales training initiatives as well as overseeing the planning and management for roles, responsibilities, values, and rules of engagement in the sales department. He will also align planning, forecasting and budgeting initiatives with business objectives in addition to developing departmental goals and objectives for further sales effectiveness.
At this capacity, the Head of Sales Operations also plays a mentorship role to key sales operations personnel, assisting in the execution of their duties upon request, ensuring constant improvement in their professional skills, and preparing them to take up his position in his absence or retirement.
Strategy: The Head of Sales Operations also plays a leading strategic role in the sales operations department. In this position, the Head of Sales Operations assists the sales department in driving sales growth strategies and ensuring that these strategies are adopted in all levels of the department. The Head of Sales Operations is charged with developing improvement plans that are based on sales performance reports and surveys.
He also implements consumer segmentation, targeting, and positioning initiatives that assist senior sales management/executives in deciding resource allocation based on the internal requirements and the external market. In this capacity, the Head of Sales Operations assists in the identification of solutions and technologies that drive sales efficiency and, consequently, revenue growth.
Analytics: The Head of Sales Operations plays an analytical role, where he is responsible for sales analytics, sales tracking, sales effectiveness, and reporting of sales performance. It is also his duty to enhance the manner in which data is collected and reported within the sales department. In this position, the Head of Sales Operations also conducts market analyses in order to identify opportunities for growing the business’s sales and communicating key messages.
The Head of Sales Operations provides smart consumer research and industry specific information as well as preparing weekly/monthly/quarterly/annually pipeline reports. He identifies market trends and tracks key competitors and on a regular basis, conducting competitive and SWOT analyses. In this capacity, he also develops sales reports for senior sales management and relevant stakeholders as well as driving the adoption and usage of sales automation solutions.
Collaboration: The role of the Head of Sales Operations is also a collaborative position where he works with cross-functional teams, for example, the marketing department, in the business in order to develop innovative integrated plans and strategies for the purpose of reaching mutually agreed upon targets. The Head of Sales Operations also works closely with the senior sales operations department streamlining sales processes/strategies, allocating quotas, balancing territories, and enhancing visibility of pipeline management.
He also works collaboratively with the human resources department in determining the criteria for the department’s recruitment so as to determine effective performance in the department.
Knowledge and Opportunity: The Head of Sales Operations is responsible for identifying and understanding trends within the market and amongst consumers. He vigorously pursues opportunities that increase sales volumes for the business and keeps track of prospective markets and consumers, developing processes that communicate key differentiators of the business/product in order to attract those prospects. The Head of Sales of Operations also attends and actively participates in sales events, seminars, and workshops, establishing the business as an industry leader while simultaneously identifying, and capitalizing on any prospects.
Other Duties: The Head of Sales Operations also performs other duties as he deems necessary in the execution of his functions or duties as assigned by the Director of Sales, the Chief Sales Officer, or the Employer.
Required Qualifications of the Head of Sales Operations
Education: Head of Sales Operations must have a master’s degree (Phd preferred) in Sales, Marketing, Finance, or any other business related field. An equivalent of the same in working experience is also acceptable.
Experience: A candidate for this position must have over 10 years in working experience in a sales operation department of a business in a fast-paced and highly competitive environment, preferably working as a Senior Sales Operations Manager. The candidate will also have a proven and successful experience managing a cross-functional team leading that team to the achievement of sales objectives and targets. A suitable candidate will also demonstrate strong business acumen and have proven planning skills and executive presence.
Communication Skills: Communication skills are an absolute necessity in this position. The clarity of communications from the Head of Sales Operations will be a great determinate of the effectiveness of the performance in the entire sales operations department. Efficient communication skills will also be necessary in his external interactions with consumer and prospective consumers as well as internally with senior sales management, stakeholders, and collaborating personnel.
The Head of Sales Operations has to have excellent communication skills both in written and verbal form. Written skills will be necessary in drafting and tailoring reports and presentations for senior sales management and other audiences in a clear, concise, and convincing manner.
Ms Office: The Head of Sales Operations must also demonstrate proficiency in the use of Ms Word, Ms Excel, PowerPoint, which are necessary in the creation of visually and verbally engaging reports and presentations for the senior sales management, junior sales operations management, stakeholders, and collaborating personnel.
Analytical Skills: A candidate for this position must demonstrate exceptional analytical skills and a passion for the insights that result from those analyses. The candidate for this position must, therefore, possess an ability to analyze complex information and data, translating these findings into actionable deliverables, strategies, targets, messages, and presentations.
Interpersonal Skills: The Head of Sales Operations must also possess certain attributes that make him even more suited for the position. He must be consumer-oriented and have a passion for serving others, must work comfortably in a group setting, be self-motivated and inspire the same in his team, be a problem-solver and thought-leader, have strong strategic and thinking skills, have a positive winning attitude, and have an ability to maintain composure in stressful and uncertain situations.
People Skills: The Head of Sales Operations must have the ability to build and maintain strong and lasting relationships as a representative of the business, enabling him to lure in prospective consumers, therefore, furthering the business’s sales agenda. He must be an approachable individual with a likeable personality that makes working and associating with him and the business preferable.
Good people skills will also enable him to earn the trust of colleagues and senior management, therefore, enabling smooth performance of his duties.
