What are the objectives of a sales department?

Primary objectives of a sales department center on identifying and contacting prospects and converting them into paying customers. Key short-term objectives include growing company sales from one period to the next and increasing the company's customer base.

Sales departments also set objectives for number of contacts in a month. Along with generating new business streams, sales departments are responsible for maintaining profitable relationships with existing customers. They do so through follow-up phone calls and repeat visits. Upselling customers to generate more revenue and to increase profit margin is a goal. Some sales departments also set daily objectives on the number of prospects each representative visits.