JOB REPORT / 11-2022 · 17 TASKS

Sales Managers.

Can AI do the work of Sales Managers?

Mostly it works alongside you. Here is what shifts, task by task.

YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS

How does this fit your work?

How many tasks do you use AI to assist with at work?

Drag the dot. There’s no wrong answer; it starts at our estimate.

Starting pointOur estimate

The mark shows what’s typical for this job.

The parts of your job AI can already do most of:

Review operational records and reports to project sales…
Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts
Assess marketing potential of new and existing store locations…

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A guided certificate program in AI-assisted Sales Managers work. It covers the 16 AI-affected parts of your job and ends in a capstone a person reviews.

WHAT WE LOOKED AT

Your job, task by task.

16 of 17 tasks reviewed

This job has 17 core tasks. We went through 16 of them, one at a time.

Task by task, from the work Sales Managers actually do. How we describe AI use in each task is our own read of it, not a measurement of whether AI can replace the job.

TASK 01
Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
AI DOES
Summarizes records, flags trends, builds profit models, and generates draft reports
YOU DO
Apply market intuition and team knowledge to judge what the numbers really mean
TASK 02
Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
AI DOES
Scans sales data, flags trends, and summarizes customer buying patterns
YOU DO
Decide which customer signals truly matter and coach the team on where to focus
TASK 03
Assess marketing potential of new and existing store locations, considering statistics and expenditures.
AI DOES
Gathers demographic data, runs spending models, and surfaces location comparisons
YOU DO
Weigh local context, relationships, and strategic fit before deciding
TASK 04
Prepare budgets and approve budget expenditures.
AI DOES
Drafts budget templates, analyzes spending trends, and flags overages
YOU DO
Own the approval decision and weigh tradeoffs that numbers alone can't show
TASK 05
Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.
AI DOES
Drafts training schedules, summarizes sales metrics, and suggests performance review templates
YOU DO
Keep the human judgment needed to coach individuals, resolve conflicts, and make fair staffing decisions
TASK 06
Advise dealers and distributors on policies and operating procedures to ensure functional effectiveness of business.
AI DOES
Drafts policy summaries, generates FAQ documents, and suggests procedure improvements based on best practices
YOU DO
Build the relationships and read the room when dealers push back
TASK 07
Direct, coordinate, and review sales and service accounting and record-keeping, as well as receiving and shipping.
AI DOES
Summarizes records, spots errors, and drafts reports from sales and accounting data
YOU DO
Direct your team, resolve disputes, and oversee hands-on shipping and receiving work
TASK 08
Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.
AI DOES
Researches customer needs, suggests product matches, and drafts recommendation summaries
YOU DO
Build rapport, read the room, and earn the customer's trust in person
TASK 09
Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.
AI DOES
Analyzes sales data, flags trends, drafts reports, and suggests territory or quota adjustments
YOU DO
Build team trust, read people in the moment, and make calls that balance numbers with real-world context
TASK 10
Confer or consult with department heads to plan advertising services and to secure information on equipment and customer specifications.
AI DOES
Drafts meeting agendas, summarizes equipment specs, and suggests talking points
YOU DO
Build trust with department heads and read the room during live conversations
TASK 11
Direct clerical staff to keep records of export correspondence, bid requests, and credit collections, and to maintain current information on tariffs, licenses, and restrictions.
AI DOES
Drafts record-keeping templates, summarizes tariff updates, and flags missing documents
YOU DO
Judge which records matter most and guide your team through real business decisions
TASK 12
Direct foreign sales and service outlets of an organization.
AI DOES
Drafts reports, translates communications, analyzes sales data, and flags performance gaps across regions
YOU DO
Build trust with foreign teams and make calls that need cultural and political judgment
TASK 13
Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
AI DOES
Summarizes sales performance dashboards and highlights team trends
YOU DO
Build trust with your managers and make judgment calls about people
TASK 14SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Determine price schedules and discount rates.
AI DOES
Analyzes market data and suggests pricing models
YOU DO
Decide strategy and approve final rates
About this analysis
32% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium
TASK 15SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
AI DOES
Suggests solutions and drafts response templates
YOU DO
Read emotions and build real trust
About this analysis
25% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium
TASK 16SOURCE-BACKED TASK
Represent company at trade association meetings to promote products.
AI DOES
Preps talking points and competitor research
YOU DO
Build relationships and read the room
About this analysis
0% · Methodology: exposure-v1 · Analysis date: unavailable · Confidence: medium

START LEARNING AI

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Use your judgment.

There are 16 short lessons for this job, about 15 minutes each. Each one starts from a task above and teaches the part that stays with you.

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AT A GLANCE

Occupation: Sales Managers
SOC code: 11-2022
Tasks reviewed: 16 of 17

How we assess

PAY & OUTLOOK

Compare pay by state

Median pay (national): $148,270 · BLS OEWS 2025
Median pay (Colorado): $180,850 · BLS OEWS 2025
Employed (national): 637,080
Employed in Colorado: 8,780
Job outlook: +4.7% by 2034 · ~49,000 openings/yr

Wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. National figures cover the United States. Job outlook is national.

How does this fit your work?

Earn a certificate in your job

Your job, task by task.

Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.

Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.

Assess marketing potential of new and existing store locations, considering statistics and expenditures.

Prepare budgets and approve budget expenditures.

Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.

Advise dealers and distributors on policies and operating procedures to ensure functional effectiveness of business.

Direct, coordinate, and review sales and service accounting and record-keeping, as well as receiving and shipping.

Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.

Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.

Confer or consult with department heads to plan advertising services and to secure information on equipment and customer specifications.

Direct clerical staff to keep records of export correspondence, bid requests, and credit collections, and to maintain current information on tariffs, licenses, and restrictions.

Direct foreign sales and service outlets of an organization.

Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.

Determine price schedules and discount rates.

Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.

Represent company at trade association meetings to promote products.

Practice AI.Use your judgment.

Practice AI.
Use your judgment.