What does an international sales manager do?
An International Sales Manager is responsible for coordinating the sales department's global operations through sales volume monitoring and establishing goals. International Sales Managers maintain the company's global sales for services and commodities, and create methodical procedures and ideas to attract and persuade international clients to buy. In addition, it is their duty to plan, inspire, and motivate the sales workforce, and prepare and create daily, monthly, and annual sales reports. They also design and enforce a variety of assessment programs and plans.
International sales manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real international sales manager resumes:
- Manage an average of $8M annual EDI transactions during 2009-YTD.
- Lead a global marketing team across Asia, Europe and the Americas.
- Lead marketing and sales efforts for communication satellite systems in Asia-Pacific.
- Accomplish and over exceed goals set by company parameter regarding customer service, logistics operations cost management and customer retention.
- Work closely with the online department on the implementation and execution of creative elements for affiliate campaigns, SEO and SEM.
- Supervise search engine optimization, SEM, channel partners and online advertising teams.
- Analyze and identify opportunities to secure new businesses from OEM customer base and optimize profit and increase revenues.
- Improve profit margins by successfully identifying and pursuing business opportunities with high profile airline, military and OEM accounts.
- Improve the SEO of both websites by analyzing current state, conducting research and reformatting the whole structure to improve ranking.
- Develop a business plan that analyze customer needs to determine optimal logistics solutions while also reducing yearly costs.
- Establish a record of executive leadership in guiding this national occupational healthcare services provider to record levels of sales and profitability.
- Optimize ROI on a sales budget of> $4MM.
- Develop and deploy KPI reporting roadmap.
- Develop forecasting and planning system, providing management with critical visibility to KPI's, and adopt by larger domestic business.
- Prepare NAFTA documents, SEDs and any export documentation necessary.
International sales manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of International Sales Managers are proficient in Product Development, Sales Growth, and Distribution Channels. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Leadership skills, and Analytical skills.
We break down the percentage of International Sales Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Product Development, 14%
Evaluated and identified market trends ensuring customers expectations were communicated and understood for planning, budgeting and new product development.
- Sales Growth, 7%
Championed all international distribution operations including customer service management, marketing program development, and sales growth.
- Distribution Channels, 6%
Developed and coordinated advertising and marketing of all products while managing established distribution channels in the company's core markets.
- Business Development, 6%
Promoted to direct all new business development and sales/objectives for structural panels division across North America, Europe and Latin America.
- Sales Strategies, 5%
Developed marketing and sales strategies for product pricing and distribution in order to penetrate assigned territories.
- R, 4%
Resulted in 100% feature placement and in-stock status at Wal-Mart and Toys R Us.
Common skills that an international sales manager uses to do their job include "product development," "sales growth," and "distribution channels." You can find details on the most important international sales manager responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an international sales manager to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." International sales managers often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "generated direct sales with customers in countries not included in the agent network. "
Leadership skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling international sales manager duties is leadership skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals." According to an international sales manager resume, here's how international sales managers can utilize leadership skills in their job responsibilities: "provided strategic sales/marketing leadership during transition from direct sales to tiered distribution model. "
Analytical skills. international sales managers are also known for analytical skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to international sales manager responsibilities, because "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." An international sales manager resume example shows how analytical skills is used in the workplace: "direct sales responsibility, foreign market registrations, export product specifications, foreign market analysis, domestic protein purchasing. "
Communication skills. international sales manager responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." This resume example shows what international sales managers do with communication skills on a typical day: "created corporate infrastructure to handle all aspects of international business including communication systems, product transportation logistics and financial structures. "
The three companies that hire the most international sales managers are:
- DHL6 international sales managers jobs
- Federal Signal5 international sales managers jobs
- Hudson Group
2 international sales managers jobs
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Compare different international sales managers
International sales manager vs. Product manager/sales
A sales product manager is responsible for monitoring the sales performance of a specific product and ensuring that the marketing strategies adhere to market standards and client requirements. Sales product managers work closely with the marketing and public relations team to enhance the product's brand image on various market platforms to reach the target audience. They also conduct data and statistical analysis to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, international sales manager responsibilities require skills like "distribution channels," "international business," "international travel," and "international markets." Meanwhile a typical product manager/sales has skills in areas such as "customer service," "product sales," "pos," and "product management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Product managers/sales really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $108,541. Comparatively, international sales managers tend to make the most money in the transportation industry with an average salary of $81,240.The education levels that product managers/sales earn slightly differ from international sales managers. In particular, product managers/sales are 6.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an international sales manager. Additionally, they're 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.International 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, international sales manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "distribution channels," "international business," "international travel," and "international markets." Meanwhile, a business development sales manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "crm," "healthcare," and "business relationships." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Business development sales managers earn a higher average salary than international sales managers. But business development sales managers earn the highest pay in the professional industry, with an average salary of $130,807. Additionally, international sales managers earn the highest salaries in the transportation with average pay of $81,240 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Business development sales managers tend to reach similar levels of education than international sales managers. In fact, they're 4.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for international 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
International 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.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an international sales manager is likely to be skilled in "distribution channels," "r," "international business," and "sales plan," while a typical sales account manager is skilled in "customer service," "crm," "customer satisfaction," and "product knowledge."
Sales account managers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $68,777. International sales managers earn the highest pay from the transportation industry, with an average salary of $81,240.When it comes to education, sales account managers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to international sales managers. In fact, they're 9.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.International 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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between international sales managers and sales/field sales managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an international sales manager might have more use for skills like "product development," "distribution channels," "r," and "international business." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of sales/field sales managers require skills like "customer service," "lead generation," "training sessions," and "powerpoint. "
The professional industry tends to pay the highest salaries for sales/field sales managers, with average annual pay of $80,605. Comparatively, the highest international sales manager annual salary comes from the transportation industry.sales/field sales managers reach lower levels of education compared to international sales managers, in general. The difference is that they're 10.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of international sales manager
Updated January 8, 2025
