What does a director of international sales do?
A director of international sales oversees and leads the international sales initiatives and objectives of a company. They take the lead in conducting foreign market research and analyses, developing sales forecasts and models, conducting reviews and assessments over existing procedures, coordinating with international distributors, and creating marketing plans. A director of international sales also has the authority to make business decisions, set goals, develop strategies to reach sales targets, delegate responsibilities among managers, and negotiate contracts with potential business partners.
Director of international sales responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of international sales resumes:
- Manage daily office operations include purchasing, logistics, technical service/customer service and warehousing.
- Develop repository in Salesforce for managing client meeting reports; create transparency across sales and management.
- Full responsibility for all sales activities for a start-up electronic commerce company managing electronic data flow in the healthcare industry.
- Implement global SaaS roll-out to all partners.
- Restructure and develop sales for the Caribbean with business transactions conduct in French, English and Spanish.
- Drive adoption of NetSuite CRM and other tools within the go-to-market team (sales, marketing and product management).
- Negotiate joint marketing and manufacturing agreement with major international OEM manufacturer.
- Service domestic and international wireless telecommunications markets, from OEM and service provider perspectives.
- Ensure that all contractual obligations, including technical specifications and logistics are met on timely schedule.
- Implement and initiate various CRM improvements resulting in increase user adoption and robust prospect data mining.
- Full responsibility for all sales activities for a start-up electronic commerce company managing electronic data flow in the healthcare industry.
- Create metrics for lead qualification and opportunity follow-up in SalesForce.com.
- Utilize ATM, SONET, MPLS, IP broadband architectures.
- Direct Americas region and steering committee on KPI and program engagement.
- Develop, implement in-country channel distribution strategies for the IP broadband market.
Director of international sales skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Directors Of International Sales are proficient in Product Development, Sales Growth, and International Sales. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Interpersonal skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of International Sales that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Product Development, 11%
Exercised profit and loss responsibility for international sales division, with additional responsibility for sourcing and product development for international markets.
- Sales Growth, 6%
Developed and guided implementation of business program strategies to position product sales growth into Latin America markets.
- International Sales, 5%
Spearheaded the integration project team for the international sales related portion of PTG's acquisition of a new China-based surge-protection manufacturer.
- Account Management, 5%
Led international partner development, account management and go-to-market strategies to promote Polychem s products and services outside North America.
- Sales Strategies, 5%
Identified market opportunities, established distribution network, and crafted go-to-market sales strategies.
- R, 5%
Resulted in 100% feature placement and in-stock status at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.
Common skills that a director of international sales uses to do their job include "product development," "sales growth," and "international sales." You can find details on the most important director of international sales responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. director of international sales responsibilities often require "analytical skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "sales managers must collect and interpret complex data to target the most promising geographic areas and demographic groups, and determine the most effective sales strategies." This resume example shows what directors of international sales do with analytical skills on a typical day: "performed marketing, sales, and competition analysis throughout the caribbean islands, mexico, and spain. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for director of international sales responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of directors of international sales all the time, as "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." An excerpt from a real director of international sales resume shows how this skill is central to what a director of international sales does: "directed all communications, social media, and messaging representing chid international programs. "
Customer-service skills. Lastly, "customer-service skills" is an important element of what a director of international sales does. Director of international sales responsibilities require this skill because "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." This resume example highlights how director of international sales duties rely on this skill: "prepared and delivered technical/sales presentations at customer meetings, senior management briefings, international technical conference and training seminars. "
The three companies that hire the most director of international saless are:
- L3Harris12 directors of international sales jobs
- Advance Auto Parts2 directors of international sales jobs
- Nordstrom2 directors of international sales jobs
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Compare different directors of international sales
Director of international sales vs. Sales vice president
Sales vice presidents are top-level executives at a sales, retail, or marketing corporation. Primarily these executives are tasked to direct and lead a sales department or team within the organization. Their objective is to meet or even exceed the sales or marketing standards set for a successful business operation. They manage brands, deploy sales, and distribute the channels of the company. Also, they oversee the internal operations of the organization to establish customer relationships.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between directors of international sales and sales vice president. For instance, director of international sales responsibilities require skills such as "sales strategies," "r," "distribution network," and "logistics." Whereas a sales vice president is skilled in "healthcare," "customer service," "sales management," and "crm." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Sales vice presidents earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $150,209. On the other hand, directors of international sales are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $140,850.sales vice presidents tend to reach lower levels of education than directors of international sales. In fact, sales vice presidents are 7.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.8% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of international sales vs. Client services director
A client services director is responsible for maintaining healthy business relationships with clients, ensuring that operational teams provide the highest quality services for the clients, following their deliverables and business requirements. Client services directors oversee project management procedures, identifying inconsistencies, and revising business plans to improve outputs and achieve client satisfaction. They also recommend cost-reduction techniques, as well as processes to maximize productivity and enhance the utilization of resources. A client services director coordinates with the clients for progress updates, as well as informing them of adjustments and opportunities for business development.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of international sales responsibilities requires skills like "sales growth," "international sales," "sales strategies," and "r." But a client services director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "client service," "customer service," "business development," and "excellent interpersonal."
Client services directors may earn a lower salary than directors of international sales, but client services directors earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $120,175. On the other hand, directors of international sales receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $140,850.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Client services directors tend to reach similar levels of education than directors of international sales. In fact, they're 3.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Directors of international sales in the next 3-5 years?
Bill Thorne
Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation
Director of international sales vs. Senior sales director
A senior sales director is in charge of spearheading and overseeing the sales operations in a company, prioritizing customer satisfaction and profit growth. Their responsibilities revolve around developing strategies to reach sales targets, devising and defining sales objectives, coordinating with fellow directors and managers, and creating extensive sales reports. Furthermore, as a senior sales director, it is essential to lead and encourage the team to reach sales goals, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, directors of international sales are more likely to have skills like "international sales," "sales strategies," "r," and "distribution network." But a senior sales director is more likely to have skills like "customer satisfaction," "digital transformation," "cloud," and "sales management."
Senior sales directors earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $130,551. Comparatively, directors of international sales have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $140,850.When it comes to education, senior sales directors tend to earn lower degree levels compared to directors of international sales. In fact, they're 6.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of international sales vs. National director
A national director is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing strategic plans for an organization. As the national director, you are expected to oversee the organization's day-to-day operations that include developing business plans and managing departments and staff. Other duties that you perform include evaluating the performance of employees, cultivating good relationships with other decision-makers and leaders, and implementing new strategies to increase profitability. As the national director, you are also responsible for directing and overseeing business development initiatives across the region.
Types of director of international sales
Updated January 8, 2025
