sales managertocategory manager
A sales manager already meets 58% of what the category manager role asks for. The move turns on 18 required skills not yet in the profile.
58%
55.6/ 100
1 Share of the category manager role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the sales 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.
Why this move works
A category manager role treats 29 of its required skills as things a sales manager already does. These are the ones it depends on most.
- align efforts towards business development
- analyse consumer buying trends
- analyse customer service surveys
- analyse external factors of companies
- analyse internal factors of companies
- analyse work-related written reports
What stands in the way is 18 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 31 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A category manager role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a sales manager background worth leading with.
- 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 29 the category manager role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you would need to learn
The 27 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.
- required, not held manage inventory required
- required, not held perform product planning required
- required, not held apply strategic thinking required
- required, not held identify suppliers required
- required, not held perform multiple tasks at the same time required
- required, not held perform project management required
- required, not held select optimal distribution channel required
- required, not held company policies required
- required, not held cost management required
- required, not held channel marketing required
- required, not held conflict management required
- required, not held market participants required
- optional, not held employment law optional
- required, not held develop product design required
- required, not held maintain relationship with suppliers required
- required, not held negotiate sales contracts required
- required, not held ensure client orientation required
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
- required, not held perform risk analysis required
- optional, not held report accounts of the professional activity optional
- optional, not held inspect data optional
- required, not held store design layout required
- optional, not held communication principles optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a category manager role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 company policies knowledge · sector specific
- 02 cost management knowledge · sector specific
- 03 develop product design skill · sector specific
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 31 skills that carry over
- 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 collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
- 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 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 budgets skill
- already held manage profitability skill
- already held market pricing knowledge
- already held market research 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 brand marketing techniques knowledge
- already held develop professional network skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held abide by business ethical code of conducts optional
9 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held abide by business ethical code of conducts optional
- optional, not held report accounts of the professional activity optional
- optional, not held communication principles optional
- optional, not held create solutions to problems optional
- optional, not held employment law optional
- optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
- optional, not held inspect data optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
- optional, not held use different communication channels optional
31 held skills the category manager role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse business plans skill
- not needed by the target role analyse supply chain strategies skill
- not needed by the target role carry out sales analysis skill
- not needed by the target role communicate with customers skill
- not needed by the target role customer segmentation knowledge
- not needed by the target role define geographic sales areas skill
- not needed by the target role estimate profitability skill
- not needed by the target role forecast sales over periods of time skill
- not needed by the target role implement sales strategies skill
- not needed by the target role integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations skill
- not needed by the target role international business knowledge
- not needed by the target role investigate customer complaints of food products skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with managers skill
- not needed by the target role make strategic business decisions skill
- not needed by the target role manage accounts skill
- not needed by the target role manage distribution channels skill
- not needed by the target role manage staff skill
- not needed by the target role motivate employees skill
- not needed by the target role prepare visual data skill
- not needed by the target role present arguments persuasively skill
- not needed by the target role produce sales reports skill
- not needed by the target role public relations knowledge
- not needed by the target role recruit personnel skill
- not needed by the target role sales argumentation knowledge
- not needed by the target role sales department processes knowledge
- not needed by the target role sales strategies knowledge
- not needed by the target role set sales goals skill
- not needed by the target role statistics knowledge
- not needed by the target role supervise sales activities skill
- not needed by the target role teach marketing principles skill
- not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill
9 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- required, not held company policies required
- required, not held cost management required
- required, not held store design layout required
- required, not held channel marketing required
- required, not held conflict management required
- required, not held market participants required
- optional, not held communication principles optional
- optional, not held employment law optional
- optional, not held teamwork principles optional
Other moves recorded from sales manager
- promotion manager 69% covered · moderate
- chief marketing officer 58% covered · moderate
- marketing manager 54% covered · substantial
- online community manager 51% covered · substantial
- business developer 37% covered · substantial
- client relations manager 29% covered · career change
- marketing consultant 29% covered · career change
- book publisher 28% covered · substantial
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.