Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Sales Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Sales Director sets the direction for the sales organisation, defining strategy, managing the sales pipeline and enabling the team to deliver outstanding results. They partner with marketing, product, finance and operations to align sales efforts with business objectives; they lead, coach and develop sales leaders and teams; they analyse market trends and competitive activity; they negotiate major deals; and they continuously improve sales processes and performance across the business.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Sales Manager (Regional or National)
Senior Account Director
Business Development Director

Advancement To:

Vice President of Sales
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
General Manager – Commercial

Lateral Moves:

Strategic Partnerships Director
Global Sales Director
Sales Operations Director

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and implement comprehensive sales strategies and business plans to meet and exceed revenue, margin and growth targets across assigned regions or business units.
Lead, coach and inspire the sales leadership team and their direct reports, creating a high‑performance culture anchored in accountability, development and continuous improvement.
Set sales targets, quotas and KPIs for teams and territories, monitor progress and intervene to course‑correct performance as needed.
Build, manage and optimise the sales pipeline, ensuring healthy deal flow, accurate forecasts, and effective prioritisation of opportunities.
Analyse market trends, customer needs, and competitive dynamics; use insights to refine tactics, launch new offerings and protect market share.
Collaborate with marketing, product management and other cross‑functional teams to align go‑to‑market plans, launch new solutions and optimise customer engagement.
Oversee major account relationships, contract negotiations and strategic deals, ensuring mutually beneficial terms, revenue growth and customer retention.
Develop and manage the sales budget, allocate resources effectively, monitor expenses and ensure profitability in line with business objectives.
Monitor sales performance metrics regularly, conduct data‑driven reviews, and present accurate reports and insights to senior leadership and stakeholders.
Design and implement sales processes, tools and workflows (including CRM, sales automation) to improve productivity, transparency and forecasting accuracy.
Evaluate and optimise territory coverage models, channel structures and partner networks to maximise reach, efficiency and growth potential.
Identify, recruit, onboard and develop top sales talent, build succession plans and ensure the team has the skills and capabilities needed for future growth.
Drive process improvement and innovation within the sales organisation, champion change initiatives, test new models and embed best practices.
Ensure consistent customer experience and satisfaction by overseeing service level standards, client feedback loops and retention strategies.
Represent the company at industry events, conferences, trade shows, partners and customer meetings to enhance brand presence and business opportunities.
Lead pricing strategy, margin optimisation and value‑based selling initiatives to improve profitability and competitive positioning.
Provide leadership in change management during business transformations, mergers, international expansion or entry into new markets.
Mentor and develop high‑potential sales managers, enabling them to grow into senior leadership roles and strengthening the wider commercial leadership bench.
Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, contractual and corporate governance standards in all sales activities and partnerships.
Monitor and manage customer credit risk, accounts receivable and collections in collaboration with finance to protect cash‑flow and margin.

Secondary Functions

Support ad‑hoc strategic analyses of sales and market data to inform future product or service initiatives.
Contribute to the organisation’s broader revenue strategy and roadmap via insight and strategic leadership.
Collaborate with other business units to translate sales feedback into product enhancements, marketing campaigns or operational improvements.
Participate in executive‑level strategic planning sessions and drive alignment across commercial functions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expertise in CRM and sales enablement tools, pipeline management platforms and reporting systems.
Advanced competency in sales forecasting, budgeting and financial planning.
Strong analytical capability: able to interpret sales data, market insights and performance metrics to drive decision‑making.
Skilled in strategic planning, territory management, channel design and business model optimisation.
Proven track record in contract negotiation, large deal closing and partner management.
Comfortable with digital selling models, sales automation, partner ecosystems and modern go‑to‑market technologies.
Excellent commercial acumen including pricing strategy, margin management and P&L awareness.
Ability to coordinate cross‑functional collaboration (marketing, product, operations) and drive integrated business initiatives.
Exceptional reporting and presentation capability for senior‑executive level discussion and board‑level communication.
Experience in building, scaling and leading a multi‑region or international sales organisation.

Soft Skills

Strong leadership and team‑development mindset: able to motivate, coach and build high‑performing sales teams.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with ability to engage with C‑suite, customers and internal stakeholders.
Strategic and visionary thinking: able to see the big picture, set direction and align teams to business goals.
High emotional intelligence and adaptability: able to lead in complex, ambiguous and fast‑changing environments.
Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making skills, especially under pressure and in competitive markets.
Customer‑centric mindset: focused on building long‑term relationships and understanding customer value.
Excellent time‑management and organisational skills: able to prioritise high‑impact initiatives across multiple stakeholders.
High level of integrity, resilience and perseverance to reach challenging objectives and lead change.
Collaborative and influencing nature: able to work across functions and senior leadership to deliver results.
Innovative mindset and continuous improvement orientation: committed to refining sales processes and driving excellence.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Sales, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MBA) or advanced studies in Sales Leadership, Strategy or Commercial Management.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Marketing & Sales Management
Strategic Leadership
Finance / Commercial Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8 to 15 years of progressive sales experience with at least 3 to 5 years in a senior leadership capacity.

Preferred:

Proven record of achieving revenue targets, scaling teams, managing P&L responsibilities and executing complex commercial strategies.
Experience working in multi‑geography, multi‑channel environments or with enterprise‑level customers.
Demonstrated comfort at working with C‑level stakeholders, participating in strategic planning and executing at executive‑level.