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Route sales manager vs commercial sales manager

The differences between route sales managers and commercial sales managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a route sales manager and a commercial sales manager. Additionally, a commercial sales manager has an average salary of $90,126, which is higher than the $48,830 average annual salary of a route sales manager.

The top three skills for a route sales manager include food service, sales territory and sales route. The most important skills for a commercial sales manager are customer service, sales targets, and CRM.

Route sales manager vs commercial sales manager overview

Route Sales ManagerCommercial Sales Manager
Yearly salary$48,830$90,126
Hourly rate$23.48$43.33
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs112,342144,012
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age4646
Years of experience88

What does a route sales manager do?

A route sales manager is responsible for monitoring the performance of the sales staff within their designated areas, ensuring the adherence to sales goals and objectives efficiently, and providing the highest satisfaction to the customers. Route sales managers develop strategic procedures for marketing campaigns, identifying business opportunities to generate more revenue resources, and increase the company's profitability. They also conduct sales training and programs for the staff to maximize productivity and enhance their sales skills. A route sales manager analyzes sales reports and evaluates customers' needs by studying market trends.

What does a commercial sales manager do?

Commercial sales managers have various duties and responsibilities. These include managing marketing campaigns via phone, direct mail, and the internet, supervising the sales executive teams to develop and maintaining good relations with healthcare professionals, and managing client relationships and identifying opportunities for new business. Additional duties include evaluating supply chain and logistics infrastructure, negotiating contract terms, and bidding on new projects. Commercial sales managers are also responsible for overseeing the company's business growth, identifying areas that can be developed, and generating quotes for prospective customers.

Route sales manager vs commercial sales manager salary

Route sales managers and commercial sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Route Sales ManagerCommercial Sales Manager
Average salary$48,830$90,126
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $56,000Between $56,000 And $142,000
Highest paying City-Newark, CA
Highest paying state-Pennsylvania
Best paying company-Microsoft
Best paying industry-Manufacturing

Differences between route sales manager and commercial sales manager education

There are a few differences between a route sales manager and a commercial sales manager in terms of educational background:

Route Sales ManagerCommercial Sales Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Route sales manager vs commercial sales manager demographics

Here are the differences between route sales managers' and commercial sales managers' demographics:

Route Sales ManagerCommercial Sales Manager
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 93.7% Female, 6.3%Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between route sales manager and commercial sales manager duties and responsibilities

Route sales manager example responsibilities.

  • Prospect and cold-cal commercial locations, building relationships with distributors and manufacturer representatives to leverage internal leads.
  • Maintain medical card and CDL license.
  • Obtain a CDL license and drive a truck with a fifth wheel trailer and maintain that vehicle effectively.
  • Represent a complete line of paper and janitorial supplies to wholesale distributors, service established accounts and develop new business partners.
  • Develop & execute DSD system including tracking and development tools.
  • Create marketing content for pages and promotional initiatives, newsletter design and implementation, create designed and produce PowerPoint presentations.

Commercial sales manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead efforts on the renewable energy, energy efficiency and GHG goals & KPI's.
  • Manage the commercial agreements between Rolls-Royce and their customers (airline owners and/or operators) in the Americas region.
  • Analyze and manage export-import logistics for select Chilean products import to Spain.
  • Manage a team of sales executives to establish and maintain professional relationships with healthcare professionals in their prospective territories.
  • Produce accurate KPI reports for strategic and tactical decision making.
  • Experience in apply, commercial and residential HVAC products and installation accessories.
  • Show more

Route sales manager vs commercial sales manager skills

Common route sales manager skills
  • Food Service, 46%
  • Sales Territory, 24%
  • Sales Route, 5%
  • Delivery Route, 4%
  • CDL, 4%
  • Ecolab, 2%
Common commercial sales manager skills
  • Customer Service, 59%
  • Sales Targets, 36%
  • CRM, 1%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 0%
  • Product Knowledge, 0%
  • Work Ethic, 0%

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