Table 1Transition record

category managertosales manager

A category manager already meets 59% of what the sales manager role asks for. The move turns on 14 required skills not yet in the profile.

From category manager

59%

Overlap1

To sales manager

31 Skills carried over

14 Required, not held

54 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 54

This move: 54 of 100 · moderate

1 Share of the sales manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the category manager profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 31 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A sales manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a category manager background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held evaluate marketing content information skills
already held define measurable marketing objectives management skills
already held identify potential markets for companies management skills
already held integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy management skills
already held marketing mix business, administration and law
already held analyse customer service surveys information skills

All 31 carried skills, including the 28 the sales manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 31 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier

01 management skills 5 required, 4 supplementary

required, not held set sales goals required
required, not held supervise sales activities required
required, not held make strategic business decisions required
required, not held manage staff required
required, not held motivate employees required

optional, not held define geographic sales areas optional
optional, not held manage accounts optional
optional, not held manage distribution channels optional
optional, not held recruit personnel optional

02 business, administration and law 3 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held sales argumentation required
required, not held sales strategies required
required, not held sales department processes required

optional, not held customer segmentation optional
optional, not held international business optional
optional, not held public relations optional

03 information skills 3 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held carry out sales analysis required
required, not held produce sales reports required
required, not held analyse business plans required

optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
optional, not held estimate profitability optional
optional, not held forecast sales over periods of time optional

04 communication, collaboration and creativity 2 required, 5 supplementary

required, not held implement sales strategies required
required, not held write work-related reports required

optional, not held investigate customer complaints of food products optional
optional, not held communicate with customers optional
optional, not held liaise with managers optional
optional, not held present arguments persuasively optional
optional, not held teach marketing principles optional

05 working with computers 1 required

required, not held prepare visual data required

06 assisting and caring 1 supplementary

optional, not held integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a sales manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 31 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held align efforts towards business development skill
already held analyse consumer buying trends skill
already held analyse customer service surveys skill
already held analyse external factors of companies skill
already held analyse internal factors of companies skill
already held analyse work-related written reports skill
already held brand marketing techniques knowledge
already held consumer goods industry knowledge
already held content marketing strategy knowledge
already held coordinate marketing plan actions skill
already held corporate social responsibility knowledge
already held create annual marketing budget skill
already held define measurable marketing objectives skill
already held develop professional network skill
already held evaluate marketing content skill
already held identify potential markets for companies skill
already held impart business plans to collaborators skill
already held integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy skill
already held integrate strategic foundation in daily performance skill
already held manage profitability skill
already held market pricing knowledge
already held marketing mix knowledge
already held perform market research skill
already held plan marketing campaigns skill
already held plan marketing strategy skill
already held pricing strategies knowledge
already held study sales levels of products skill
already held track key performance indicators skill
already held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
already held manage budgets skill
already held market research knowledge

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 supplementary

optional, not held statistics optional

17 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held investigate customer complaints of food products optional
optional, not held analyse supply chain strategies optional
optional, not held communicate with customers optional
optional, not held customer segmentation optional
optional, not held define geographic sales areas optional
optional, not held estimate profitability optional
optional, not held forecast sales over periods of time optional
optional, not held integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations optional
optional, not held international business optional
optional, not held liaise with managers optional
optional, not held manage accounts optional
optional, not held manage distribution channels optional
optional, not held present arguments persuasively optional
optional, not held public relations optional
optional, not held recruit personnel optional
optional, not held statistics optional
optional, not held teach marketing principles optional

27 held skills the sales manager role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role abide by business ethical code of conducts skill
not needed by the target role apply strategic thinking skill
not needed by the target role channel marketing knowledge
not needed by the target role communication principles knowledge
not needed by the target role company policies knowledge
not needed by the target role conflict management knowledge
not needed by the target role cost management knowledge
not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
not needed by the target role develop product design skill
not needed by the target role employment law knowledge
not needed by the target role ensure client orientation skill
not needed by the target role ensure cross-department cooperation skill
not needed by the target role identify suppliers skill
not needed by the target role inspect data skill
not needed by the target role maintain relationship with suppliers skill
not needed by the target role manage inventory skill
not needed by the target role market participants knowledge
not needed by the target role negotiate sales contracts skill
not needed by the target role perform multiple tasks at the same time skill
not needed by the target role perform product planning skill
not needed by the target role perform project management skill
not needed by the target role perform risk analysis skill
not needed by the target role report accounts of the professional activity skill
not needed by the target role select optimal distribution channel skill
not needed by the target role store design layout knowledge
not needed by the target role teamwork principles knowledge
not needed by the target role use different communication channels skill

7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier

required, not held sales argumentation required
required, not held sales strategies required
required, not held sales department processes required
optional, not held customer segmentation optional
optional, not held international business optional
optional, not held public relations optional
optional, not held statistics optional

Index

Other moves recorded from category manager

Full index of moves from category manager

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.