What does a sales/field sales manager do?
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.
Sales/field sales manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real sales/field sales manager resumes:
- Manage a high volume territory of large OEM and distributor accounts.
- Collaborate with health care providers to utilize cutting-edge DNA technology and manage patients as individuals with specific metabolic processes.
- Educate personnel on new and existing products and sales techniques to increase ROI.
- Increase revenue with customers through high impact PowerPoint presentations.
- Review ROI and propose additional products with clients monthly.
- Develop and present PowerPoint presentations to customers delivering company products and services.
- Create ad sales materials for lifestyle category editorial content packages as well as determined optimal pricing models to maximize revenue earnings.
- Report competitive activity and secure advantageous brand positioning and POS displays in key accounts.
- Create a comprehensive program for new representatives internationally, incorporating instruction & assessment utilizing eLearning and live in-classroom / lab-base training.
Sales/field sales manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Sales/Field Sales Managers are proficient in Customer Service, Lead Generation, and Sales Training. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Customer-service skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Sales/Field Sales Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 13%
Conducted monthly sales meetings; guided employee development and training, emphasizing personal accountability and customer service techniques.
- Lead Generation, 7%
Crop Protection Advisory Services, Distribution Channel Development and Demand Lead Generation.
- Sales Training, 5%
Created and implemented weekly sales training and facilitated comprehensive/ structured seminars over extended periods of time for our sales people.
- Account Management, 5%
Trained new Sales Managers for new customer acquisition and existing account management.
- Sales Strategies, 5%
Worked with inside sales team and management to establish sales strategies, coordinated weekly business activity and troubleshoot warehouse inventory issues.
- Training Sessions, 4%
Supported high profile events such as device launches, group training sessions that drove brand and product awareness.
"customer service," "lead generation," and "sales training" are among the most common skills that sales/field sales managers use at work. You can find even more sales/field sales manager responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a sales/field sales manager to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what sales/field sales managers do 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 sales/field sales manager resume shows how sales/field sales managers use analytical skills: "executed critical communication to upper management by collecting and compiling data extracted from store management. "
Customer-service skills. Another essential skill to perform sales/field sales manager duties is customer-service skills. Sales/field sales managers responsibilities require that "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." Sales/field sales managers also use customer-service skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "develop plans to acquire new customers or clients, through direct sales techniques, cold calling and business-to-business marketing visits. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for sales/field sales managers to perform their duties. For an example of how sales/field sales manager responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a sales/field sales manager: "represent samsung's proprietary telecommunication product line to retailers and carriers. ".
Leadership skills. A big part of what sales/field sales managers do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to sales/field sales manager responsibilities because "sales managers must be able to evaluate how their sales staff performs and must develop strategies for meeting sales goals." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical sales/field sales manager tasks: "promoted to fsm ii for my accomplishments in sales achievement and team leadership"
The three companies that hire the most sales/field sales managers are:
- Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)35 sales/field sales managers jobs
- Breakthru Beverage Group33 sales/field sales managers jobs
- Wolters Kluwer32 sales/field sales managers jobs
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Compare different sales/field sales managers
Sales/field 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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a sales/field sales manager are more likely to require skills like "lead generation," "training sessions," "market intelligence," and "wine." On the other hand, a job as a product manager/sales requires skills like "pos," "product management," "cycle management," and "product development." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Product managers/sales earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $108,541. On the other hand, sales/field sales managers are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $80,605.On average, product managers/sales reach similar levels of education than sales/field sales managers. Product managers/sales are 4.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Sales/field 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, sales/field sales manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "lead generation," "training sessions," and "powerpoint." Meanwhile, a regional sales and marketing manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "digital marketing," "customer satisfaction," "sales process," and "regional sales." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Regional sales and marketing managers earn a higher average salary than sales/field sales managers. But regional sales and marketing managers earn the highest pay in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $100,223. Additionally, sales/field sales managers earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $80,605 annually.In general, regional sales and marketing managers achieve higher levels of education than sales/field sales managers. They're 6.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for sales/field 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
Sales/field sales manager vs. Account executive/sales manager
An Account Executive/Sales Manager manages client accounts, building positive client relationships in the process. Part of their job is to secure sales, which requires them to conduct research and analysis to find new business and client opportunities, generate leads, offer products and services to clients through calls and correspondence, arrange appointments, and process payments. There are instances where they must assist clients by resolving issues and concerns, ensuring client satisfaction. Moreover, they are also responsible for developing sales plans and strategies while implementing the company's policies and regulations among staff.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from sales/field sales manager resumes include skills like "lead generation," "training sessions," "powerpoint," and "market intelligence," whereas an account executive/sales manager is more likely to list skills in "account executives," "sales process," "sales professionals," and "real estate. "
Account executive/sales managers earn the best pay in the media industry, where they command an average salary of $51,472. Sales/field sales managers earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $80,605.account executive/sales managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to sales/field sales managers. Specifically, they're 2.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sales/field sales manager vs. National accounts sales manager
A national accounts sales manager is responsible for maintaining healthy business relationships with clients by managing and monitoring the performance of their accounts. National accounts sales managers establish reasonable sales targets and develop techniques that would maximize sales staff productivity and efficiency. They conduct data and statistical analysis with the current market trends to identify business opportunities that would generate more revenue resources and increase profitability. A national accounts sales manager negotiates contracts and agreements with clients and ensures their brand consistency in the market.
Types of sales/field sales manager
Updated January 8, 2025
