WHAT DOES AN EXPORT SALES MANAGER DO?
Updated: Jun 13, 2025 - The Export Sales Manager oversees the formation of new commercial alliances and manages business opportunities in exportation, ensuring all delivery documents are prepared and export procedures, including customs clearance, are meticulously followed. This position directs the shipping team in the preparation of export documents and maintains proactive communication with customers to guarantee the timely delivery of goods. This role cultivates robust relationships with customers and trains sales teams, focusing on building a sustainable world sales system and managing costs effectively within the allocated budget.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Export Sales Manager
1. Export Sales Manager Duties
- Business Strategy Development: Develop business strategies for market entries and sales activities worldwide (Focus on Europe, East Asia, and Southeast Asia).
- Sales Growth Planning: Lead, organize, strategize, plan, and build 7x sales growth.
- Action Plan Development: Develop detailed action plans to realize the company's business strategy.
- Business Implementation: Implement the business action plan to achieve the set KPIs.
- Sales Forecasting: Forecast sales per market and territory, projecting expected sales volume for existing and new products.
- International Logistics Management: Manage international logistics and interface with Marketing, Production, and Finance to decide the product split and lead time.
- Executive Reporting: Report plans, actions, and results to the Board of Directors in a synthetic monthly report.
- Distribution Strategy: Develop and implement the distribution strategy for business development and build a distribution network.
- Business Retention: Maintain existing business at profitable pricing levels.
- Customer Supply Management: Manage to continue supplying all existing customers.
- Key Account Management: Follow up and meet with key accounts and communicate with top importers weekly.
- International Brokerage Coordination: Work with international brokers who attend international tradeshows and meetings.
- Sales Organization Development: Develop a professional and high-performance sales organization and policies.
2. Export Sales Manager Details
- Business Strategy Development: Work with the overseas sales team to develop business direction and strategy to achieve the business plan.
- Relationship Management: Maintain relationships with various overseas Sales Offices by providing support, information, and guidance.
- Contract and Risk Management: Responsible for contract execution, accounts receivable, and risk management.
- Market Review and Performance Tracking: Conduct weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly market reviews and catch up with overseas Sales Managers on YTD performance and customer development.
- Sales Forecasting and Budgeting: Review the monthly forecast from overseas sales offices and implement gap-closing activities to meet the sales budget.
- Project and Technical Support Coordination: Organize a monthly session with the local technical support team and review the progress of new projects and opportunities.
- Innovation and Product Commercialization: Work closely with the Innovation and Application team to promote, introduce, and commercialize new products for assigned customers.
- Product and Pricing Strategy: Collaborate with the Product Management and Pricing team for customer tenders and bids.
- Credit and Contract Risk Monitoring: Closely monitor and follow up with overseas sales offices to manage credit and contract risks.
- Competitive and Market Analysis: Actively track and monitor competitors’ activities, pricing, market trends, and industry developments.
3. Export Sales Manager Responsibilities
- Business Alliances Management: Manage new commercial alliances and business opportunities in exportation.
- Shipping Documentation: Prepare all needed delivery documents.
- Export Shipping Coordination: Lead the shipping team to prepare the export shipping documents.
- Customs and Export Compliance: Follow up on the export customs clearance and export application.
- Customer Communication: Communicate shipping information with customers to ensure the goods arrive on time.
- Product and Service Expertise: Build expert and dynamic knowledge of company products and services.
- Customer Relationship Management: Build rapport with customers by engaging with them in an inviting, friendly, and professional manner to build a lasting relationship.
- Shipment Tracking and Updates: Provide track and trace updates for the shipments.
- Order and Freight Management: Continually update customers on the status of each order and solve customer-specific freight issues.
- Sales Team Development: Build and train the sales teams to develop a world sales system.
- Succession Planning: Build a succession team for long-term development objectives and sustainability of the company.
- Budget and Cost Management: Manage costs and operate according to the allocated budget.
4. Export Sales Manager Job Summary
- Business Partner Identification: Identify suitable and reliable business partners to join the distributorship business model.
- Business Opportunity Identification: Identify business opportunities from different channels for profitable business growth.
- Market Intelligence: Analyze the reusable coffee cups business, end-customer behavior, business risks, and opportunities.
- Customer Base Development: Continuously grow and evaluate existing and potential new customers to strengthen the customer base.
- Sales Strategy Development: Proactively develop a sales strategy plan in cooperation with active business partners.
- Performance Monitoring: Monitor and report the performance of active business partners versus agreed targets.
- Customer and Agent Relationship Management: Maintain and nurture existing agents and customers.
- Agent Appointment: Identify and appoint new agents.
- Customer Acquisition: Find new customers.
- Lead Generation: Follow up on existing inquiries and generate new ones.
- Market Expansion: Increase turnover and market share.
- Brand Awareness: Raise the company profile.
- Product Demonstration: Carry out demonstrations.
5. Export Sales Manager Accountabilities
- Budget Management: Follow up and deliver on budget.
- Key Account Management: Identify key accounts and ensure clear growth plans.
- Partnership Development: Develop strong partnerships with new partners.
- Client Relationship Management: Proactively develop long-term relationships and sales with existing partners.
- Client Prospecting: Prospect new clients in concerned markets.
- Product Sales and Support: Sell the full Nudient product range directly to specified clients and support them throughout the season.
- Product Presentation: Ensure optimal presentation of products.
- Sales Follow-Up: Follow up on sales and ensure excellent client satisfaction at all times.
- Market Expertise: Be a market expert of the territory with a good understanding of market development.
- Growth Opportunity Identification: Proactively search for new opportunities to secure future growth.
- Partner Training and Education: Train and educate partners.
- Market Support Planning: Identify, plan, and structure local market support with the Global Brand Director.