How To Become A Distribution Sales Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a distribution sales manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Bill Thorne

If you want to be a Distribution Sales Manager, you will need communication skills and excellent customer service. You will proactively increase sales and help ensure profits. Distribution Sales Managers need to recognize and meet sales goals. They formulate sales strategies with management and sales reps to achieve goals. You will need to develop a highly collaborative client relationship for this role.

What general advice would you give to a distribution sales manager?

Bill Thorne

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.

ScoreDistribution Sales ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.1

Avg. Salary $64,821

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 27.73%

male 72.27%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a distribution sales manager

Explore distribution sales manager education requirements

Most common distribution sales manager degrees

Bachelor's

63.4 %

Associate

14.3 %

Master's

9.1 %

Start to develop specific distribution sales manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	20.78%
Customer Complaints	9.32%
Sales People	6.80%
Product Line	6.63%
Retail Store	6.43%

Complete relevant distribution sales manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New distribution sales managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a distribution sales manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real distribution sales manager resumes.

Research distribution sales manager duties and responsibilities

Manage a distributor network throughout EMEA.
Travele to Quito Ecuador to manage opening of Latin American site.
Work as part of a team to achieve ISO 9002 certification.
Arrange and manage the approval process for EU and Australian product markings.

Prepare your distribution sales manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your distribution sales manager resume.

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