Sales supervisor
Sales supervisors help direct team members to sell the products on offer in a business.
About the job
What it's like
Are you a natural leader? Being a sales supervisor might be a job where you can shine. If you're full of enthusiasm and a great communicator, why not put those skills to good use with a career in sales.
Sales supervisors help lead team members to sell the products on offer in a business. You might work on a busy shop floor, making sure it's stocked with the goods your customers need. Or you could be in an office directing your team to provide excellent customer service on sales calls.
You'd need to motivate your team to meet sales targets and provide tips and training on how to interact with customers.
A manager would work one step above you. You'd work under their direction but still have a lot of responsibility. You'd often oversee your store or office branch and make sure things run smoothly. If you impress as a supervisor, you could open new opportunities to progress and take on new career challenges in senior roles.
This job can look a bit different depending on the place you work in. Your tasks and responsibilities will differ to meet the demands of the business. For example, in a retail setting you'd support a manager to oversee all aspects of the daily running of a store.
Your tasks might include:
setting and agreeing sales projections and targets with a manager
motivating your team
leading by example and making sure your team deliver high levels of customer service
directing the display of products in a shop to maximise sales
stock control and waste management
delegating tasks to members of the team
recruiting and training team members
taking and resolving customer complaints
providing feedback to team members on their job performance and setting goals
providing feedback to managers and other senior staff on sales activities and data
standing in for a manager in their absence and taking on extra responsibilities
Hours
If you're working full-time in this role, you'd likely work 35 to 40 hours a week. Your shift pattern could be set or vary from week to week. Your work would likely include evening and weekend hours depending on the type of business.
Environment
Your environment could be very different in different types of business. You might be on your feet on a shop floor, work based at a desk or travel regularly to different locations.
Explore more information about this job
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Related industries
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- sales management
- loans
- sales strategy
- inventory management
- merchandising
- product knowledge
- selling techniques
- marketing
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- verbal communication
- time management
- positive attitude
- mentoring
- mediating
- managing resources
- making decisions
- listening
- implementing ideas
- developing a plan
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Business
English and Communication
Skills for Work: Retailing
You don't need formal qualifications to do this role but having one might help in job applications.
You could get an entry level sales job after school and work your way up to a supervisor role. Doing an apprenticeship or studying at college of university are both options if you don't want to go right into work.
The headings shown explain more about each of the different routes you could take.
Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship will let you:
get work experience in a role you're interested in
learn the skills and knowledge you need on the job
gain a qualification respected by employers
get paid for the work you do
This is a great way to get your foot in the door of a sales career. The qualification will also be handy to show to employers if you're looking for a more senior position, like a supervisor.
Check out this Modern Apprenticeship in Retail on Apprenticeships.scot.
College
At college, you can study towards a qualification to help you stand out in job applications. College is also a great way to progress to more advanced courses available at university.
Some common qualifications you can get at college are:
National Qualifications (NQs)
a National Certificate (NC)
a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
a Higher National Diploma (HND)
You could study in one of the following subject areas:
business
business management
retail
marketing
finance
communication
To study at HNC or HND level, you'd likely need 1 or 2 Highers at C or above.
Search for college courses relevant for a career in sales.
Work
You could get a sales supervisor position if you have enough skills and experience. Many sales jobs don't need you to have qualifications. Instead they value people with enthusiasm and who can communicate well.
You might start at a workplace and work towards a promotion to sales supervisor. You could also start applying for positions elsewhere when you feel you've built the experience needed.
Leadership and communication skills are important.
Volunteering can be a useful way to build skills that will be useful in a sales career.
Find the right course for you
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Sales supervisor'
