Sales seems like a simple role; you have a product or service that you want another person or company to buy. In reality though, it takes a huge amount of skill. If you are curious about salesperson job descriptions and want to learn more about the role, duties and responsibilities then you are in the right place. Here’s everything you need to know.
Summary
A salesperson is responsible for selling their company’s products or services. They work to build relationships, identify the challenges of their potential customers and provide solutions. They are active listeners, effective communicators and problem solvers.
They can come from a variety of backgrounds as often prior experience and qualifications aren’t required. Employers look for interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, time management skills and resilience over formal qualifications.
What is a Salesperson?
A salesperson is someone who sells products or services to an individual or company. They work to identify the potential customer’s problems, then provide solutions that will make a difference. Their success is determined by their ability to problem solve.
In return for meeting sales targets, there is usually an incentives scheme. Salespeople must demonstrate a wide variety of knowledge and understanding about the product or services that they are selling to achieve success in their role. And when they apply that knowledge and meet sales goals, they’ll usually enjoy commission and bonuses.
Sales Representative Duties and Responsibilities
Although the product or service that the salesperson sells is unique to a business, their general duties and responsibilities remain the same. These are:
- Prospecting: Sales representatives must be able to find and follow up on leads by using techniques such as cold calling and personalized follow ups. Top salespeople create their own opportunities as well as maximizing those provided by their employer.
- Sales Admin: Time management and organization skills are essential in sales. Reps must be able to create and deliver various documents on time including sales orders, invoices and purchase orders.
- Relationship Building: Developing strong relationships is a huge responsibility of a salesperson. They must be able to establish relationships both internally with supporting departments, and externally with potential customers.
- Subject Matter Expertise: It is the duty of a salesperson to have a deep understanding of the products or services that they are selling. They must be able to effectively answer almost any question that a prospect asks, demonstrating their expertise in every conversation.
- Industry Knowledge: By learning about the industry in which they are selling, salespeople are able to speak the same language as their potential customers. This gives them a huge advantage in identifying a prospect’s challenges and understanding how their product or service can help.
- Delivering Revenue: It goes without saying that salespeople are responsible for bringing in revenue to the business. They are the front line for a company and the significant contributing players in achieving growth.
Sales Representative Job Description Examples
Sales rep job descriptions vary greatly depending on the role and how soon the start date is.
Example 1
“We are actively looking for a driven telesales representative who is looking to develop their career. We are looking for excellent telephone manner and communication skills with a minimum of 1 year’s sales experience. Immediate start required.”
Example 2
“We are looking for individuals who have a passion for technology. Candidates should be driven, self-motivated, organized, a great communicator and a proven team player. No previous experience required as we offer comprehensive training to help you succeed.”
What Does a Sales Representative Do?
The role of a sales representative can vary from day to day. Commonly, their day will involve a combination of the following tasks:
- Developing relationships with both new and existing clients.
- Generating and sending order forms, invoices and purchase orders.
- Answering customer queries.
- Devising new sales strategies that will generate profit.
- Planning and forecasting to achieve sales targets.
- Generating and presenting revenue reports.
- Communicating with business stakeholders.
- Checking stock and inventory levels.
As the sales representative progresses through their career, the list of tasks expands into mentoring, delegating tasks and project work, solving conflicts, and meeting with senior executives around the business.
Sales Representative Skills and Qualifications
There are certain skills and qualifications that should be possessed that allow a salesperson to effectively communicate, negotiate, problem solve and ultimately, close deals.
Necessary Skills
- Interpersonal skills that allow the salesperson to build lasting relationships.
- Negotiation skills to achieve a price that is a win for the customer and a win for the salesperson.
- Listening skills to ensure that the client’s needs are fully understood.
- Time management skills to prioritize and follow up on leads effectively.
- Resilience that allows the salesperson to move forward and stay positive when faced with rejection.
Qualifications
To become a successful sales representative, you don’t necessarily need a specific degree or qualification. However, a formal qualification in business management, marketing, commerce or another related field would be beneficial.
These qualifications would not only help you to develop the skills that are needed to thrive as a sales representative but also appeal to potential employers when you are searching for a job.
FAQs
Do I Need a Degree to Become a Sales Representative?
In short, a degree is not needed to become a salesperson. It would however build the skills needed to thrive in a sales environment and can appeal to potential employers.
What is the Average Salary for a Salesperson?
The salary for a sales representative varies greatly depending on the state and the industry that they are working in. They will usually enjoy a base salary as well as commission for each deal they close and bonuses for hitting targets.
I’m an Employer, how do I Find Sales Representatives to Hire?
For easy and efficient hiring, consider enlisting the help of a sales recruiter. They will have access to a large pool of candidates and complete pre-qualification screening to ensure that you’re only interviewing the best candidates for the role. Speak to the sales recruiter experts at HyperHired for more information.
