What does a national sales manager do?
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.
National sales manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real national sales manager resumes:
- Manage nationwide SAAS sales team, train, hire, develop territories, create budgets, marketing and sales development.
- Manage relationships with clients via CRM, conducted/coordinate city wide site visits, craft creative presentations, proposals and bid packets.
- Lead team on product redesign to web-base SaaS infrastructure and generate feature content base on customer need and marketability.
- Introduce a foreign manufacture into a dominant domestic automotive and aerospace markets while achieving business goals and domestic tool production plans.
- Experience with on-line, call center, recruitment with the use of Salesforce software.
- Implement CRM tool tailor specifically for the collegiate market, creating equity and accountability in the inside and outside sales force.
- Maintain relationships with several industry leading healthcare relate companies.
- Initiate negotiations with key OEM to outsource their internally manufacture sub-assemblies.
- Collaborate with OEM manufacturer on new unit model designs and specifications.
- Develop sales initiative focusing on educational, government, and public healthcare markets.
- Introduce a foreign manufacture into a dominant domestic automotive and aerospace markets while achieving business goals and domestic tool production plans.
- Establish and maintain customer database through salesforce.com.
- Double sales to HVAC manufacturers for testing for certification with face to face meetings.
- Identify and quoted customers MRO needs.
- Develop POS and promotional support material.
National sales manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of National Sales Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Product Development, and Trade Shows. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of National Sales Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 10%
Implemented industry-recognized training and NAILD LS1 lighting products certification, elevating technical expertise of 12-14 sales associates and customer service representatives.
- Product Development, 10%
Established criteria for a required product modification and initiated a product development task group involving engineering, sales and reps.
- Trade Shows, 7%
Managed independent and company representatives, maintained and expanded national and international accounts through trade shows and appointments.
- Sales Growth, 6%
Secured strategic relationships with new suppliers to create several new products impacting incremental sales growth and increasing brand recognition.
- Sales Strategies, 5%
Developed and implemented innovative sales strategies, collaborating with agents to develop new territories until Canadian national coverage was secured.
- Business Development, 4%
Led direct sales and business development, including key account management, customer relationship development, contract negotiations and budget responsibilities.
Common skills that a national sales manager uses to do their job include "customer service," "product development," and "trade shows." You can find details on the most important national sales manager responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a national sales manager to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role 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." Additionally, a national sales manager resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "analyzed and initiated direct sales on a region-wide and market-by-market basis. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform national sales manager duties is communication skills. National sales managers responsibilities require that "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." National sales managers also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "maintain active communication with technical services, product management, legal, and direct sales departments. "
Customer-service skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of national sales managers is customer-service skills. This skill is critical to many everyday national sales manager duties, as "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "managed direct sales calls at targeted customer accounts and cultivated relationships. "
Leadership skills. For certain national sales manager responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "leadership skills." The day-to-day duties of a national 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 national sales managers do: "achieve sales objectives through recruitment, leadership, management and development of the field sales teams. "
The three companies that hire the most national sales managers are:
- Comscore53 national sales managers jobs
- Siemens21 national sales managers jobs
- Deloitte9 national sales managers jobs
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Compare different national sales managers
National 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.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between national sales managers and product manager/sales. For instance, national sales manager responsibilities require skills such as "sales management," "distribution network," "c-level," and "sales targets." Whereas a product manager/sales is skilled in "product sales," "product management," "cycle management," and "project management." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Product managers/sales really shine in the education industry with an average salary of $108,541. Comparatively, national sales managers tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $115,029.product managers/sales tend to reach similar levels of education than national sales managers. In fact, product managers/sales are 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.National 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 national sales manager resumes. While national sales manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "sales management," "r," "business plan," and "distribution network," sales account managers use skills like "crm," "customer satisfaction," "powerpoint," and "work ethic."
Sales account managers earn a lower average salary than national sales managers. But sales account managers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $68,777. Additionally, national sales managers earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $115,029 annually.In general, sales account managers achieve similar levels of education than national sales managers. They're 2.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for national 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
National 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.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from national sales manager resumes include skills like "customer service," "product development," "trade shows," and "sales growth," whereas a sales team manager is more likely to list skills in "grass," "sales associates," "sales floor," and "customer care. "
Most sales team managers achieve a similar degree level compared to national sales managers. For example, they're 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.National sales manager vs. Regional sales and marketing manager
A regional sales and marketing manager's role is to oversee a company's marketing operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify new business opportunities, gathering and analyzing data to determine the strengths and weaknesses of current programs and procedures, setting goals and budgets, assessing the performance of the workforce, and monitoring the progress of the different company branches within the region. Furthermore, as a regional sales and marketing manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the employees to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Types of national sales manager
Updated January 8, 2025
