Having a good idea for a business is not enough to guarantee success. Whether a company achieves its goals often depends, to a large extent, on its sales strategy. Sales departments need people aligned with the company's values and involved in achieving the established goals. But which sales profiles are most in demand and what salary do they receive in the digital sector? In this post, we tell you all the details.
Sales: what are they and why are they important?
First, we should specifiy what we understand by Sales and why they are importatn. In economic terms, sales can be defined as the delivery of a good or service in exchange for an agreed price between the parties.
In a company, sales are essential to:
- Cover the organisation's fixed and variable costs (salaries, premises rent, production costs, etc.).
- Generate profits for the company.
- To be able to invest in new products or services.
However, what is important is not only sales but also the people on whom these sales depend, i.e. the company's sales force. Traditionally, the sales industry followed a model in which customer experience and relationships took precedence over the need to have a super-competitive product. It was not easy for new players to enter mature markets with an improved product alone. In the digital sector this has changed, and sales profiles with them.
Modern saas software for sales has made it much easier to optimize salespeople's workflow. Dashboards are the starting point for any commercially-minded person in today's digital environment. Capterra
Top 5 most in-demand sales profiles in the digital sector
Here are the five sales profiles with the highest demand in the digital sector:
1. Business Developer
The Business Developer is the person who is responsible for the growth and acquisition of new clients within the sales department.
They usually carry out tasks such as market research, prospecting for new clients, unmet market needs and reporting on results. They are usually profiles with training in business administration, business schools or even marketing; they also stand out for their negotiation skills, adaptation to change, confidence building, patience and empathy. In the digital sector, a business developer must also be up to date with technological trends, have the basics in the use of tools such as CRMs and speak several languages, as it is often necessary to open up new markets.
How much does a Business Development Executive earn in Ireland?
With 1 to 3 years of experience: 30,000 to 40,000 Euros.
With 3 to 5 years of experience: 40,000 to 50,000 Euros.
With +5 years of experience: n/a (usually a Business Development Executive would evolve to a managerial position after more than 5+ years)
In the case of a Business Developer Manager profile, the salary would be:
With 1 to 3 years of experience: 40,000 to 55,000 Euros.
With 3 to 5 years of experience: 55,000 to 65,000 Euros.
With more than 5 years: 65,000 to 80,000 Euros.
2. Digital Sales Manager
The functions performed by a Digital Sales Manager are complex, as they include both strategic and operational tasks. The main functions include the following: defining and implementing the company's operational strategy in collaboration with the general manager, managing and controlling the client portfolio, defining actions to improve market share, coordinating sales actions with other departments, analysing sales statistics and making forecasts. This is a profile that requires great negotiation skills, commercial and social skills, strategic thinking and the ability to work in a team.
How much does a Digital Sales Manager earn in Ireland?
A Digital Sales Manager can earn the following salary:
With 1 to 3 years of experience: 50,000 to 55,000 Euros.
With 3 to 5 years of experience: 55,000 to 65,000 Euros.
With more than 5 years: 65,000+ Euros.
The Digital Sales Funnel expands upon traditional sales strategies to reflect modern purchasing trends. Source: LucklessDigital.com
3. CRM Sales Manager
The CRM Sales Manager efficiently organises the company's resources to increase sales, promotes the use of CRM as a key sales tool, designs the sales strategy, manages customer accounts and segments customers and, finally, analyses the life cycles of each customer, among other tasks. You will also be in close contact with your Digital Marketing colleagues to determine the best email marketing strategies to adopt for both new and existing customers. Finally, he/she is a person with some technical expertise to be able to get the most out of the often very powerful software available to them, and for which the company will need to get a good return.
How much does a CRM Sales Manager earn in Ireland?
A CRM Sales Manager can earn the following salary:
With 1 to 3 years of experience: 60,000 to 70,000 Euros.
With 3 to 5 years of experience: 70,000 to 75,000 Euros.
With more than 5 years: 75,000+ Euros.
4. E-Commerce Manager
Among the sales profiles in a company, this is one of the most in-demand. Ecommerce managers are responsible for the online sales of the brand. They oversee the look and feel of the company website and are responsible for generating sales via online channels. Depending on the role, they might oversee digital marketers, and web and software developers who contribute to website traffic, design and structure. Key skills include excellent sales strategy, the ability to work under pressure and to work to targets, the ability to lead a team and excellent market knowledge.
An E-commerce Manager can earn the following salary:
With 1 to 3 years of experience: 55,000 to 70,000 Euros.
With 3 to 5 years of experience: 70,000 to 75,000 Euros.
With more than 5 years: 75,000+ Euros.
Platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce have shot up in popularity due to the increase in E-Commerce sales in the past 10 years. Source: Shopify.com
5. Account Executive
This professional is in charge of the company's public relations and manages the company's communication and brand image. This role is traditionally found in agencies, but can also be found in end clients if they have a sufficiently large portfolio of clients to require this role. Its main objective is to project a positive image of the company with the client, defend it internally, transmit its needs, and promote fluidity and benefit between the parties. This is the person in charge, for example, of drafting press releases, monitoring the media, designing public relations campaigns and coordinating interviews, among other customer-related tasks.
How much can an Account Executive make in Ireland?
With 1 to 3 years of experience: 35,000 to 38,000 Euros.
With 3 to 5 years of experience: 38,000 to 45,000 Euros.
With more than 5 years: n/a of experience (Account Executives tend to graduate to Account Manager positions after 5 years in the position)
In short, the sales profiles most in demand in the market have in common the fact that they directly affect the bottom line of any business. They need to combine commercial knowledge with skills in data analysis, empathy and the ability to work as part of a team.
For more information about sales, responsibilities and skills needed, check our job descriptions page. You can also get in touch with us here if you need specific information about roles that are not showcased on our job description pages.
