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Direct sales manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.,

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical direct sales manager skills. We ranked the top skills for direct sales managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.6% of direct sales manager resumes contained sales professionals as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a direct sales manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 direct sales manager skills for your resume and career

1. Sales Professionals

Here's how direct sales managers use sales professionals:

Directed and developed a team of nine sales professionals to motivate the achievement of individual and team sales goals.
Credited with training, developing, mentoring and promoting three district sales professionals to positions of greater responsibility.

2. Account Executives

Account executives help build good relationships with new and existing clients. They interact with brand teams and clients, making them the point of contact. A sales development representative responsibilities entail facilitating sales, generating potential leads, and referring customers to the best salesperson. To succeed in this job post, you need to have the best customer service, math, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills. A bachelor's degree in business marketing, sales, or a similar field fits this role.

Here's how direct sales managers use account executives:

Managed teams of professional direct sales representatives/account executives.
Directed the activities of Account Executives, Account Managers, Senior Account Managers, Warehouse Manager, Buyer and Operations Manager.

3. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how direct sales managers use customer service:

Provided great customer service by educating clients with all information and features for home security and automation solutions.
Encouraged an unwavering commitment to customer service in order to drive repeat business and ensure customer satisfaction.

4. Sales Management

Here's how direct sales managers use sales management:

Direct Sales management position entailed completely operating the franchise.
Served in sales management role.

5. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how direct sales managers use payroll:

Processed payroll records/labor procedures/cost analysis; generated appropriate reports and forecasts.
Review, analyze and develop subscriber bi-monthly and monthly reports including sales, production, payroll and cost per sale.

6. Direct Reports

Here's how direct sales managers use direct reports:

Instruct, train, mentor and manage direct reports and other inside sales resources as assigned.
Managed multiple direct reports to exceed 2014 record market operating profit goals by $150K.

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7. Sales Performance

Here's how direct sales managers use sales performance:

Determined sales targets and managed individual and team sales performance.
Achieved notable levels of sales performance.

8. Sales Process

Here's how direct sales managers use sales process:

Attained expertise in sales process knowledge through manufacturer certification programs, structuring financial contracts and processing credit checks.
Coordinated and managed sales processes and maintained production above monthly quota.

9. Sales Objectives

Here's how direct sales managers use sales objectives:

Develop sales representatives' daily and long-term sales objectives to ensure optimal time and resource management.
Motivate sales team to achieve and surpass sales objectives.

10. Sales Targets

Here's how direct sales managers use sales targets:

Provided leadership and managed the Direct Sales function to achieve sales targets and increase market share and maintain relationship with clients.
Achieve company sales targets, and coach and develop team to achieve their company and individual goals.

11. Door Sales

Here's how direct sales managers use door sales:

Plan sales week including van destination as well as plan individual door to door sales routs for team members.
Used gorilla marketing, event selling and door to door sales to hit our sales goals in assigned territory.

12. Performance Management

Here's how direct sales managers use performance management:

Evaluate staff performance according to company performance management policies and procedures.
Created and implemented operations materials for hiring, training, performance management, continuous improvement, operations reviews, and more.

13. Sales Training

Here's how direct sales managers use sales training:

Coordinated and delivered a comprehensive sales training curriculum for all new Direct Sales Representatives in Buffalo.
Developed product knowledge and sales training courses which shortened ramp up time from in excess of three months to one month.

14. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how direct sales managers use customer satisfaction:

Achieved internal promotions based on exceeding expectations and significantly contributing to the company's profitability, customer satisfaction and bottom-line results.
Increased customer satisfaction index 15% by providing thoughtful customer interactions and solutions.

15. Sales Strategies

Here's how direct sales managers use sales strategies:

Developed productive sales representatives through proven and focused sales strategies.
Designed and implemented innovative sales strategies for over quota achievement.

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What skills help Direct Sales Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on direct sales manager resumes?

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.

Director, Western Oregon University

The skills that stand out on resumes fall into two categories: 1) Skills required to do the job and 2) Skills almost all employers look for. The most important aspect of resumes is to make sure it reflects exactly what the employer needs. Study the job description, identify key skills, and have them reflected on your resume. Think about transferrable skills, not the specific roles you've had.

Most employers look for skills such as communication (written/oral), flexibility, proactivity, problem-solving, project management, and technical. Make sure to cultivate those skills in whatever role you have, and have examples that demonstrate those skills.

What soft skills should all direct sales managers possess?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.

What hard/technical skills are most important for direct sales managers?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?

What direct sales manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kerri Orders

Assistant Professor of Business, Aquinas College

In terms of a gap year, I recommend that international business students acquire tangible skills, relevant experience and/or certifications which will enhance their success in their desired area of interest. For example, a gap year could consist of gaining technical or digital training overseas, which would also further the students' cultural intelligence and language proficiency. These types of enriching gap year experiences will assist students to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive market. Furthermore, students should focus on broadening and maintaining their global network during a gap year in order to be ready for the job market once the gap year is concluded.

What type of skills will young direct sales managers need?

Michael Mikitka

Executive Vice President, MHI – Material Handling Industry

Courses and internships are essential. While the required depth of knowledge may vary from one position to another, employers are generally looking for candidates with strong "people-related" skills, those who are willing to continue to learn, and those with the ability to be flexible and adapt.

By "people-related" skills, I mean the abilities associated with effective communication (listen and express ideas and direction) and the skills related to working independently and a team.

As for the interest to continually learn... from a technology, data, and equipment perspective, today's supply chain looks very different than it did 10-years ago. The willingness and ability to continually learn are essential for anyone in a leadership role.

As for flexibility and adapting...supply chain/logistics is as much about responding to disruption and demand as it is planning for it. There is a predictable demand (i.e., seasonal...everyone knows when back-to-school shopping begins). Then there is the unpredictable demand (i.e., power-outages, wildfires, pandemic) that impact market and the ability to operate. Candidates that express flexibility and problem-solving skills will be much sought-after.

What technical skills for a direct sales manager stand out to employers?

Madeleine Felion

Search Manager, Direct Hire at Adecco USA, Adecco USA

- In many hourly positions, math and measurement skills are increasingly sought after by companies - these skills can apply to several jobs from quality to CNC machining.
- Data entry and accuracy is a skill many nontraditional jobs are asking for as machines become more automated. Computer skills continue to stand out as it also applies to many in-demand roles.
- Other skills include experience working with ERP software systems such as SAP, Oracle and Syteline. Niche skills such as lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S and a variety of ISO quality standards are highly desired in most manufacturing companies.

Do you want to know more?

List of direct sales manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a direct sales manager resume and required skills for a direct sales manager to have include:

Sales Professionals
Account Executives
Customer Service
Sales Management
Payroll
Direct Reports
Sales Performance
Sales Process
Sales Objectives
Sales Targets
Door Sales
Performance Management
Sales Training
Customer Satisfaction
Sales Strategies

Product Knowledge
Developmental Disabilities
Account Management
Comcast
Sales Plan
Sales Associates
Sales Reports
Customer Complaints
Product Line
Sales Presentations
Trade Shows
Medication Administration
Business Development
Sales Quota
HR

Training Programs
Sales Techniques
Customer Retention
Performance Evaluations
Inventory Control
SEO
POS
Indirect Sales
Sales Volume
Inventory Management
ROI
Sales Contracts
C-Level
MDU
Doctor Appointments

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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