Sales manager: example of a transition mission in the medical sector

Responsible for supervising all administrative and logistical operations related to sales, the sales manager plays a key role in the company. What are its different missions? And when to call on his expertise? A look back at a transition mission of an ADV Manager commissioned by WAYDEN for a player in the medical sector.

 

Sales Manager: definition, role and missions

A Sales Administration Manager (SA) is responsible for overseeing all operational, logistical, and administrative aspects related to the company’s sales department.

Its missions cover the entire sales chain:

• Management of orders, shipments and deliveries;
• Inventory management;
• Customer relationship management (queries, complaints, etc.);
• Managing invoicing and monitoring collections;
• Optimization of sales management processes;
• Sales analysis;
• The management of the sales team;
• Negotiation of sales contracts;
• …

The Sales Manager thus plays a key role in ensuring customer satisfaction, the fluidity of business operations and the operational efficiency of the sales department. It also contributes to meeting the company’s strategic objectives and improving overall performance through the optimization of internal processes. He works closely with the sales department and other players in the company, such as the marketing manager and the supply chain manager, etc.

 

When to call on an interim sales manager?

Outsource sales management to an sales manager can be very useful for meeting strategic objectives or taking a decisive step, regardless of the sector of activity concerned. To do this, the company can call on an interim manager specializing in sales administration. The latter intervenes within the organization to a period of 6 to 18 months. Immediately operational, it quickly identifies areas for improvement and corrective actions to be implemented.

For example, it is possible to call on an interim sales manager to:

• Optimize sales processes;
• Correct a decline in sales performance ;
• Improve customer satisfaction;
• Manage a sudden increase in order volume;
• Optimize or implement a new sales management system;
• Replace at short notice an ADV manager who is absent or has left his or her position;
• Supporting a period of rapid sales growth ;
• Digitize sales management;
• Manage crisis management related to sales management (delivery delays, shortage of raw materials, compliance problems, quality defects, etc.);
• Ensure sales management during an internationalization project;
• Optimize operational costs within the sales department;
• …

 

Sales Manager: example of a transition mission

At WAYDEN, in 2020, we commissioned an ADV manager in a French company specializing in the design and sale of medical devices based in Île-de-France. The company had been growing rapidly and steadily for three years and was on its way to expanding Europe. However, the company was facing many logistical and administrative issues that hindered the achievement of its strategic objectives. Lack of optimization in sales management, delivery delays, stock shortages… The challenges were numerous and far-reaching.

WAYDEN then identified, within its network of highly qualified interim managers, a Sales Administration Manager with 15 years of experience in the medical sector.

The latter had several missions:

• Optimize order management processes (analyze the existing situation, identify bottlenecks and set up an efficient system to manage the flow of orders);
• Reorganize the supply chain to reduce delivery times and improve customer satisfaction;
• Train teams in new processes and tools;
• Improve customer satisfaction management.

This 8-month transition mission was very beneficial for the company: it reduced order processing time, increased customer loyalty and increased the operational efficiency of the teams.

Thanks to the intervention of the sales manager, the company has been able to overcome the challenges of its rapid growth, optimize its sales management processes efficiently and strengthen its competitiveness in the European market in a sustainable way.

 

Contact us to find out how WAYDEN could help you with your problems.