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The differences between direct sales managers and sales support 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 sales support manager. Additionally, a direct sales manager has an average salary of $120,139, which is higher than the $94,946 average annual salary of a sales support manager.
The top three skills for a direct sales manager include sales professionals, account executives and customer service. The most important skills for a sales support manager are project management, CRM, and salesforce.
| Direct Sales Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $120,139 | $94,946 |
| Hourly rate | $57.76 | $45.65 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 140,506 | 166,510 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 sales support manager is responsible for monitoring the sales operations of an organization, evaluating the sales performance, and conducting data analysis and research to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability. Sales support managers also meet with existing potential clients to discuss services and negotiate contracts, responding to their inquiries and concerns, and addressing their requests. They also handle the training and programs for the sales staff to maximize efficiency and productivity to meet target goals and increase sales volume.
Direct sales managers and sales support managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Direct Sales Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Average salary | $120,139 | $94,946 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $178,000 | Between $62,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | - | Oregon |
| Best paying company | - | Accenture |
| Best paying industry | - | Professional |
There are a few differences between a direct sales manager and a sales support manager in terms of educational background:
| Direct Sales Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 sales support managers' demographics:
| Direct Sales Manager | Sales Support Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.9% Female, 38.1% | Male, 50.6% Female, 49.4% |
| 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% |