An International Sales Manager works in an organization that deals with the import and export of goods and services. They are mainly involved in the improvement of sales globally but they also evaluate sales performance, analyse data, supervise sales staff, and monitor markets day in and day out. International Sales Managers are adept at multi-tasking as they have numerous responsibilities to ensure the organization’s sales and performance is on par with established business strategies.
Roles and responsibilities
Sales Managers have umpteen responsibilities that range from supervising staff to transnational negotiations. It is a role that demands a lot of skill and smarts. A few responsibilities of International Sales Managers include,
- Execute strategies, plans, and marketing of sales programs
- Observe, investigate, and evaluate international markets
- Plan and strategize sales programs for the organization internationally
- Design marketing strategies to drive sales
- Ensure all sales operations flow smoothly
- Coordinate with regional managers and customers on a daily basis
Skills required
Excellent communication skills are the most important requirement of an International Sales Manager. The nature of extensive travel, meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures, and doing business with them necessitates the need for good communication. International Sales involves communicating and networking with clients across the globe. Therefore, knowledge of one or more foreign languages is also a huge plus. Now, being the digital age, it goes without saying that computer skills are necessary for a position in this role.
International Sales Managers have to also be extremely smart and tactful as they are dealing with global clients. If you have all the degrees but aren’t smart enough to impress clients, then the role wouldn’t fetch you much, both in terms of salary and job satisfaction. Another important aspect of Sales Management is being up-to-date on all industry news. This helps strategize and plan for better business growth both locally and globally.
Educational qualifications
Typically, the job role requires you have at least a Bachelor’s degree in business management or business administration. An MBA [link to the program page] is highly preferred over the Bachelor’s as it would give you a significant edge in securing lucrative jobs in much higher positions. Subjects that are essential for your degree are finance, accounting, management, business law, and statistics. As it is a sales position, it is absolutely crucial you master these subjects.
Salary
On an average, the salary of an International Sales Manager in India is about INR 9,00,000 per year. Starting salaries for this role are quite lucrative as well. You can make around INR 3,80,000 per year as an entry-level Sales Manager. As you go higher up the ladder, so does your salary. Many experienced International Sales Managers make up to INR 22,00,000 per year. Skills that will help you gain the most are sales and account management.
International Sales Manager is a position that demands a lot of responsibility, accountability, tact, analysis, communication skills, and affability. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to succeed in this sector, but at the end of the day, the rewards speak for themselves.
Salary source: Payscale
