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The differences between direct sales managers and national sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a direct sales manager and a national sales manager. Additionally, a direct sales manager has an average salary of $120,139, which is higher than the $102,742 average annual salary of a national sales manager.
The top three skills for a direct sales manager include sales professionals, account executives and customer service. The most important skills for a national sales manager are customer service, product development, and trade shows.
| Direct Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $120,139 | $102,742 |
| Hourly rate | $57.76 | $49.40 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 140,506 | 94,554 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
Direct sales managers are individuals who take responsibility for leading and guiding sales people within an organization. It is the job of the sales managers to set the goals and quotas, create sales plans, and analyze data. They assign sales territories and conduct sales training. They serve as mentors for sales team members and involve in the recruitment and dismissal process. Also, they foresee sales and identify product and service profitability for the company.
A national sales manager is responsible for leading a large group of sales teams, monitoring sales performance, and implementing strategic sales procedures to drive revenues and achieve the organization's profitability goals. National sales managers identify business opportunities by analyzing current market trends and closing business partnerships to boost the company's brand popularity and attract more customers. They also monitor marketing strategies and negotiate continuous agreements with existing customers to keep them purchasing the company's services. A national sales manager creates sales forecasts, ensuring that the services provided by the organization align with the standard budget goals.
Direct sales managers and national sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Direct Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $120,139 | $102,742 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $178,000 | Between $67,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | NetApp |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a direct sales manager and a national sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Direct Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between direct sales managers' and national sales managers' demographics:
| Direct Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.9% Female, 38.1% | Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |