What does a general sales manager do?
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.
General sales manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real general sales manager resumes:
- Manage financial bookkeeping for the company using Quickbooks.
- Manage hotel through complete interior/exterior renovation and flag change to IHG brand.
- Develop new sales leads for group, LNR corporate, and leisure travel.
- Manage all LNR and CRN rates in accordance with brand standards and hotel needs.
- Manage front office, executing plans to increase occupancy and ADR through walk-ins, up-sells, and management of rate variance.
- Manage all scheduling and payroll functions to maximize sales and productivity while meeting/exceeding company financial goals.
- Work directly with IHG brand support staff to ensure all brand standards are met.
- Position involve recruitment, preparation, and management of college students, as well as being a salesperson.
- Work as a salesperson and rely upon as an expert on the snowboard industry, products and vendors.
- Set all time PVR records every month and win year long department versus department sales contests establish by the dealer.
- Prepare and submit DMV documentation.
- Convert to new payroll and accounting systems that reduce and improve tax reporting and corporate consolidations.
- Manage all relate customer finance issues, submit all require DMV and manufacturer warranty registration documents.
- Monitor monthly CSI reporting and initiate training or procedural changes to address opportunities to improve the customer experience.
- Utilize information technology expertise to develop and maintain web presence, create marketing opportunities, CRM management, and increase productivity.
General sales manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of General Sales Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Dealership, and Customer Satisfaction. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of General Sales Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 15%
Coached sales team on how to effectively captivate clients and conduct persuasive product demonstrations while delivering optimum customer service.
- Dealership, 12%
Partnered with dealership management to create a positive environment that was directed towards sales generation and attainment of dealership goals.
- Customer Satisfaction, 6%
Worked directly with Advertising and Marketing departments and introduced mobile technology and responsive web-design to dealer for increased customer satisfaction and reach
- Sales Management, 6%
Worked closely with wholesale distributor principals, upper management to sales management of brand management.
- Sales Process, 4%
Implemented Sales Process including revamping Internet Department to increase volume and profitability.
- Sales Training, 3%
Hired professional consultants to assist in installing a sales training program which required timed continuing education.
"customer service," "dealership," and "customer satisfaction" are among the most common skills that general sales managers use at work. You can find even more general sales manager responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a general sales manager to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require 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." General sales managers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "review and analyze sales reports to grow different product lines with different customers. "
Communication skills. Many general sales manager duties rely on communication skills. "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly.," so a general sales manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways general sales manager responsibilities rely on communication skills: "established and delivered a communication plan to ensure all automobile sales reps are kept informed of all new inventories. "
Customer-service skills. general sales managers are also known for customer-service skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to general sales manager responsibilities, because "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." A general sales manager resume example shows how customer-service skills is used in the workplace: "realized steady 7.7% profit growth [ ] through innovative advertising campaigns and skilled customer negotiations, consistently exceeding sales objectives. "
Leadership skills. For certain general sales manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "leadership skills." The day-to-day duties of a general sales manager rely on this skill, as "sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what general sales managers do: "enabled 12 sales executives to meet and exceed sales objectives through effective leadership. "
The three companies that hire the most general sales managers are:
- Xponential Fitness11 general sales managers jobs
- Microsoft8 general sales managers jobs
- PulteGroup6 general sales managers jobs
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Compare different general sales managers
General sales manager vs. Business development sales manager
A business development sales manager is in charge of securing sales by reaching out to clients through calls, correspondence, or appointments. Their responsibilities often revolve around performing research and analysis to identify new leads and sales opportunities, offering different products and services, and creating proposals and price quotes for potential clients. A business development sales manager may also tailor payment plans, process billing, participate in various marketing initiatives, and produce progress reports. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure customer satisfaction and build positive relationships to strengthen the company's client base.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a general sales manager are more likely to require skills like "dealership," "customer satisfaction," "sales management," and "csi." On the other hand, a job as a business development sales manager requires skills like "crm," "healthcare," "business relationships," and "salesforce." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Business development sales managers tend to make the most money working in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $130,807. In contrast, general sales managers make the biggest average salary, $118,527, in the professional industry.The education levels that business development sales managers earn slightly differ from general sales managers. In particular, business development sales managers are 3.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a general sales manager. Additionally, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General sales manager vs. Sales account manager
The account sales manager is in charge of the retention of their customer relationship. They have to supervise the portfolio of existing clients, develop new business with them, and seek new sales opportunities. Account sales managers act as liaisons between the company and customer as well as build strong, long-lasting relationships by providing an improved customer experience. It is their responsibility to negotiate contracts and close deals to maximize sales profits. Also, they forecast track sales results and prepare reports on account status.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real general sales manager resumes. While general sales manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "dealership," "sales management," "sales training," and "csi," sales account managers use skills like "crm," "account management," "powerpoint," and "work ethic."
On average, sales account managers earn a lower salary than general sales managers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, sales account managers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $68,777. Whereas general sales managers have higher pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $118,527.In general, sales account managers achieve similar levels of education than general sales managers. They're 0.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for general sales managers 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
General sales manager vs. Sales team manager
A sales team manager is responsible for monitoring the sales performance and goals of an organization by strategizing on efficient techniques to sell goods and services to customers. Sales team managers identify business opportunities by analyzing the current market trends that would increase the company's revenues and profitability. They also provide training for the sales team members to maximize their efficiency and increase productivity. A sales team manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in developing sales plans to achieve sales targets.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a general sales manager is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "dealership," "sales management," and "sales growth," while a typical sales team manager is skilled in "grass," "customer care," "customer traffic," and "customer issues."
Most sales team managers achieve a similar degree level compared to general sales managers. For example, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General sales manager vs. Sales/field sales manager
Sales or Field Sales Managers oversee the group in charge of conducting sales activities outside of the office or company branches. They manage field sales employees by hiring and training them. They also set goals on a weekly or monthly basis. They provide strategic direction to ensure that these goals are met. They monitor the performance of the team and identify areas for improvement. They would then create programs to address these challenges. Field Sales Managers should be familiar with the company's target market. They should also be familiar with the scope of area operations. This would help them create strategies in the context of their target market. Field sales managers should have a strong sales background and a determined attitude.
Types of general sales manager
Updated January 8, 2025
