Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between sales managers/sales trainer and general 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 sales manager/sales trainer and a general sales manager. Additionally, a general sales manager has an average salary of $118,744, which is higher than the $90,710 average annual salary of a sales manager/sales trainer.
The top three skills for a sales manager/sales trainer include product knowledge, powerpoint and project management. The most important skills for a general sales manager are customer service, dealership, and customer satisfaction.
| Sales Manager/Sales Trainer | General Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $90,710 | $118,744 |
| Hourly rate | $43.61 | $57.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 126,447 | 196,210 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A sales trainer or manager provides training for the sales staff. The target of the training is to improve the sales figures and meet target sales. Sales trainers collect data that allows them to understand the effectiveness of the existing sales strategies. They also set clear goals and priorities, get rid of demands that do not drive revenue, and allow their teams to focus on activities aligned with the significant goals. It is also their responsibility to research and develop marketing opportunities.
General sales managers are responsible for monitoring the daily operation of the sales team and analyze marketing strategies to improve sales performance and generate more revenues. General sales managers develop strategic plans, adjust sales quotas as needed, identify business opportunities, research current market trends, and evaluate the annual budget. General sales managers also respond to the customers' inquiries and high-level complaints, providing immediate resolutions to ensure customer satisfaction. A general sales manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the sales department, especially on sales techniques in reaching the business' profitability goals.
Sales managers/sales trainer and general sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Manager/Sales Trainer | General Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $90,710 | $118,744 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $155,000 | Between $71,000 And $196,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Westport, CT |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maine |
| Best paying company | ICU Medical | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Professional |
There are a few differences between a sales manager/sales trainer and a general sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Sales Manager/Sales Trainer | General Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between sales managers/sales trainer' and general sales managers' demographics:
| Sales Manager/Sales Trainer | General Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.5% Female, 33.5% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 Percentage | 7% | 7% |