Sales (a.k.a. money) is the lifeblood of any business. You've known this since your first lemonade stand opened, right? And, just like any good sales worker supervisor would, you instinctively knew your five-year-old sister could do a better job of upselling. The large was only an extra five cents, which was a total steal. You just needed to teach her how to push the customer to buy bigger..,without making it seem like they were being pushed.

 

It's all about finesse. (Source)

And it worked, right? You taught your sister to upsell like a pro. Your lemonade stand was the best on the block, thanks to your guidance. If you've still got that drive to sell better—if you enjoy leading the charge, are great at talking to complete strangers, and could sell sand in the Sahara—then our trusty Magic 8 Ball says you'd make a great sales worker supervisor.

As you might have guessed, the job of a sales worker supervisor is to supervise the sales workers in a store or corporation. Part boss, part teacher, and part cheerleader, sales worker supervisors aren't the big cheeses in a corporation, but they do have quite a bit of power. 

And along with that mid-level status comes a mid-level salary: about $40,000 a year (source). It's even possible to make a lot more if you're in the right place, selling the right thing, and are skilled at closing the deal.

Almost every business has some type of sales staff, meaning there are lot of opportunities for supervising staff and teaching them how to sell. When it comes to companies, if the bank account ain't happy, nobody's happy. To keep the bank account happy, the customers have to be kept happy with prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable service. 

Let's face it, no one wants to ask for help in a store and discover the employees don't have a clue. If a customer wants to know why something is "new and improved" then there should be someone who can tell them. Just saying "it's better and that's what's new about it" probably won't fly.

 

Here's something handy. (Source)

Sales worker supervisors are great at spotting new trends, knowing what the competition is doing, and how to beat them at their own game. Oh they're selling gizmos and thingamajigs this week for 10% off? Fine. We'll sell them at 20% off.

A sales worker supervisor's day usually begins with reviews of sales goals, new products, and what's on sale this week so that all the workers will be set for a great day of selling. Start practicing your inspirational pep talks in the mirror, because a big part of your job will be getting everyone pumped and ready to sell, sell, sell. You can probably leave the pom-poms at home, though.

Sales worker supervisors are also teachers and advisers—somebody to whom everyone else can turn for tips and advice about how to convince a customer to buy. Remember those awesome skills you learned in first grade during Show and Tell? Fab. You're going to need them.

Fortunately for your crew: You've been there and done that. Nearly every supervisor was once a foot soldier working the floor. You know how hard it is to pound the pavement and get face-to-face with a decision-maker who's not sure if they're ready to buy. Even better, you can sell anything to anyone and know just how to teach your staff to do the same thing.

But, wait, there's more. For the low cost of a bachelor's degree, you can start your career from a higher place on the ladder, with more money and more responsibility. While it's possible to rise through the ranks without a lot of extra schooling—innate ability is far more important than a college diploma when it comes to making sales—if you want to make bank, a degree (or two) in fields like marketing, business, or communications will help you get a head start in the rat race.

Becoming a sales worker supervisor is about hard work, understanding the needs of your customers, and knowing that you and your staff can help them make the right purchasing decisions. If you can talk to anyone, are aggressive in a friendly way, and could sell milk to a cow, then you're looking at the right career.

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