The online sales director will be responsible for directing the company's sales program over the Internet. If you are in this position and you are supervising others, you will assign particular sales territories and set goals for others, as well as arranging for training of sales representatives under you. You will also be involved in advising sales reps on ways to improve performance and increase sales.
You'll need to maintain contact with distributors and dealers who buy online, and check out sales statistics that the staff puts together to decide the potential and inventory requirements for each product your publisher is selling online. You will also need to do analysis on customer preferences to track how a given product is doing in online sales. This is important in making sure that profits are maximized and developing the marketing strategy for a given publication.
Online sales jobs as a director should expect to work in offices close to other management personnel within their publishing companies. Often, it's necessary for these people to work under significant pressure, since schedules change regularly, problems come up, and meeting strict deadlines is necessary.
People in these positions do not need to travel as much as sales directors who are not working in an online medium, but attendance at meetings and travel to regional and local offices may be necessary. These jobs require working long hours including weekends, and evening hours. About two thirds of the people in this kind of position regularly work more than forty hours in a given work week.
To become an online sales director, you can come from a wide range of backgrounds. However, it is best if you have a related degree or experience in advertising, sales or marketing, as well as a good understanding of selling online. A minimum of a bachelor's degree is preferred, with some publishers asking for a master's degree.
Courses in economics, accounting, finance and management are also helpful. In this kind of position, many years of experience is also a desirable trait, with some publishers requesting as much as ten years' sales experience for people interested in this kind of position.
The majority of director's positions in sales are filled by promoting experienced staff members within the company, but that doesn't mean that it's impossible for outside applicants to get hired. However, many online sales directors were once sales representatives themselves, buyers, or purchasing agents. In larger firms, this kind of advancement may occur quickly, but smaller publishers may take a long time to need another online sales director, due to relatively low amounts of change in company structure.
It's important for people in this position to have good computer skills and an excellent understanding of Internet marketing and transactions. Online buying is becoming extremely common. An online sales director may also be called upon to talk to buyers in other countries, so additional language skills may be a bonus.
Personal traits that are desirable in someone wanting to work as an online sales director include high levels of motivation and stress resistance, flexibility, the ability to make strong decisions and strong communication skills. Tact and good judgment are also important, as directors in online sales must be able to create and maintain strong personal relationships with personnel in their own company as well as in others.
Job growth for sales directors in general is projected as being average, with keen competition among applicants. However, recent troubles in publishing may lead to fewer online sale directors being hired in this industry than in others. Employment is expected to increase by about 12% in the next few years, with job growth spurred on by competition in just about every market. Sales directors in large publishing companies can expect to earn impressive salaries, with those in smaller firms earning somewhat less. The majority of positions will remain in New York City, as it is still the hub for most publishing activities.
If you are a focused person who has good communications skills and understands online sales, you may be the right person for an online sales director job. This, important publishing position helps ensure that books and other publications reach where they need to go, and that customers are appropriately served. While high in stress, this position offers significant rewards, and is a great choice for someone with existing management and sales experience. Check out the opportunities available to you in sales departments of publishing companies. You could be on your way to a great new career!
