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Route sales manager vs territory sales manager

The differences between route sales managers and territory 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 territory sales manager. Additionally, a territory sales manager has an average salary of $74,356, 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 territory sales manager are territory sales, customer service, and healthcare.

Route sales manager vs territory sales manager overview

Route Sales ManagerTerritory Sales Manager
Yearly salary$48,830$74,356
Hourly rate$23.48$35.75
Growth rate5%5%
Number of jobs112,342119,934
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
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 territory sales manager do?

A territory sales manager is an individual who supervises the daily sales operations of sales representatives that are assigned to a particular location. Territory sales managers are required to meet sales targets to gain an increase in revenues and must maintain excellent customer relationships. They attend trade shows to promote the products and services of the company at the same time, conduct surveys to better understand the needs of their customers. As they are engaged in sales, territory sales managers must possess a bachelor's degree in business administration or management.

Route sales manager vs territory sales manager salary

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

Route Sales ManagerTerritory Sales Manager
Average salary$48,830$74,356
Salary rangeBetween $42,000 And $56,000Between $48,000 And $114,000
Highest paying City-Seattle, WA
Highest paying state-Hawaii
Best paying company-Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry-Retail

Differences between route sales manager and territory sales manager education

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

Route Sales ManagerTerritory Sales Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 38%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

Route sales manager vs territory sales manager demographics

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

Route Sales ManagerTerritory Sales Manager
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 93.7% Female, 6.3%Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0%
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 territory 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.

Territory sales manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage all the Costco Midwest regional activity.
  • Manage annual marketing budget of $1.0 MM.
  • Manage accounts and territory with CRM software to optimize production
  • Manage process and documentation flow from initial contact through program execution, including timely CRM management.
  • Accomplish this by actively prospecting new business, maintaining accountability on all sales efforts, and actualizing attentiveness to detail.
  • Promote excellent customer satisfaction by focusing efforts on ethics, integrity and dependability.
  • Show more

Route sales manager vs territory 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 territory sales manager skills
  • Territory Sales, 11%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Healthcare, 6%
  • CRM, 6%
  • Patients, 5%
  • Work Ethic, 5%

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