Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to lead a sales team to achieve the business objectives governing sales and service for a defined customer group or territory.

Application of the unit 

This unit encompasses leadership through the management of the team, and its resources while encouraging the modelling of sales and service values and behaviour. Senior sales personnel perform this function.

Prerequisite units 

Nil

Employability skills 

The required outcomes described in this unit contain applicable facets of employability skills. The Employability Skills Summary of the qualification in which this unit is packaged will assist in identifying employability skills requirements.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised  text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge and/or the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1

Lead a sales team.

1.1

Identify individual team members'  specific needs and considerations.

1.2

Identify and address operational contingencies specific to an individual, context, time or territory.

1.3

Achieve consistent management practices.

1.4

Action and follow up team needs and requests .

1.5

Achieve credible communication  through clarity of decisions and timely management response.

1.6

Identify and resolve breakdowns in communication and trust relationships.

2

Manage territory and sales team coverage.

2.1

Clearly communicate performance targets for service levels and sales for sales team representatives and ensure they are understood by individuals.

2.2

Secure reports  from sales team members in agreed detail, format and deadlines.

2.3

Analyse and action sales team members' reports.

3

Manage sales team resources.

3.1

Deploy budget and resources to the sales team according to operational requirements.

3.2

Motivate team members to achieve individual and collective sales and performance targets .

3.3

Determine equipment and resource requirements  for sales team operations.

3.4

Establish procedures for sales team to request resources.

3.5

Manage sales team equipment to budget and operational requirements.

3.6

Process sales team requests for additional resources within required timeframe.

3.7

Monitor compliance of sales team resource expenditure with budget.

4

Conduct sales team meetings.

4.1

Organise and resource sales team meetings  as required.

4.2

Facilitate sales team meeting to achieve agreed agenda and objectives.

4.3

Minute, record and report meetings according to established procedures.

4.4

Ensure field and sales team meeting outcomes  are satisfied.

5

Model sales and service values and behaviour.

5.1

Ensure personal sales, service and management activities reflect business sales and service policies and procedures.

5.2

Ensure personal behaviour reflects the values and culture  encouraged by the business.

5.3

Ensure personal performance and interpersonal communication reinforce business policy and procedures .

5.4

Model business expectations and commitment  through personal performance to achieve team objectives.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.

The following skills must be assessed as part of this unit:

• interpersonal communication skills to:

• communicate with team including communication of performance targets
• motivate team and conduct meetings through clear and direct communication
• ask questions to identify and confirm requirements
• share information
• give instructions
• use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences
• use and interpret non-verbal communication
• negotiate with team members and customers

• presentation skills
• literacy skills in regard to:

• researching, analysing and interpreting a broad range of written material
• preparing reports
• documenting results

• numeracy skills in regard to:

• interpreting and maintaining data
• setting territory sales targets that link to sales, marketing and strategic plans
• estimating volume
• monitoring budget and resource expenditure

• leadership skills to:

• conduct sales team meetings effectively
• plan and organise task completion for self and team
• set and monitor team outcomes.

The following knowledge must be assessed as part of this unit:

• business policies and procedures in regard to:

• sales and service delivery
• interaction with customers and other team members

• business merchandise and service range
• business merchandising plan
• range and availability of new products and services
• customer demand and market trends
• product quality standards
• relevant legislation and statutory requirements
• principles and techniques in interpersonal communication
• 'modelling' positive attitudes and behaviours
• team formation techniques
• leadership styles
• training and mentoring team members
• delegation and decision making
• OHS aspects of job.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• models and activates positive behaviours and attitudes in team (leads by example)
• sets and communicates performance standards, sales targets and individual performance requirements to team members
• evaluates and amends leadership style to meet work team, contingency and performance contexts
• communicates sales and service targets and plans and provides feedback on operations and outcomes to relevant personnel in accordance with store policy
• manages effective service coverage and sales targets for a customer group or territory.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure access to:

• a sales workplace environment
• relevant documentation, such as:

• policy and procedures manuals
• sales and service delivery targets and plans
• records of sales and service
• legislation and statutory requirements
• industry codes of practice

• a team.

Methods of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• observation of the candidate in the workplace
• third-party reports from a supervisor
• customer feedback
• written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding
• review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

Assessing employability skills 

Employability skills are integral to effective performance in the workplace and are broadly consistent across industry sectors. How these skills are applied varies between occupations and qualifications due to the different work functions and contexts.

Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically in the context of the job role and with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised  wording in the performance criteria is detailed below.

Team members  may include:

• full-time, part-time, casual or contract staff
• people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds
• people with varying degrees of language and literacy levels.

Team needs and requests  may relate to resources such as:

• people
• materials
• equipment and technology
• budget
• time.

Communication  styles may include:

• speaking and listening
• reading and writing
• body language
• facial expression
• using languages other than English including local community languages, Indigenous languages and visual languages such as sign language.

Sales reports  may include information on:

• competitor activities
• recalls
• product problems
• display disputes
• business customer requests
• end consumer complaints.

Sales and performance targets  may include:

• market share
• positioning with local businesses
• price
• quality
• volume of sales
• presentation or merchandising of products or services
• customer retention
• shift in sales demographics.

Sales and performance targets  for a sales team may vary with:

• brand type
• marketing campaigns
• product or service
• merchandising and sales strategy
• territory sales
• promotional strategies and their duration, cycle, territory coverage and product or service focus.

Equipment and resource requirements  may include:

• uniforms
• pay
• consumables
• transportation
• merchandising and promotional materials.

Meetings  may be:

• single location-, face to face
• multi-locational (e.g. videoconferencing or virtual means, internet)
• minuted or informal.

Business outcomes  may include:

• key performance indicators
• strategic objectives
• price
• market and sales indicators
• brand value
• quality standards and criteria
• performance benchmarks
• milestones.

Business values and culture  may include:

• organisational structure, including own position and role within the structure
• chain of command
• workplace policy and procedures
• organisational values
• mission statement
• workplace goals.

Business policy and procedures  in regard to:

• sale of products and services
• quality assurance and control
• interaction with customers
• interaction with other team members
• OHS.

Modelling business expectations and commitment  through personal performance may involve:

• job behaviours
• coaching
• observation and job shadowing
• demonstrations
• communication
• reflection and discussion.

Sector 

Cross-Sector

Competency field 

Sales