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What is an industry sales manager and how to become one
Industry sales managers are specialists responsible for overseeing an organization's industrial sales to meet revenue targets and profit margins. These executives must assess each market's needs and provide recommendations for strategies that would boost the company's revenues.
As an industry sales specialist, you must achieve client satisfaction by maintaining an appropriate level of customer service for all of your industrial sales activities. You must also implement a variety of sales programs to facilitate sales while also implementing market strategies to meet all budget goals.
As you work towards becoming an industry sales manager, note that sales managers in the industry typically have a background in business, marketing, or management. Meanwhile, you have to have customer service skills, business development skills, sales, and apt decision-making skills. Industry sales managers earn an average of $26.16 per hour or total yearly compensation of $54,403.
What general advice would you give to an industry sales manager?
Bill Thorne
Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation
Avg. Salary $84,766
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 5%
Growth rate 0.3%
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%
Genderfemale 15.73%
male 84.27%
Age - 46American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 46Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Industry sales manager career paths
Key steps to become an industry sales manager
Explore industry sales manager education requirements
Start to develop specific industry sales manager skills
Skills Percentages Customer Satisfaction 9.17% CRM 9.09% Sales Process 5.96% Account Management 4.88% Trade Shows 4.79% Complete relevant industry sales manager training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New industry 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 an industry sales manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real industry sales manager resumes.Research industry 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.
- Provide operational leadership including strategic planning, resource allocation, forecasting, ROI, and budget optimization.
- Introduce a foreign manufacture into a dominant domestic automotive and aerospace markets while achieving business goals and domestic tool production plans.
- Develop strategic territory and marketing plans, formulate RFP responses, provide international expertise on sales calls.
Apply for industry sales manager jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an industry sales manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first industry sales manager job
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Average industry sales manager salary
The average industry sales manager salary in the United States is $84,766 per year or $41 per hour. Industry sales manager salaries range between $58,000 and $123,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do industry sales managers rate their job?
Industry sales manager reviews
Motivating people and helping to create success in each person's day. Honor God serve people in rich people's lives, pursue excellence in service.
Not enough time in each day to get everything accomplished.
Semi-flexible work hours. You have a sales goal and customers to call on in order to achieve said goal, so you have some flexibility of your schedule.
The amount of travel required takes you away from home frequently. If you have a family, being away starts taking a toll on them and work/life balance suffers.
Coming in contact with people, motivating staff, making the numbers, profitability for everyone
I like everything
Updated January 8, 2025
