Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Sales manager to marketing manager

A sales manager already meets 54% of what the marketing manager role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From sales manager
54 % overlap
Partial match
To marketing manager
47 You already bring
13 Still to learn
109 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance Substantial retraining

62.2/ 100

1 How much of what a marketing manager is expected to do is already part of a sales manager’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the marketing manager role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A marketing manager role treats 30 of its required skills as things a sales manager already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • align efforts towards business development
  • analyse business plans
  • analyse consumer buying trends
  • analyse customer service surveys
  • analyse external factors of companies
  • analyse internal factors of companies

What stands in the way is 13 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 47 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A marketing 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 forecast sales over periods of time information skills
  • already held customer segmentation business, administration and law
  • already held evaluate marketing content information skills
  • already held define measurable marketing objectives management skills
  • already held sales department processes business, administration and law
  • already held identify potential markets for companies management skills

All 47 carried skills, including the 30 the marketing manager role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 62 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 business, administration and law 7 required, 13 supplementary
  • still to learn project management required
  • still to learn services marketing required
  • still to learn channel marketing required
  • still to learn marketing analytics required
  • still to learn marketing management required
  • still to learn marketing principles required
  • still to learn relationship marketing required
  • optional, not held cost management optional
  • optional, not held customer insight optional
  • optional, not held neuromarketing techniques optional
  • optional, not held search engine optimisation optional
  • optional, not held web strategy assessment optional
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held contract law optional
  • optional, not held international trade optional
  • optional, not held market entry strategies optional
  • optional, not held online ads campaign techniques optional
  • optional, not held social media management optional
  • optional, not held social media marketing techniques optional
  • optional, not held telemarketing optional
02 management skills 4 required, 14 supplementary
  • still to learn organise participation in local or international events required
  • still to learn plan social media marketing campaigns required
  • still to learn apply strategic thinking required
  • still to learn perform project management required
  • optional, not held conduct online competitive analysis optional
  • optional, not held create media plan optional
  • optional, not held develop business plans optional
  • optional, not held manage content development projects optional
  • optional, not held perform product planning optional
  • optional, not held analyse data about clients optional
  • optional, not held assist in developing marketing campaigns optional
  • optional, not held coordinate events optional
  • optional, not held identify market niches optional
  • optional, not held manage the handling of promotional materials optional
  • optional, not held perform multiple tasks at the same time optional
  • optional, not held plan events optional
  • optional, not held prepare exhibition marketing plan optional
  • optional, not held use theoretical marketing models optional
03 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 12 supplementary
  • still to learn implement marketing strategies required
  • optional, not held develop online community plan optional
  • optional, not held maintain relationship with suppliers optional
  • optional, not held negotiate sales contracts optional
  • optional, not held promote event optional
  • optional, not held apply social media marketing optional
  • optional, not held approve advertising campaign optional
  • optional, not held conduct mobile marketing optional
  • optional, not held ensure client orientation optional
  • optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
  • optional, not held liaise with advertising agencies optional
  • optional, not held liaise with distribution channel managers optional
  • optional, not held use different communication channels optional
04 information skills 1 required, 1 supplementary
  • still to learn evaluate advertising campaign required
  • optional, not held use analytics for commercial purposes optional
05 information and communication technologies (icts) 4 supplementary
  • optional, not held e-commerce systems optional
  • optional, not held information confidentiality optional
  • optional, not held keywords in digital content optional
  • optional, not held web analytics optional
06 generic programmes and qualifications 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held communication principles optional
  • optional, not held teamwork principles optional

2 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a marketing 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 47 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held align efforts towards business development skill
  • already held analyse business plans 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 collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
  • 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 carry out sales analysis skill
  • already held communicate with customers skill
  • already held customer segmentation knowledge
  • already held estimate profitability skill
  • already held forecast sales over periods of time skill
  • already held implement sales strategies skill
  • already held liaise with managers skill
  • already held manage accounts skill
  • already held manage distribution channels skill
  • already held manage staff skill
  • already held public relations knowledge
  • already held sales argumentation knowledge
  • already held sales department processes knowledge
  • already held sales strategies knowledge
  • already held set sales goals skill
  • already held statistics knowledge
  • already held supervise sales activities skill
The 2 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 working with computers 2 supplementary
  • optional, not held conduct search engine optimisation optional
  • optional, not held use content management system software optional
08 arts and humanities 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held content development processes optional
49 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held conduct online competitive analysis optional
  • optional, not held cost management optional
  • optional, not held create media plan optional
  • optional, not held customer insight optional
  • optional, not held develop business plans optional
  • optional, not held develop online community plan optional
  • optional, not held e-commerce systems optional
  • optional, not held information confidentiality optional
  • optional, not held keywords in digital content optional
  • optional, not held maintain relationship with suppliers optional
  • optional, not held manage content development projects optional
  • optional, not held negotiate sales contracts optional
  • optional, not held neuromarketing techniques optional
  • optional, not held perform product planning optional
  • optional, not held promote event optional
  • optional, not held search engine optimisation optional
  • optional, not held web strategy assessment optional
  • optional, not held analyse data about clients optional
  • optional, not held apply social media marketing optional
  • optional, not held approve advertising campaign optional
  • optional, not held assist in developing marketing campaigns optional
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held communication principles optional
  • optional, not held conduct mobile marketing optional
  • optional, not held conduct search engine optimisation optional
  • optional, not held content development processes optional
  • optional, not held contract law optional
  • optional, not held coordinate events optional
  • optional, not held ensure client orientation optional
  • optional, not held ensure cross-department cooperation optional
  • optional, not held identify market niches optional
  • optional, not held international trade optional
  • optional, not held liaise with advertising agencies optional
  • optional, not held liaise with distribution channel managers optional
  • optional, not held manage the handling of promotional materials optional
  • optional, not held market entry strategies optional
  • optional, not held online ads campaign techniques optional
  • optional, not held perform multiple tasks at the same time optional
  • optional, not held plan events optional
  • optional, not held prepare exhibition marketing plan optional

9 further entries not listed here

15 held skills the marketing manager role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role analyse supply chain strategies skill
  • not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
  • not needed by the target role define geographic sales areas skill
  • not needed by the target role develop professional network 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 make strategic business decisions 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 recruit personnel skill
  • not needed by the target role teach marketing principles skill
  • not needed by the target role write work-related reports skill
27 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 pick up Tier
  • still to learn project management required
  • still to learn services marketing required
  • still to learn channel marketing required
  • still to learn marketing analytics required
  • still to learn marketing management required
  • still to learn marketing principles required
  • still to learn relationship marketing required
  • optional, not held cost management optional
  • optional, not held customer insight optional
  • optional, not held e-commerce systems optional
  • optional, not held information confidentiality optional
  • optional, not held keywords in digital content optional
  • optional, not held neuromarketing techniques optional
  • optional, not held search engine optimisation optional
  • optional, not held web strategy assessment optional
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held communication principles optional
  • optional, not held content development processes optional
  • optional, not held contract law optional
  • optional, not held international trade optional
  • optional, not held market entry strategies optional
  • optional, not held online ads campaign techniques optional
  • optional, not held social media management optional
  • optional, not held social media marketing techniques optional
  • optional, not held teamwork principles optional
  • optional, not held telemarketing optional
  • optional, not held web analytics optional
Index

Other moves recorded from sales manager

Full index of moves from sales manager

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a sales manager become a marketing manager?

Yes, and it is a substantial move. A sales manager already covers 54% of what a marketing manager is expected to do: 47 skills carry over, 30 of which the marketing manager role treats as required.

What skills does a sales manager need to become a marketing manager?

13 required skills are missing, plus 49 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by business, administration and law. The single most important is organise participation in local or international events.

How hard is the move from sales manager to marketing manager?

Its learning distance is 62.2 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

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.