Table 1Transition record

sales managertoclient relations manager

A sales manager already meets 29% of what the client relations manager role asks for. The move turns on 20 required skills not yet in the profile.

From sales manager

29%

Overlap1

To client relations manager

18 Skills carried over

20 Required, not held

76 Difficulty2

adjacent 0–30

moderate 30–55

substantial 55–75

career change 75–100

this move, 76

This move: 76 of 100 · career change

1 Share of the client relations 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.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 18 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A client relations 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.

Skill the target role also needs Area

already held analyse customer service surveys information skills
already held public relations business, administration and law
already held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies communication, collaboration and creativity
already held plan marketing campaigns management skills
already held supervise sales activities management skills
already held analyse consumer buying trends information skills

All 18 carried skills, including the 8 the client relations manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 42 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 communication, collaboration and creativity 7 required, 9 supplementary

required, not held identify customer's needs required
required, not held advise on public relations required
required, not held build business relationships required
required, not held build trust required
required, not held create solutions to problems required
required, not held maximise sales revenues required
required, not held perform customers’ needs analysis required

optional, not held communicate with customer service department optional
optional, not held contact customers optional
optional, not held deliver a sales pitch optional
optional, not held teach customer service techniques optional
optional, not held achieve sales targets optional
optional, not held handle customer complaints optional
optional, not held implement marketing strategies optional
optional, not held manage contracts optional
optional, not held train employees optional

02 management skills 5 required, 2 supplementary

required, not held manage customer service required
required, not held supervise the management of an establishment required
required, not held fix meetings required
required, not held identify new business opportunities required
required, not held supervise work required

optional, not held monitor customer service optional
optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional

03 business, administration and law 3 required, 3 supplementary

required, not held corporate sustainability required
required, not held product comprehension required
required, not held relationship marketing required

optional, not held customer service optional
optional, not held business management principles optional
optional, not held customer relationship management optional

04 assisting and caring 2 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held guarantee customer satisfaction required
required, not held follow company standards required

optional, not held perform customer management optional

05 generic programmes and qualifications 2 required

required, not held business communication required
required, not held communication principles required

06 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required, 1 supplementary

required, not held knowledge base required

optional, not held data protection optional

1 further area in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a client relations 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 18 skills that carry over

Skill Type

already held analyse consumer buying trends skill
already held communicate with customers skill
already held corporate social responsibility knowledge
already held develop professional network skill
already held liaise with managers skill
already held manage accounts skill
already held manage staff skill
already held public relations knowledge
already held analyse business plans skill
already held analyse customer service surveys skill
already held collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
already held implement sales strategies skill
already held make strategic business decisions skill
already held perform market research skill
already held plan marketing campaigns skill
already held sales strategies knowledge
already held study sales levels of products skill
already held supervise sales activities skill

The 1 learning area not shown above

Skill to acquire Tier

07 information skills 6 supplementary

optional, not held collect customer data optional
optional, not held analyse business processes optional
optional, not held analyse business requirements optional
optional, not held keep records of customer interaction optional
optional, not held measure customer feedback optional
optional, not held perform business analysis optional

22 supplementary skills, helpful but not required

Skill to acquire Tier

optional, not held collect customer data optional
optional, not held communicate with customer service department optional
optional, not held contact customers optional
optional, not held customer service optional
optional, not held data protection optional
optional, not held deliver a sales pitch optional
optional, not held teach customer service techniques optional
optional, not held achieve sales targets optional
optional, not held analyse business processes optional
optional, not held analyse business requirements optional
optional, not held business management principles optional
optional, not held customer relationship management optional
optional, not held handle customer complaints optional
optional, not held implement marketing strategies optional
optional, not held keep records of customer interaction optional
optional, not held manage contracts optional
optional, not held measure customer feedback optional
optional, not held monitor customer service optional
optional, not held perform business analysis optional
optional, not held perform customer management optional
optional, not held plan health and safety procedures optional
optional, not held train employees optional

44 held skills the client relations manager role does not ask for

Skill Type

not needed by the target role align efforts towards business development skill
not needed by the target role analyse external factors of companies skill
not needed by the target role analyse internal factors of companies skill
not needed by the target role analyse supply chain strategies skill
not needed by the target role analyse work-related written reports skill
not needed by the target role brand marketing techniques knowledge
not needed by the target role carry out sales analysis skill
not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
not needed by the target role content marketing strategy knowledge
not needed by the target role coordinate marketing plan actions skill
not needed by the target role create annual marketing budget 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 define measurable marketing objectives skill
not needed by the target role estimate profitability skill
not needed by the target role evaluate marketing content skill
not needed by the target role forecast sales over periods of time skill
not needed by the target role identify potential markets for companies skill
not needed by the target role impart business plans to collaborators skill
not needed by the target role integrate headquarter's guidelines into local operations skill
not needed by the target role integrate marketing strategies with the global strategy skill
not needed by the target role integrate strategic foundation in daily performance 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 manage budgets skill
not needed by the target role manage distribution channels skill
not needed by the target role manage profitability skill
not needed by the target role market pricing knowledge
not needed by the target role market research knowledge
not needed by the target role marketing mix knowledge
not needed by the target role motivate employees skill
not needed by the target role plan marketing strategy 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 pricing strategies knowledge
not needed by the target role produce sales reports skill
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 set sales goals skill

4 further entries not listed here

10 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 corporate sustainability required
required, not held product comprehension required
required, not held business communication required
required, not held communication principles required
required, not held knowledge base required
required, not held relationship marketing required
optional, not held customer service optional
optional, not held data protection optional
optional, not held business management principles optional
optional, not held customer relationship management optional

Index

Other moves recorded from sales manager

Full index of moves from sales 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.