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The differences between sales planners 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 planner and a general sales manager. Additionally, a general sales manager has an average salary of $118,744, which is higher than the $55,883 average annual salary of a sales planner.
The top three skills for a sales planner include powerpoint, customer service and media sales. The most important skills for a general sales manager are customer service, dealership, and customer satisfaction.
| Sales Planner | General Sales Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $55,883 | $118,744 |
| Hourly rate | $26.87 | $57.09 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 66,632 | 196,210 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A sales planner is responsible for helping the company sell goods and services to the customers by analyzing current market trends and conducting data and statistical analysis on the company's sales performance. Sales planners identify business opportunities to enhance the company's brand image to the clients and increase revenue growth and profits. They also assist with the creation of promotional campaigns and marketing materials, including the posting of content on the company's social media platforms and press releases.
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 planners and general sales managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sales Planner | General Sales Manager | |
| Average salary | $55,883 | $118,744 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $74,000 | Between $71,000 And $196,000 |
| Highest paying City | Phoenix, AZ | Westport, CT |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | Maine |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Professional |
There are a few differences between a sales planner and a general sales manager in terms of educational background:
| Sales Planner | General Sales Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 84% | 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 planners' and general sales managers' demographics:
| Sales Planner | General Sales Manager | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.4% Female, 60.6% | 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% |