Supervisor of Retail Sales Worker

Also called: Art Gallery Director, Auto Leasing Manager, Auto Parts Manager, Auto Rental Supervisor, Automobile Leasing Supervisor

Varies

estimated salary

First-line supervisors of retail sales workers directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.

  • Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
  • Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or in performing services for customers.
  • Examine merchandise to ensure that it is correctly priced and displayed and that it functions as advertised.
  • Monitor sales activities to ensure that customers receive satisfactory service and quality goods.
  • Instruct staff on how to handle difficult and complicated sales.
  • Assign employees to specific duties.
  • Keep records of purchases, sales, and requisitions.
  • Perform work activities of subordinates, such as cleaning and organizing shelves and displays and selling merchandise.
  • Plan and prepare work schedules and keep records of employees' work schedules and time cards.
  • Review inventory and sales records to prepare reports for management and budget departments.
  • Inventory stock and reorder when inventory drops to a specified level.
  • Establish and implement policies, goals, objectives, and procedures for the department.
  • Examine products purchased for resale or received for storage to assess the condition of each product or item.
  • Enforce safety, health, and security rules.
  • Estimate consumer demand and determine the types and amounts of goods to be sold.
  • Confer with company officials to develop methods and procedures to increase sales, expand markets, and promote business.
  • Formulate pricing policies for merchandise, according to profitability requirements.
  • Hire, train, and evaluate personnel in sales or marketing establishments, promoting or firing workers when appropriate.
  • Plan and coordinate advertising campaigns and sales promotions and prepare merchandise displays and advertising copy.
  • Establish credit policies and operating procedures.
  • Plan budgets and authorize payments and merchandise returns.
Work Context
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 97% responded "Every day".
  • Contact With Others — 86% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 78% responded "Extremely important".
  • Telephone — 74% responded "Every day".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 85% responded "Every day".
  • Deal With External Customers — 71% responded "Extremely important".
  • Coordinate or Lead Others — 64% responded "Extremely important".
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Work Activities
  • Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Greet customers, patrons, or visitors.
  • Answer customer questions about goods or services.
  • Monitor sales activities.
  • Assign duties or work schedules to employees.
  • Supervise sales or support personnel.
  • Purchase stocks of merchandise or supplies.
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Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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Skills

Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation
  • Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination
  • Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
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Abilities

Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Clarity
  • The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Oral Expression
  • The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition
  • The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software
  • Yardi Hot Technology
  • Microsoft Access Hot Technology
  • Oracle software Hot Technology
  • Data entry software Hot Technology
  • FileMaker Pro
  • Gift registry software
Business intelligence and data analysis software
  • MicroStrategy Hot Technology
  • Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition Hot Technology
  • Tableau Hot Technology
  • Qlik Tech QlikView Hot Technology
  • IBM Cognos Impromptu Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
  • Google Docs Hot Technology
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