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

What is a global sales manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Bill Thorne

A global sales manager is an individual who manages international accounts and clients for an organization or a business, and also looks for new clients and markets around the world. These professionals are responsible for monitoring the entire sales cycle with international sales territories, manage sales departments, looks for new global markets and business opportunities, maintain and create new relationships with customers and clients.

Global sales managers also gather and analyze sales data, and use that data to and design and implement ways in which to optimize operations and profits for a company.

Most global sales managers have a bachelor's or a master's degree in business, marketing, or a related field, however, some employers may consider candidates who have comparable skills, expertise, and experience. A global sales manager should be adept at managing sales staff, building relationships with global markets, and should be familiar with the cultural and business practices of international clients and businesses. A global sales manager should possess strong communication, interpersonal, sales, and marketing skills, and may have to travel internationally to meet with clients and customers. Depending on the industry, a global sales manager can make up to $115,000 per year, and the job market is expected to grow 5% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a global 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.

ScoreGlobal Sales ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $98,410

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 26.01%

male 73.99%

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 global sales manager

Explore global sales manager education requirements

Most common global sales manager degrees

Bachelor's

77.9 %

Master's

16.3 %

Associate

4.2 %

Start to develop specific global sales manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Global Sales	13.99%
CRM	13.75%
Sales Process	13.46%
Customer Satisfaction	11.13%
Sales Support	6.14%

Complete relevant global sales manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New global 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 global sales manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real global sales manager resumes.

Research global sales manager duties and responsibilities

Introduce a foreign manufacture into a dominant domestic automotive and aerospace markets while achieving business goals and domestic tool production plans.
Design entire sales/marketing process (ROI's, samples, training, newsletters, CRM, etc.
Train manufacturers' representatives in OEM selling for key markets.
Identify and develop product specifications, secure OEM and corporate approvals, and coordinate launch strategies for product commercialization.

Prepare your global sales manager resume

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

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