The following article discusses the career path of Director of Sales. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Director of Sales.
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Job Duties
Directors of sales manage and lead a team of sales representatives. They are responsible for setting goals and expectations that the team must meet, as well as a vision that everyone should follow. The success of a director of sales is generally dependent on how well the team performs as a whole. This means that their greatest responsibility is to motivate team members so that they can meet and exceed their goals.
These professionals are also experienced in marketing, developing ways to make products and services more exciting for customers. They periodically create forecasts of expected sales volumes, focusing both on new and existing lines. They also have to be fully aware of all the products and services that their company delivers.
Directors of sale hold full responsibility over the quality of the performance of the team. Hence, they motivate employees to do better and discipline those who do not perform properly. They also help to develop their staff, offering training as and where needed. Furthermore, they research and track performance trends and expectations, at times interacting with clients as part of this research.
Other job duties of directors of sales include:
- Planning, implementing, monitoring, and directing all activities of the sales force to ensure maximum profitability is achieved and maintained.
- Ensuring that sales volume is maximized wherever possible, identifying untouched market segments and directing sales efforts for those segments
Where We Work
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 385,500 sales managers in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:
- Wholesale trade: 20%
- Retail trade: 18%
- Manufacturing: 12%
- Professional, scientific, and technical services: 10%
- Finance and insurance: 9%
How to Become
Directors of sales usually have at least a bachelor’s degree. They also have many years’ experience, generally coming from a sales representative background.
Education Requirements
Usually, a director of sales will hold a bachelor’s degree as a minimum. The subject of this degree varies, but it is preferred for them to have completed courses in statistics, marketing, mathematics, finance, accounting, economics, management, and business law. Work experience is usually of greater importance than education, however. Often, they will have at least five years of experience in the field.
Typically, a sales directors grow into their position, coming from positions relating to sales. They may have been a purchasing agent, a manufacturing or wholesale sales representative, or a retail sales worker, for instance. They are then usually promoted to sales manager internally and, eventually, to the position of director of sales.
Traits & Qualities
The most effective directors of sales have the following traits to some degree or other:
- Strong analytical skills
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
- Great customer service skills
- Strong leadership skills
Minimum Education
Bachelor’s Degree
The national average salary estimate for Director of Sales was $108,014. This number is estimated from over 2,290,124 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $56.26 and monthly of $9,001.
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$21,000
$261,000
The following section lists Director of Sales salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, DC had the largest quoted salary of $135,112 while Maine had the smallest quoted salary of $59,308.
According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Director of Sales. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.
| Employer Name | Location | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Ed Wallach Search Group LLC | DC | $300,000 |
| Maritz Inc. | Missouri | $300,000 |
| Nigel Frank International | Maryland | $284,083 |
| hc1.com | Pennsylvania | $275,000 |
| Leading Digital Health and Welllness Company | Texas | $259,808 |
| Clinical Research Technology Solutions | North Carolina | $259,234 |
| LED Lighting Fixture Company | Ohio | $252,779 |
| Rich Water Consulting Inc | Ohio | $250,000 |
| Software, Professional Services and Hardware | Ohio | $250,000 |
Learn More
- Director Sales Operations Job Description
- Sales management – Wikipedia
- Sales Managers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S …
| Career Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy Manager | $119,896 |
| IT Security Specialist | $113,452 |
| Data Warehouse Engineer | $111,007 |
| Business Intelligence Manager | $109,552 |
| Investment Manager | $108,746 |
| Sales Director | $107,659 |
| Tax Manager | $107,133 |
| Risk Manager | $103,743 |
| Technical Project Manager | $100,971 |
| Director of Finance | $99,996 |
