Ultimate guide to Career in Sales : Different Types of Sales Jobs in India

If you want to climb the sales ladder, you may be at a loss as to what kind of sales position you should pursue next.

Instead, if you're in charge of growing your company's sales, you're probably on the lookout for new sales positions and the people who can fill them.

Whether you're in the market for a sales role or want to hire new salespeople, you'll find helpful information here on the 12 greatest sales roles to advertise, including details on duties, necessary skills and experience, salary ranges, and the impact each position has on a company's bottom line.

Find the Best Sales Job in India for You: Tips

You ought to understand what to search for before you can evaluate a sales position. If you are a Fresher don't miss to read "Sales jobs for Fresher's in India".

Think about these five things.

Career and Industry Path

Can you see yourself working for a company that provides software as a service (SaaS)? To become an account executive, you will probably need to begin as a BDR or business development representative. However, if you choose to work in manufacturing sales, you will likely be in charge of managing agreements from beginning to end.

The kind of job

The kind of sales job in India available to you will depend on the industry in which you work, and vice versa. Make sure the jobs and emphasis are in line with your objectives and preferences before committing to a certain professional path or sector.

Long-term Trends

The demand for BDRs, for example, is expected to rise rapidly over the next several years. Some are decreasing as well, such as the number of sales made via traditional channels. Make sure your job will still exist in 10 years before committing to a certain professional path.

Compensation

How would you want to be compensated monetarily? Salespeople may earn anything from a flat wage (in the retail industry) to 100% commission.  While the former provides more stability, the latter may provide substantial financial rewards for those who excel at it.

Considering the median and average salary for the position is even more crucial. It's possible that the salary offered by the company for the job of interest won't be sufficient to support your preferred standard of living.

If you're more comfortable handling inbound leads, a job that requires you to go out and seek chances may not be the greatest match.

Personality

If you don't enjoy doing the things that are expected of you, you'll be unhappy in this position. Someone who thrives on building long-term relationships with clients and seeing them succeed is well suited for account management.

Positions Most Often Found in the Sales Industry 

Different Types of Sales Jobs in India

1) Sales Development Representative (SDR) / Business Development Representative (BDR)

Position Level: Intermediate Level

SDRs at the intermediate level (also known as business development representatives, or BDRs) are in charge of the preliminary stages of the sales process. Finding new leads and researching their qualifications are all tasks that need doing.

Depending on the company, this might include things like searching for and contacting qualified leads, responding to inquiries for further data, following up with leads who have downloaded material, and prospecting using social media sites like LinkedIn.

An SDR will hand the lead over to a salesperson after they have established its viability. A sales representative's duties often include giving a product presentation or demonstration, answering questions from potential customers, and drafting a proposal.

SDRs aren't like closing sales reps in that they don't have quotas. They are often evaluated based on their output, such as the numeral messages delivered and received. Companies often pay SDRs commissions based on the ratio of encounters or opportunities passed on to partner representatives to those approved by those reps.

Finding out whether you're a good fit for the job: This role is an excellent stepping stone toward a sales career. One does not require much prior experience, and there is a well-defined route to advancement. The number of companies hiring SDRs with much less than a year of training has quadrupled since 2010.

It's probably not a good idea to work as an SDR if you're not confident about communicating via phone since that's how almost all of your time will be spent. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required for the average SDR position.

SDR / BDR Roles and Responsibilities

The primary purpose of this position is to advance leads and potential customers through the sales process. Lead creation, cold calling, emailing, lead conversion, and other similar tasks will be required on a daily basis. Those that are curious, dedicated, and eager to learn will thrive in this position.

SDR / BDR Salary in India

The average annual pay of a Sales Development Representative in India is 7.5 Lakhs, with a range from 3.2 Lakhs to 15.0 Lakhs.

2) The Inside Sales Representative 

Position Level: Intermediary

Inside sales are predicated on the fact that, with today's technology, salespeople can sell to almost anyone, anywhere.

Inside salespeople use digital mediums including phone, email, and video conferencing to build long-term connections with prospective clients and lead them through the sales process.

Unlike outside salespeople, inside salespeople spend most of their time in the office or on the road, rather than visiting clients face-to-face.

To determine whether an inside sales position is right for you, think about your own strengths as a communicator, motivation, and learning speed. An inside sales job in India may provide a solid foundation for a future in sales by providing a supportive learning environment in which to work alongside experienced salespeople.

Inside Sale Roles and Responsibilities

Makes new business connections via prospecting, relationship development, and the dissemination of technical knowledge, as well as the creation of price quotes.

Inside Sales Salary in India

Inside sales reps in India make an average of 3 Lakhs- 5Lakhs Indian rupees annually.

Suggested Read:  Career as Inside sales Executive

3) Outside Salesperson( Field Sales Person)

Position Level: Beginning to Middle

Due to the proliferation of digital communication platforms like email, media platforms, and video conferencing, as well as a rising preference among consumers to do business with salespeople over the phone or online, traditional outside sales positions are becoming less popular.

The majority of a salesperson's time for an outside sales team is spent "in the field," or making visits to prospective clients' workplaces. Whether it's all across town, the state, the nation, or the planet, you'll be on the go continuously.

Field sales may be lonely employment since you spend much of your time alone or with only a small group of coworkers. Conversely, you may expect a somewhat open schedule.

According to a study by the consulting company Pace Productivity, the typical outside sales professional works 48 hours per week and spends 13 percent of their time on the road.

Finding out whether you're a good fit for the job: For outside sales positions, where you often meet customers independently, companies prefer to hire someone with greater sales expertise. When working alone or with a small team, it's also more challenging to get a solid grounding in sales basics.

Therefore, if you're just starting out in sales, an outside sales job in India may not be the best fit. And whether you're a seasoned traveler or just starting out, the trip may be draining.

Selling on the outside can have its benefits. In-person interactions are often more successful in creating rapport and trust with potential customers. Many salespeople also like the freedom and independence that come with their jobs.

Field Sales Roles and Responsibilities

Sales growth is the primary objective for an Outside Sales Representative, who is tasked with establishing and maintaining positive connections with clients and customers. Prospecting for new clients, following up on sales leads, and keeping in touch with current clients are all tasks that may fall within the purview of this position.

Field Sales Salary in India

Upon entering the field as an Outside Salesperson in India, a newcomer might anticipate a monthly salary of about INR 18000- 20000.

4) Business Development Executive

​An ultimate guide to Business Development Executive | BDRs Job Description | BDRs Roles and Responsibilities | BDRs Salary​

5) Sales Manager 

Position Level: Supervisory Position

After around six to eighteen months in a new sales job in India, the great majority of applicants are ready for a promotion. In their new role as account executives, they are responsible for a wide variety of tasks, including but not limited to conducting demonstrations, delivering presentations, discovering and removing barriers to purchase, developing tailored value propositions, securing a purchase agreement, and negotiating terms.

The SMs have to meet certain targets in order to keep their jobs.

Finding out whether you're a good fit for the job: Once you've gained some sales experience under your belt, moving up to account executive is the next logical step. Since much of an SM's day is spent communicating with clients and potential customers via meetings, phone calls, emails, and social media, this is a role best suited to those who thrive in social situations.

The ability to bounce back quickly after a setback is essential. The SM function, like many others in sales, involves dealing with rejection and ambiguity. If you can't laugh off setbacks and maintain composure under pressure, you're doomed to a life of misery.

There are also many highlights, of course. This role is ideal for you if the prospect of making a significant sale or securing a once-in-a-lifetime break excites you.

Sales Manager's Roles and Responsibilities

Construct in-depth strategies for achieving targets and quotas

Take charge of every aspect of the transaction, from prospecting to closing.  Use networking to find new business prospects and develop those leads into lasting relationships. Expertise in customer service after the sale is crucial for retaining customers.

You should always be available to your customers so that you can anticipate and fulfill their demands. In order to keep customers happy and the company's good name intact, you must promptly address their concerns and problems.

Sales Managers Salary in India

In India, an entry-level Account Executive may expect to make between 4.0 Lakhs and 8.5 Lakhs annually.

Suggested Read:  All you need to know about Sales Manager

6) Sales Operations Manager

Position Level: Managerial Experience

And although most sales roles do include selling, the best sales teams also feature people whose primary purpose is to help the company as a whole. It includes positions like the sales operations manager.

Sales operations work to remove obstacles that prevent your sales team from reaching its full potential. The majority of the time, sales operations managers will have a team of analysts working under their supervision.

Managers of sales operations are tasked with streamlining and optimizing the sales process by using the latest in automation technology and sales enablement strategies. Organization, process management, and a working grasp of sales fundamentals and business acumen are all essential talents for a sales operations manager.

To determine whether a position in sales operations management is right for you, think about your background in sales, process management, and sales enablement.

Sales Operation Manager's Roles and Responsibilities

Managers of sales operations play several different tasks to aid their teams in reaching their objectives. These include strategy development, data analysis, personnel selection and development, sales forecasting and territory mapping, and process optimization.

Sales Operation Manager Salary in India

The average yearly compensation for a Manager of Sales Operations in India is 7.8 Lakhs, with a range from 3.5 Lakhs to 12.5 Lakhs.

Identifying the signs that this position is a good fit for you: A minimum of three years of sales experience is required, with management experience a plus. You have probably managed a modest budget and analyzed the performance of a team before, as you may have worked as an account executive or supervised a few SDRs.

Think about your previous managerial experience in sales while applying for a managerial position in this field. If not, then you should approach your boss for assistance in improving in these areas. Do you know of a fresh sales representative who might use your guidance? Make yourself available to do the work.

Ask yourself whether you like managing a team's personnel, money, and strategy once you've had some experience doing so. Although some salesmen thrive in teams, others are content to work alone. In contrast, if you see yourself as someone who thrives in the thick of things, closing deals and ringing the gong, you may not be cut out for the role of sales manager.

7) Sales Engineers

Position Level: Managerial Position 

Pre-sales support, system engineer, and field consultant are all titles that describe these experts. Sales engineers have the business savvy and selling prowess of a regular salesperson in addition to the technical knowledge of an engineer.

They are in great demand since it is a potent and unusual mix.

A sales engineer's duties include assisting salespeople with demonstrations and writing the technical sections of proposals and contracts, as well as answering in-depth queries from customers about the product.

Either you and another sales professional will be assigned to work on certain transactions together and share a quota for those sales, or you will be matched with another sales rep. Many sales representatives share the sentiment that there aren't sufficient sales engineers to choose from.

Sales Engineer Roles and Responsibilities

A Sales Engineer provides assistance to clients by determining their specific wants and designing suitable modifications to existing goods and services.

Establishing relationships with consumers, both existing and prospective, and those in a place to recognize service needs is key to determining those needs.

Sales Engineer Salary in India

The median salary in sales engineering is around 4 LPA, which is more than the average salary for salespeople, but understandable given the additional technical skills required for the job.

Methods for determining whether you're a good fit for the position: If you're looking for a way to put your technical chops and people abilities to use, this is the job for you. You'll be spending a lot of time in front of consumers, so you'll need to have excellent active listening, presenting, and communication skills.

Some of the sales engineers are often out of the office. How do you feel about the idea of spending a couple of days a week far from home offering courses and demonstrations to potential customers? A career in sales engineering may not be the ideal match if you find even thinking about it tiring.

In addition, it's important to know that most companies prefer candidates with a bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a closely related field. If you have worked in pre-sales for five years or more, that's a bonus.

8) Position of Account Manager

Position Level: Intermediate- to Mid-Level

After a customer makes their first purchase, an account manager becomes involved. An account manager has more consistent clients than a salesman does.

Each client will have its own unique set of requirements, so you will work with them to develop a comprehensive plan that will allow them to get the most value out of your product over time.

An account manager is the main corporate contact for the customer. They'll come to you for answers even if they have nothing to do with support.

Which measures will be used most often to evaluate your performance? Rates of retention and contentment. However, account managers also keep an eye out for chances to upsell and cross-sell. Some businesses, often smaller ones, prefer to have this discussion with the client directly. When an opportunity arises to grow an account, a salesman often steps in at bigger organizations.

Finding out whether you're a good fit for the job: Building strong connections with clients and speaking up for them internally are essential skills for every account manager.

Account managers that excel in their jobs are also adept at juggling several priorities. There are several factors to think about while handling an account, including the client's goals, your company's goals, sales goals, and more.

Last but not least, you must communicate effectively with your customers. You can never win a client over until you have an in-depth familiarity with their company, market, product, and industry.

Account Manager Roles and Responsibilities

Account managers are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including networking with influential corporate decision-makers and stakeholders, fostering positive client relationships, and generating accurate sales data. As part of their job, account managers also address customer concerns and seek potential new clients within their client base.

Account Manager Salary in India

An Account Manager in India may expect an average wage of around INR 15-20 Lakh per annum.

9) Regional Sales Manager

Position Level: Managerial Role

Managerial Sales representatives and regional managers are responsible for supervising a team of sales professionals, including inside and outside sales representatives and, in certain cases, account managers. You'll be in charge of managing a sales territory, assigning quotas to reps, analyzing data, planning and executing training sessions, and critiquing calls.

It's possible that you'll be responsible for finding, interviewing, and ultimately deciding whether or not to keep a person on staff. You may also be expected to speak for your department in executive-level and company-wide meetings, depending on the structure of your firm.

Regional Sales Manager's Roles and Responsibilities

Setting daily, quarterly, or yearly targets based on the success of the team to date is only one of a Sales Manager's many tasks, which also include recruiting, training, and offering professional development. In addition, they provide reports detailing how well each person meets their seasonal goals.

Regional Sales Manager Salary in India

A Regional Sales Manager in India may expect an average salary of around INR 15-30 Lakh per annum.

10) Sales Director

Position Level: Executive level

A Sales Director is a key member of the recruiting team and collaborates with salesmen to set sales goals, make predictions and establish sales quotas, and keep sales volume steady.

You'll be more of a strategic thinker than a sales manager, and that's what makes this work so interesting. Most likely, you will report to the vice president of sales and provide his or her instructions to the sales team.

There's a good chance you'll get the blame if your division doesn't do well. Moreover, your sales team's success will determine whether or not you get a bonus. Other responsibilities will include managing both financial and human resources, as well as conducting recruitment and company expansion efforts.

Know whether you're a good fit for the position by: Do you feel you have what it takes to become a more influential leader and sales manager? It's possible that this is the perfect job for you.

As a sales manager, you should have been at the forefront of leading your team to phenomenal levels of development and productivity. Your representatives and territory should be flourishing, and you should be using your influence beyond the scope of your position.

Exhibit a proactive mindset by anticipating problems and providing solutions before the competitor does.

Sales Director's Roles and Responsibilities

The role of a Sales Director is to lead and direct the company's sales department. They are in charge of creating strategies to achieve goals, fostering connections with clients/customers, and analyzing the financial implications of selling items and services.

Sales Director Salary in India

The average sales director compensation in India is between Rs. 25 Lakhs and Rs. 50 Lakhs.

11. Sales VP

Position Level: Executive-level positions

A v.p. of sales should help shape the direction of the sales force and, depending on the firm's structure, the business as a whole.

The best way to build a strong team and attract top people is to look for strategic hiring opportunities. You will also be responsible for setting the overall team strategy, such as selecting which markets your company will grow into and convincing others to adopt the necessary methods.

Your ultimate objective should be to facilitate the growth of both your sales team and your business. You should be able to foresee the company's next change based on your expertise even before it becomes obvious.

The higher compensation of a vice president is a reflection of the fact that this position typically takes ten years of expertise and a history of accomplishment to fill.

Identifying the signs that this position is a good fit for you You will have extensive experience at the management and directorate levels of sales, and you will have contributed significantly to the expansion of both your department and your organization.

You should have some idea of what a Vice President does since you have either reported to one or worked with one in the past.

You should also have no problem taking the reins, being analytical about your sales team, and have no trouble talking to higher-ups in the company's hierarchy.

Sales VP Roles and Responsibilities

Find untapped sales potential and strengthen connections with current customers. Create a high-functioning group by giving each member expert instruction and direction. Timely performance management activities, including acknowledgment and incentives for high performers.

Sales VP Salary in India

Pay for a Vice President of Sales and Marketing in India may be anywhere from INR 40 Lakhs to INR 98.0 Lakhs per year, with an average salary of INR 51.9 Lakhs.

12) Chief Sales Officer

Position Level: Executive-level positions

The CSO or Chief Sales Officer is a position often found in big enterprise businesses, and their job is to manage the implementation of sophisticated sales methods. This is a highly competitive field due to the scarcity of available positions.

Typically reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief Selling Officer is tasked with leading sales efforts for the organization.

More than 70 percent of Chief Sales Officers are "seasoned" or "late in their career," indicating that persons in this position often have several years of sales expertise under their belt.

Methods for determining whether you're a good fit for the position: You've worked at the director or vice president level in sales, and you know how to increase the company's bottom line.

Wishing you the best of luck as you search for the ideal sales position. One may make as much money as they want, while still experiencing high levels of personal satisfaction and complete independence, by choosing this line of work. It's time to begin right now.

Chief Sales Officer's Roles and Responsibilities

Oversees the company's sales strategy to increase earnings. Establishes and executes a plan for increasing sales. The CSO's responsibilities include managing the sales force in addition to recruiting new employees and vetting any policy changes.

Chief Sales Officer Salary in India

The average yearly income for a Chief Sales Officer in India is 60 Lakhs, with a range from 50 Lakhs to 102.0 Lakhs.

Where to Look for the Right Fit

Today, there is no shortage of online resources where job seekers may search through posted openings and submit applications to those that most fit their skills and experience.

The most notable advantage of this method is that a large number of qualified people, as opposed to a small select group, may apply for available positions. The location of an applicant is irrelevant in the application process. Here are some of the best websites to keep in mind while looking for the best Sales Job:

1. Interview Cracker: India's first Exclusive platform for Sales jobs.

When looking for a sales job, Interview Cracker is a great resource . The Interview Cracker platform uses data-driven decision-making to improve diversity in the workplace via recruiting.

Because of the importance of communication in sales, their evaluation process incorporates cutting-edge artificial intelligence-based audio analysis of prospects to help customers find the best possible fits. Their website might be useful for firms wanting to attract salespeople who are also comfortable working in a startup environment.

2. LinkedIn: With over 756 million users in over 200 countries, LinkedIn is the biggest professional networking platform in the world. It predates both Facebook and Twitter. The ability to establish and control your online professional identity opens an almost infinite number of doors for networking and employment. To help you advance in your job, LinkedIn can do wonders. LinkedIn is used by both hiring managers and companies to find potential new hires. In addition to being able to utilize LinkedIn to learn more about potential employers, you'll also show up in the results when recruiters do their own searches. This is when your LinkedIn profile will come in handy.

3. Indeed: For free, users of Indeed may post their resumes, sign up for email notifications when new relevant opportunities are posted, and save and apply for positions they find interesting. Indeed aggregates postings from every major job board, newspaper, trade group, and firm career website, and it also allows companies to post openings directly to the site.

If you're interested in reading evaluations of firms that interest you from current and past workers, you may do so in the "Company Pages" part of the website.

4. Naukri.com: Since its launch in 1997, when Naukri.com was only getting started, the website has grown exponentially while consistently surpassing its rivals. According to a comparable website, the site attracts over 70% of the market. If you're looking for a job in India or anywhere in the world, you may use the services of Naukri.com, a recruiting platform that connects employers with candidates.

It provides a wide range of services, including access to a resume database, postings of available jobs, and tools for managing user responses. Naukri.com has served over 76,000 corporate customers in 2018-2019, with over 5,250,000 positions listed at any one time and over 65 million CVs.

Thoughts in Concluding

There are a wide variety of positions available in the sales industry. If you take the time to assess your strengths and put them to good use, you may channel your enthusiasm for sales into productive endeavors. We are confident in your ability to see clearly which career path is ideal for you. Right, go out there and start looking for that perfect sales position or the highest-paying sales job in India right this second.

• You can earn a lot of money doing sales work, which is probably your ideal career.

• The more successful your company or your product, the greater your compensation will be.

• It is not required that you have a master's degree or professional experience in order to work in sales.

• If you want to succeed as a salesman, the ability to build strong connections is crucial.