How Do I Become a Sales Operations Manager?

The role of a sales operations manager entails maximizing the sales team's efforts, setting sales targets, analyzing performance and sales data, and implementing processes to improve sales processes and efficiency. Sales operation manager jobs typically require a combination of education—usually a bachelor’s degree—and experience. As it’s a management-level role, you’ll likely see job listings seeking candidates with at least a few years of professional experience.

Explore the role of a sales operations manager and the qualifications you need to work in the field. Discover the salary you can expect in this role to help determine if it’s the right path for you and your career. 

What are sales operations?

Sales operations can consist of a department, person, or strategy designed to support the sales team and enable them to do their job effectively. Sales operations processes improve efficiency by creating systems, optimizing technology and tools, plus using data to analyze what is working and what needs improvement. Sales operations managers work within the sales department, usually with supervisory responsibility for sales team members. 

What's the difference between sales operations and sales enablement?

As discussed, sales operations support the sales team's effectiveness in their role. In contrast, sales enablement provides the tools to make sales, such as better CRM systems, training, pitching tools, and sales forecasting technology. 

Sales operations and sales enablement are closely linked, so it's important to understand how they overlap and complement each other.

Sales operation manager tasks and responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of a sales operations manager vary according to the industry in which you work. Such factors include the size of the company and the size of the sales team. The following are some key responsibilities a sales operations manager might oversee:

• Manage sales processes and oversee related systems and procedures.

• Tracking, analyzing, and reporting on sales data to improve sales strategy efficiency.

• Using data to analyze customer trends.

• Researching new technologies and tools and implementing them for the team.

• Managing CRM data and tools.

• Overseeing new sales team members’ onboarding and training.

• Collaborating with various teams, such as the marketing department. 

Types of sales managers

Sales management is a diverse career field, with different roles tailored to the needs of different industries. Let's explore a few examples:

Regional sales manager: oversees sales operations in a specific geographical region.

Inside sales manager: oversees a sales team that connects with customers remotely (phone calls, email, or web communication).

Enterprise sales manager: oversees a team's efforts to serve large corporate clients.

E-commerce sales manager: oversees a team's online and digital sales efforts.

How to become a sales operations manager

To work in sales operations, you must meet specific requirements, which may vary slightly according to each employer. They generally include a relevant bachelor’s degree and experience in sales or operations. It would be best if you also had a range of both workplace and technical skills for this role. Take a closer look at the necessary steps to start this career.

Step 1: Complete your education.

The minimum requirement to work as a sales operations manager is usually a bachelor’s degree in a relevant subject, such as business, marketing, or technology. According to Zippia, 70.2 percent of sales operations managers have a bachelor’s degree, and 9 percent have a master’s degree [1]. 

Step 2: Gain relevant experience.

Experience is everything when you enter the job market as a sales operations manager, with employers typically looking for at least two years in the field. You may start in entry-level roles like sales associates, customer service representatives, or retail. You could then work your way up or leverage your experience to apply for a position. You may also complete an internship while you study for a degree. 

Read more: 6 Entry-Level Sales Jobs + How to Get One

Step 3: Complete a certification.

Having a certification is a plus for working in sales operations. Having this on your resume can give you the edge over your competition and teach you relevant skills that a degree program may not cover. 

Sales operation manager skills 

You are building your skills by following the above steps to gain relevant experience, education, and training. As a sales operations manager, you’ll need a combination of both workplace and technical skills to perform well in the role.

Workplace skills:

• Organization

• Project management

• Team management

• Problem-solving

• Attention to detail

• Leadership

• Communication

Technical skills:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) 

• Pipeline management

• Data analysis

• Sales forecasting

• Salesforce

• Process improvement 

Sales operations manager salary and job outlook

According to Lightcast™, sales managers earn an average annual income of $145,962.37 [2]. In comparison, data from Glassdoor reveals the average annual salary for a sales operations manager is $91,390 for base pay and $124,892 with additional compensation, such as commission and profit sharing. These figures increase with experience and can reach as high as $166,000 with bonuses and other compensation factored in [3].

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates the average growth rate for sales manager roles to be 4 percent, which is about average [4]. A benefit of working as a sales operations manager is having options spread across various sectors. You can work for various industries in both large and small companies and organizations, including retail, manufacturing, technical fields, or finance.

Career advancement opportunities

It takes experience to establish yourself as a sales operations manager, usually starting in an entry-level position, such as a customer service or sales role. Once you have worked up to sales operations manager, you can continue climbing to positions such as operations director. Discover related sales operations manager job titles that you can aim for and the salary for each:

• Account manager

• Director of sales operations

• Vice president of sales operations

• Sales analyst

• Marketing operations analyst

• Sales operations specialist

• Sales development representative

• Chief sales officer

Industries and companies that hire sales operation managers

Sales operations managers enjoy demand in many industries, so job options are vast. Some sectors you might consider working in might include:

• Manufacturing

• Technology

• Retail

• Finance

• Wholesale

Within these, some companies are more desirable than others to work for, but it will also depend on your experience and interests. Some top companies to consider, according to Glassdoor, include [5]:

• Amazon

• Dell Technologies

• Salesforce

• Oracle

• Verizon

Getting started in sales management with Coursera

As a sales operations manager, you help ensure the efficiency of a company's or business's sales structure. To be successful in this career, consider continuing your education with a degree in business or marketing and gaining experience through entry-level and related roles.

Taking online courses is one way to develop your skills and set yourself on the path to securing a position as a sales operations manager. Consider options like the Salesforce Sales Operations Professional Certificate or Principles of Management offered by Johns Hopkins University on Coursera to enhance your knowledge of sales and management practices to succeed in your career.