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Senior sales manager skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.,

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior sales manager skills. We ranked the top skills for senior sales managers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.9% of senior sales manager resumes contained customer satisfaction as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior sales manager needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior sales manager skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how senior sales managers use customer satisfaction:

Develop and implement strategies across Verizon sales group resulting in exceeding every sales objective and meeting/exceeding customer satisfaction ratings.
Selected to develop national sales leader customer experience award resulting in a 2% regional customer satisfaction improvement nationally.

2. Sales Process

Here's how senior sales managers use sales process:

Revamped sales process utilizing CRM software while reconstructing work flow to ensure better accuracy and communication with production and accounting departments.
Produced positive measurable results and achieved corporate revenue objectives using a thorough understanding of financial services and the entire sales process.

3. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how senior sales managers use customer service:

Reorganized customer service to align with sales team, improving communication and reducing time sales spent on non-sales related administrative activities.
Partnered cross-functionally to identify key processes/infrastructure improvements and establish partnerships to support exceptional customer service, customer retention and revenue growth.

4. Sales Training

Here's how senior sales managers use sales training:

Created business development program including budget for program expansion and sales training for successful corporate, military and community college saturation.
Counter Sales Manager Provide Sales Training Develop New Personnel Insure Compliance with Company and Government Policies, Procedure and Regulations Customer Relations

5. Sales Performance

Here's how senior sales managers use sales performance:

Provided financial analysis, ROI, inventory analysis, and sales performance achievement in comparison to regional and national objectives.
Lead a team of pharmaceutical sales representatives to top sales performance in multiple geographical and therapeutic configurations.

6. CRM

CRM stands for Customer relationship management and it is a complete process through which a business or organization monitors and administers its interactions with the customers. A process in which large amounts of data are collected through marketing via a company's website, polls, surveys, and other social media applications. The basic goal of CRM is to target the right audience for their product, and then fulfill their needs, to increase the sales and revenue of the company.

Here's how senior sales managers use crm:

Provided CRM customer opportunity tracking and forecasting to roll up to overall corporate reporting.
Project Coordinator representing the Customer Support Organization managing the SAP CRM implementation.

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7. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how senior sales managers use business development:

Developed customized Market Analysis and Sourcing Plans for Client Services and Business Development by incorporating competitive business intelligence and market research.
Have improved communication between business development, administration, and portfolio management areas, which has resulted in increases in revenues.

8. Sales Strategies

Here's how senior sales managers use sales strategies:

Identified business opportunities, and developed the volume and profitability of Japan market sectors through implementing new sales strategies.
Developed various marketing techniques and sales strategies to enhance customer base and ensured distribution processes were executed effectively.

9. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how senior sales managers use hr:

Directed 2 Managers, 9 Supervisors, 16 Sales Support members, 3 Sales Trainers, HR Generalist & Admin Asst.
Collaborate with corporate resources to resolve open issues involving senior levels of HR, Asset Protection and Store Operations team.

10. Work Ethic

Here's how senior sales managers use work ethic:

Lead, managed and maintaining consistent work ethic and being a sales leader in the office.
Demonstrate rigorous work ethic, initiative, and independent thinking.

11. Enterprise Sales

Here's how senior sales managers use enterprise sales:

Increased enterprise sales & OEM revenue 25% year over year.
Led fiscal planning process for Enterprise sales team.

12. Salesforce

Salesforce is an American cloud-based software company based in San Francisco, California. This company provides customer relationship management services that enable the customers to be closer to the company. It gives the company detailed information about each customer, including marketing, sales, commerce, and services. Salesforce also helps market a product to attract more buyers, and helps win more customers by targeting the right audience.

Here's how senior sales managers use salesforce:

Selected as committee task force member for development of contact management system for Staples (SalesForce).
Trained sales team on the use of SalesForce.com.

13. Customer Relationships

Customer relationships are the interactions and efforts made by a company to improve its customer service. Customer relationships cover not just all of the essential roles performed by customer support, but also the initiatives made before and after the interaction with a customer.

Here's how senior sales managers use customer relationships:

Developed solid customer relationships, lead process improvement initiatives and ensured smooth interaction with the appropriate Bosch counterparts.
Leveraged individual customer relationships to increase opportunities for site visits, sales and bid opportunities.

14. Training Programs

Here's how senior sales managers use training programs:

Created specialized consumer vocational rehabilitation training programs serving the needs of military members as well as unemployed and under-employed workers.
Evaluated and collaborated with outside vendors in utilizing and incorporating them into our training programs.

15. Account Management

The process of strengthening the relationship between a company and client is called account management. Effective account management has two key objectives, one is to retain loyal customers and the second one is to help the company grow by creating connections with new customers.

Here's how senior sales managers use account management:

Performed new business and account management activities including quote preparation and collection of annual maintenance fees.
Promoted to lead strategic national account management and product management through multiple channels of distribution.

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What skills help Senior Sales Managers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on senior sales manager resumes?

Adry S. Clark Ph.D.

Director, Western Oregon University

The skills that stand out on resumes fall into two categories: 1) Skills required to do the job and 2) Skills almost all employers look for. The most important aspect of resumes is to make sure it reflects exactly what the employer needs. Study the job description, identify key skills, and have them reflected on your resume. Think about transferrable skills, not the specific roles you've had.

Most employers look for skills such as communication (written/oral), flexibility, proactivity, problem-solving, project management, and technical. Make sure to cultivate those skills in whatever role you have, and have examples that demonstrate those skills.

What soft skills should all senior sales managers possess?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

Since sales professionals have a lot of information available to them today via customer relationship management (CRM) systems, the sales manager's "supervisory" role is less important (especially for experienced sellers). Consequently, the sales manager needs to be more of a coach and enabler of high performance. Having confidence balanced with humility allows the sales manager to engage more effectively with their salespeople.
One of the critical soft skills for sales managers going forward will be the ability to connect members of the sales team to others in the organization - in other words, the sales manager of the future needs to have strong skills in network building for others. Sellers have access to data which helps them build success.
They also need access to the right people to turn to when they need specific expertise or assistance.

What hard/technical skills are most important for senior sales managers?

Andrea Dixon Ph.D.

Executive Director, Center for Professional Selling, Frank and Floy Smith Holloway Endowed Professorship in Marketing, President, University Sales Center Alliance 2019-2021, Baylor University

One of the growing technical skill requirements for sales managers is in the area of data analytics. Our performance and customer systems provide a myriad of data, and the role of the sales manager is to be a sense-maker of that mound of data. What are the implications for changes in strategy or behavior evident in last quarter's activity? How can the sales manager help a specific seller "see" where the data suggest new approaches?

What senior sales manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kerri Orders

Assistant Professor of Business, Aquinas College

In terms of a gap year, I recommend that international business students acquire tangible skills, relevant experience and/or certifications which will enhance their success in their desired area of interest. For example, a gap year could consist of gaining technical or digital training overseas, which would also further the students' cultural intelligence and language proficiency. These types of enriching gap year experiences will assist students to distinguish themselves in a highly competitive market. Furthermore, students should focus on broadening and maintaining their global network during a gap year in order to be ready for the job market once the gap year is concluded.

What type of skills will young senior sales managers need?

Michael Mikitka

Executive Vice President, MHI – Material Handling Industry

Courses and internships are essential. While the required depth of knowledge may vary from one position to another, employers are generally looking for candidates with strong "people-related" skills, those who are willing to continue to learn, and those with the ability to be flexible and adapt.

By "people-related" skills, I mean the abilities associated with effective communication (listen and express ideas and direction) and the skills related to working independently and a team.

As for the interest to continually learn... from a technology, data, and equipment perspective, today's supply chain looks very different than it did 10-years ago. The willingness and ability to continually learn are essential for anyone in a leadership role.

As for flexibility and adapting...supply chain/logistics is as much about responding to disruption and demand as it is planning for it. There is a predictable demand (i.e., seasonal...everyone knows when back-to-school shopping begins). Then there is the unpredictable demand (i.e., power-outages, wildfires, pandemic) that impact market and the ability to operate. Candidates that express flexibility and problem-solving skills will be much sought-after.

What technical skills for a senior sales manager stand out to employers?

Dr. Miguel Olivas-Luján Ph.D.

Professor, Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Of course, there is variation across industries, but the long lockdown months have highlighted the need for skills that make telecommuting and work from home more efficient and effective. The ability to use not just technologies but also work habits that allow collaboration mediated by information and communication tools has only become more valuable. With this, I mean that it is important to use Zoom, Teams, Skype, and similar technologies, but even more than that, scheduling, collaboration, creative, professional-grade, and timely delivery (in the absence of face-to-face interaction) is vital. If a higher proportion of work-from-home becomes predominant (as many commentators expect), these skills are likely to differentiate high-performers from their counterparts.

Do you want to know more?

List of senior sales manager skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a senior sales manager resume and required skills for a senior sales manager to have include:

Customer Satisfaction
Sales Process
Customer Service
Sales Training
Sales Performance
CRM
Business Development
Sales Strategies
HR
Work Ethic
Enterprise Sales
Salesforce
Customer Relationships
Training Programs
Account Management

Saas
Product Knowledge
Emerging Technologies
Energy Efficiency
Trade Shows
Sales Reps
Client Facing
Direct Sales
Territory Planning
Market Trends
Leveraged
Sales Targets
Sales Presentations
Cloud Computing
Direct Reports

Sales Plan
Leading Training
Business Plan
ELearning
Revenue Growth
Sales Associates
Sales Techniques
Sales Professionals
ROI
Sales Objectives
Client Relationships
Cold Calls
Site Inspections
Lead Management

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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