Sales and Business Development Manager

Finding new customers and partners; pitching and negotiating deals; setting targets and training a sales team; tracking numbers in a CRM; working with marketing, finance and delivery teams; travelling to meet clients.

A day in the work
Your morning might start with a quick team meeting to check who is behind on targets and who needs help. Then you call or visit a client, listen to their problem and work out a price or plan they can agree to. After lunch you update the CRM, send quotes and coach a young executive who lost a deal. Some evenings and weekends go to travel or client events, especially at month-end.

1. Step 1 · Class 8–12Choose any stream. Build the habits this work needs: speaking clearly, listening, basic maths and English. Try debates, school fests, stalls or fundraising drives. These are your first practice at persuading people.
2. Step 2 · 3–4 years after Class 12Do a BBA, BCom, BA, BSc or BTech from a recognised university. Aim for at least 50% marks if you want an MBA later (reported). A technical degree such as engineering or pharmacy can help if you want to sell technical products. (reported — check with the official body)
3. Step 3 · During the degreeDo internships or part-time work in sales, such as retail, campus promotions or telecalling. Entry-level sales jobs such as retail sales executive are open to 12th-pass candidates under the national skills framework (NSQF Level 4). Early practice shows you whether you like target-based work.
4. Step 4 · Final year or afterIf you want an MBA or PGDM, take an entrance test (CAT, XAT, CMAT, MAT or a state test) and go through group discussion and interview. Choose an AICTE-approved college and take Marketing or Sales electives. The course lasts 2 years. (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · First 2–4 years of workStart as a sales executive, business development executive or management trainee. You meet targets, learn the product and handle customers. Your results here matter more than your marks. (reported — check with the official body)
6. Step 6 · LaterWith a good record you can become an area or regional sales manager. You then lead a team, plan targets and manage big accounts. Later you can aim for national sales head or business head roles. (reported — check with the official body)

• Degree + MBA/PGDMBBA or any degree, then a 2-year MBA or PGDM with a sales or marketing focus. Many large companies hire management trainees from good campuses. This is the most common route, but it costs time and money.
• Start in sales and grow on performanceTake a degree, or sometimes just Class 12 plus a skills certificate, and join as a sales executive. Meet targets, then move up to team leader and manager. It is slower on paper, but many managers climb this way. An MBA can be added later, often while working.
• Technical degree, then salesDo a BTech, BPharm or similar degree, then join as a technical or B2B sales engineer. Companies that sell machines, software or medicines often prefer people who understand the product.

Fees from: IIM Ahmedabad – MBA (PGP) expenses and financial assistance. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Earnings usually start modest, rise with your sales record and team size, and are higher in big cities, in industries like IT, pharma and finance, and at larger companies. Part of the pay often depends on meeting targets, so it can change from year to year.

CAT asks for 45% instead of 50% in graduation for SC, ST and PwD candidates, and IIM seats are reserved by law, including 5% for persons with benchmark disabilities (reported). IIM Ahmedabad's one-year MBA lists entry scholarships for non-male candidates and for candidates with medically verified disabilities.

• Class 7–9Help run a stall at a school fair or a charity sale. Set a target, price things, pitch to visitors and write down what worked. Then talk to a shopkeeper about how they handle customers.
• Class 10–12Try the free Employability Skills and communication courses on Skill India Digital Hub. If you are 15 or older, join a MY Bharat volunteering drive where you must convince people to take part.Open link ↗
• College or afterTake a free SWAYAM course on marketing or sales management. Take up a campus role with a fest, such as sponsorship sales, where you pitch to local businesses.Open link ↗

• No licence or government registration is needed to work as a sales manager.
• An MBA and a PGDM from an AICTE-approved institute are both recognised routes. Check the college's current approval on the AICTE website before paying any fee. Ignore anyone who promises guaranteed admission.
• Pay in sales often has a fixed part and a target-linked incentive. Income can be uneven in the early years.
• Interested in the marketing side more than closing deals? Look at marketing-manager and digital-marketer too.