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The differences between general sales managers and national sales 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 general sales manager and a national sales manager. Additionally, a general sales manager has an average salary of $118,744, which is higher than the $102,742 average annual salary of a national sales manager.
The top three skills for a general sales manager include customer service, dealership and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a national sales manager are customer service, product development, and trade shows.
| General Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $118,744 | $102,742 |
| Hourly rate | $57.09 | $49.40 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 196,210 | 94,554 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
General sales managers are responsible for monitoring the daily operation of the sales team and analyze marketing strategies to improve sales performance and generate more revenues. General sales managers develop strategic plans, adjust sales quotas as needed, identify business opportunities, research current market trends, and evaluate the annual budget. General sales managers also respond to the customers' inquiries and high-level complaints, providing immediate resolutions to ensure customer satisfaction. A general sales manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the sales department, especially on sales techniques in reaching the business' profitability goals.
A national sales manager is responsible for leading a large group of sales teams, monitoring sales performance, and implementing strategic sales procedures to drive revenues and achieve the organization's profitability goals. National sales managers identify business opportunities by analyzing current market trends and closing business partnerships to boost the company's brand popularity and attract more customers. They also monitor marketing strategies and negotiate continuous agreements with existing customers to keep them purchasing the company's services. A national sales manager creates sales forecasts, ensuring that the services provided by the organization align with the standard budget goals.
General sales managers and national sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| General Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $118,744 | $102,742 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $196,000 | Between $67,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | Westport, CT | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | NetApp |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a general sales manager and a national sales manager in terms of educational background:
| General Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between general sales managers' and national sales managers' demographics:
| General Sales Manager | National Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% | Male, 80.4% Female, 19.6% |
| 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% |