What does a director of sales and marketing do?
A director of sales and marketing's responsibilities revolve around overseeing the sales, budgets, and all programs related to marketing. They must implement budget goals and revenue targets, evaluate the progress of the various teams, participate in securing sales and reaching out to high profile clients, and even negotiate contracts. Furthermore, they have the discretion to assign pricing and discounts, strategize ways to build a more substantial client base, and lead a team of skilled professionals to boost sales and improve client satisfaction.
Director of sales and marketing responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of sales and marketing resumes:
- Manage business advertising efforts including Google AdWords, Facebook and local print media.
- Lead company's management functions and legislative initiatives for nationally recognize brand in quality healthcare management.
- Utilize expertise to select appropriate technologies for target communication; manage messaging/design initiatives focuse on ROI improvement.
- Achieve operational efficiency by analyzing advertising and promotional spending to identify vehicles, channels and messages that generate target ROI.
- Provide project management over cloud base hosted solutions design for the SMB market.
- Create policies and procedures for Medicare department relating to all aspects of the business.
- Create initial marketing plan targeting healthcare facilities and architectural design firms to consult on government regulations regarding interior signage.
- Develop and introduce electronic sample management process which contribute to a successful FDA inspection that lead to no observations.
- Apply demand generation tactics utilizing online marketing, key industry partnerships, and high-touch customer repeat business/retention programs leveraging CRM system.
- Develop marketing initiatives including website development, SEO and print collateral.
- Position all hotels and resorts to lead respective markets in average rate and market share.
- Design and implement website overhaul using knowledge of SEO to intelligently target customers.
- Implement cross-selling programs for all hotels and resorts leading to new business and surpassing all sales expectations.
- Report directly to the DOSM.
- Assist DOSM with marketing plan, budget & monthly forecast.
Director of sales and marketing skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Directors Of Sales And Marketing are proficient in Customer Service, Product Development, and Strategic Sales. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Interpersonal skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Sales And Marketing that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 10%
Monitored, measured and evaluated operational effectiveness and performance of all sales/customer service staff to ensure alignment with corporate profit goals.
- Product Development, 5%
Led process improvement to customer/consumer retention, forecasting process and new product development process producing 17% improvement in service levels.
- Strategic Sales, 5%
Developed strategic sales and marketing campaigns and budget for multiple group markets including national accounts, associations and philanthropic entities.
- Lead Management, 5%
Initiated numerous lead generating campaigns for Sales, directing lead management/distribution, and constructed ROI analysis.
- Business Development, 4%
Created a reliable new business development process and prolific sales pipeline in order to close incremental business and drive sales profitability.
- Sales Process, 4%
Managed lead generation, qualification, business process analysis and sales processes including contract negotiations and service level agreements.
"customer service," "product development," and "strategic sales" are among the most common skills that directors of sales and marketing use at work. You can find even more director of sales and marketing responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. A big part of what directors of sales and marketing do relies on "analytical skills." You can see how essential it is to director of sales and marketing responsibilities because "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." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical director of sales and marketing tasks: "perform direct sales efforts and conduct market analysis in order to identify and expand sales opportunities across targeted markets. "
Communication skills. Another crucial skill for a director of sales and marketing to carry out their responsibilities is "communication skills." A big part of what directors of sales and marketing relies on this skill, since "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." How this skill relates to director of sales and marketing duties can be seen in an example from a director of sales and marketing resume snippet: "strengthened vendor relations through extensive communication and growth of individual product lines resulting in larger profits through discounted price levels. "
Customer-service skills. Another skill commonly found on director of sales and marketing job descriptions is "customer-service skills." It can come up quite often in director of sales and marketing duties, since "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day director of sales and marketing responsibilities: "implemented e-proposals and e-menus resulting in quicker customer response time, increased direct sales follow up and greater conversion of business. "
The three companies that hire the most director of sales and marketings are:
- Highgate Hotels23 directors of sales and marketing jobs
- Aimbridge Hospitality19 directors of sales and marketing jobs
- Horseshoe Bay Resort19 directors of sales and marketing jobs
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Compare different directors of sales and marketing
Director of sales and marketing vs. National sales director
A national sales director is responsible for monitoring the sales targets and performance of the sales force across the country's regions. National sales directors handle the execution and release of goods and services according to market trends and public demands. They strategize on related business opportunities to identify additional resources that would increase the company's revenue and profitability. A national sales director conducts data and statistical analysis to determine pricing techniques, considering the availability of supplies and its market demands.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a director of sales and marketing are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "strategic sales," "lead management," and "revenue management." On the other hand, a job as a national sales director requires skills like "crm," "healthcare," "salesforce," and "sales management." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
National sales directors tend to make the most money working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $110,884. In contrast, directors of sales and marketing make the biggest average salary, $137,526, in the manufacturing industry.On average, national sales directors reach similar levels of education than directors of sales and marketing. National sales directors are 0.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Director of sales and marketing vs. Regional sales director
A regional sales director is responsible for monitoring sales quotas for a specific area or region, developing sales strategies, and adjusting existing techniques to increase revenues and achieve its profitability goals. Regional sales directors manage marketing campaigns, analyze current market trends to meet consumer demands, plan promotional events, handle employees' sales training programs, and coordinate with multiple sales teams to implement effective sales processes. A regional sales director must have excellent leadership and communication skills, especially managing customers' inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, director of sales and marketing responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "strategic sales," "revenue management," "market trends," and "competitive analysis." Meanwhile, a regional sales director has duties that require skills in areas such as "regional sales," "healthcare," "crm," and "sales management." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, regional sales directors earn a higher salary than directors of sales and marketing. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, regional sales directors earn the most pay in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $157,646. Whereas directors of sales and marketing have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $137,526.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Regional sales directors tend to reach similar levels of education than directors of sales and marketing. In fact, they're 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Directors of sales and marketing 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 sales and marketing 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of sales and marketing resumes include skills like "strategic sales," "trade shows," "revenue management," and "market trends," whereas a senior sales director is more likely to list skills in "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 sales and marketing have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $137,526.Most senior sales directors achieve a similar degree level compared to directors of sales and marketing. For example, they're 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of sales and marketing vs. Manager/marketing director
Types of director of sales and marketing
Updated January 8, 2025
