What does a sales planner do?
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.
Sales planner responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real sales planner resumes:
- Customize a CRM solution for the company by purchasing off the shelf software to manage and follow up on sales leads.
- Provide leadership and independently manage 6 national account reps booking [] in revenue for 2008 and [] for 2009.
- Manage ad inventory availability and reservation process through DFP.
- Manage Doubleclick interface and capabilities for both direct and programmatic business.
- Leverage other sales office resources and administrative/support staff to achieve personal and team relate revenue goals.
- Dedicate marketing research consultant via Nielsen MRI data.
- Monitor and analyze campaign performance in DFP and make optimization recommendations.
- Conduct MRI, TNS and additional research for client presentations.
- Participate in strategy & negotiation meetings with AE and sales management.
- Work on building plans for the sales team, which includes understanding media math, inventory issues and media mix.
- Work with national sponsorship, digital, & local venue sales teams to create proposals base on client RFP's.
- Work hand in hand with both internal and external sales team to create RFP base on client goals/objectives and inventory availability.
- Compile quarterly summary of Nielsen reports.
- Customize presentations for clients and agencies using Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Conduct monthly comprehensive media math and methodology training sessions.
Sales planner skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Sales Planners are proficient in PowerPoint, Customer Service, and Media Sales. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Sales Planners that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- PowerPoint, 10%
Designed client specific PowerPoint presentations to promote marketing opportunities and increase revenue.
- Customer Service, 8%
Maintained existing accounts through quality customer service and frequently called upon to entertain clients.
- Media Sales, 6%
Created media sales proposals for submission to clients which included creative strategies to fill inventory.
- Math, 5%
Conducted monthly comprehensive media math and methodology training sessions.
- Account Executives, 5%
Developed individualized sales proposals for clients of televisions account executives that maximized revenue generation.
- Sales Proposals, 4%
Develop sales proposals while coordinating with Sales and Client Service Management on specific specification.
Most sales planners use their skills in "powerpoint," "customer service," and "media sales" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential sales planner responsibilities here:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a sales planner to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "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." Sales planners often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "collaborate with print media sales planners to create cohesive advertiser presentations using data from multiple media platforms. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling sales planner duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "sales managers need to work with colleagues and customers, so they must be able to communicate clearly." According to a sales planner resume, here's how sales planners can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "manage campaigns, expectations, communications, and reporting metrics to contribute to strong client relationships. "
Customer-service skills. This is an important skill for sales planners to perform their duties. For an example of how sales planner responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "when helping to make a sale, sales managers must listen and respond to the customer’s needs." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a sales planner: "communicate revisions/cancellations *contact customers on billing and billing review * track incentive contest activity * processing schedules/insertion orders".
Leadership skills. A big part of what sales planners do relies on "leadership skills." You can see how essential it is to sales planner 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 planner tasks: "spearheaded the sales planning team through leadership, reference & bi-weekly meetings along with the production of a sales planning handbook. "
The three companies that hire the most sales planners are:
- NBCUniversal23 sales planners jobs
- The Walt Disney Company11 sales planners jobs
- Cox Media Group
7 sales planners jobs
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Compare different sales planners
Sales planner vs. Sales/field sales manager
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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a sales planner are more likely to require skills like "media sales," "math," "account executives," and "sales proposals." On the other hand, a job as a sales/field sales manager requires skills like "lead generation," "sales training," "training sessions," and "market intelligence." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Sales/field sales managers tend to make the most money working in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $80,605. In contrast, sales planners make the biggest average salary, $66,714, in the hospitality industry.sales/field sales managers tend to reach similar levels of education than sales planners. In fact, sales/field sales managers are 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Sales planner vs. Manager, sales person
The department sales manager is a person in charge of working with a company's marketing, advertising, and sales department. The service's sales manager ensures that the company receives better marketing. This person works alongside the sales team to determine the right strategy to sustain a profit in the company's products or services. The service sales manager also monitors and evaluates product performance and provides suggestions on how the product or service can be improved and improved.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real sales planner resumes. While sales planner responsibilities can utilize skills like "powerpoint," "media sales," "math," and "account executives," managers, sales person use skills like "strong customer service," "payroll," "product knowledge," and "retail sales."
Managers, sales person earn similar levels of education than sales planners in general. They're 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for sales planners 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 planner vs. Department sales manager
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.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, sales planners are more likely to have skills like "powerpoint," "media sales," "math," and "account executives." But a department sales manager is more likely to have skills like "sales floor," "strong customer service," "store operations," and "retail sales."
Most department sales managers achieve a similar degree level compared to sales planners. For example, they're 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sales planner vs. Sales manager/sales trainer
Types of sales planner
Updated January 8, 2025
