GSM (general sales manager)

The general sales manager sits between the sales managers and the general manager. The GSM owns the sales forecast, inventory mix on the variable side, desking standards, staffing on the floor and usually the BDC, and is accountable for both volume and gross.

In smaller stores the general manager performs this role directly. In larger ones the GSM is the person the floor actually answers to day to day.

Why it matters for a sales manager

The GSM is normally the one person who sees the phone, the floor and the desk at once, which makes it the right seat for judging whether a drop in deliveries came from traffic, from handling or from how deals were structured.