Work in Sales
A salesperson is anyone who is employed to sell things to members of the public or to businesses. Salespeople sell goods like food, clothes, mobile phones, cars, furniture, building materials, computer systems and medicines, for example. Some salespeople sell services such as advertising, training, insurance and financial assistance.
Salespeople work in shops, offices and call centres, and some travel around to meet people in their homes or at their businesses.
Salespeople working in offices or call centres usually sell to customers by using the telephone. They sell all kinds of things, from advertising space in newspapers to car insurance.
Some salespeople have to find new customers by ‘cold-calling’. This means telephoning people who haven’t used the company’s services or products before, and trying to persuade them to buy.
Sales representatives (reps) – people who travel around in cars or on foot – sometimes have appointments to see people or, at other times, just turn up in the hope of seeing someone. They sell to customers at home and also to businesses and public sector organisations.
Here, we look at just some of the many jobs in this area.
Advertising Media Salesperson
Advertising media salespeople sell advertising space and time for newspapers, magazines, posters, radio and television, and digital media. They telephone or visit possible advertisers to persuade them to place an order.
Salespeople advise customers on the most effective length and design of the advert, and make quick calculations of cost. They negotiate the price of the space or time, the number of times the advert is to appear, its position or the time of day of the broadcast. They provide information to the creative team producing the adverts.
Car Salesperson
Car salespeople sell new and used cars to members of the public or to businesses. They work for car dealerships. Cars are displayed on forecourts (outside) and in showrooms (inside).
The salesperson finds out what the customer is looking for and how much they want to spend. Then they show vehicles to the customer and explain their features. The salesperson usually takes the customer out in the car and allows them to drive it.
When the customer decides to buy the car, the salesperson begins to negotiate a price. Sometimes the customer wants to part-exchange their old car. If so, the salesperson decides how much the customer’s car is worth.
The salesperson records the details on a computer and completes all the administration. This includes finance forms, vehicle registration, tax and insurance.
Sales Manager
Sales managers liaise with product managers and marketing and advertising executives to develop a sales strategy. They then divide potential customers into regions or types, and allocate different groups of customers to particular sales representatives (reps) or other sales staff.
They supervise the work of their sales staff by telephone calls, email and meetings, and by examining written sales figures.
Sales managers are also responsible for producing reports for company managers to discuss, and for planning the company’s strategy for attending trade fairs and exhibitions, for example.
Export Sales Manager
Export sales managers are responsible for the sale of products or services to customers in other countries.
They build up and maintain good relationships with customers, agents and distributors. They negotiate with them (often in a foreign language) to try to make a sale.
They might also:
- provide estimates of price
- agree contracts
- attend trade fairs
- consult with other managers
- deal with complaints.
Depending on the level of their responsibility, they often travel internationally, and sometimes spend time away from home.
Computer/ Software Sales Assistant
Computer/software sales assistants work in stores selling computers and computer-related goods, eg, printers. They help customers to choose products that best meet their needs.
Many customers will not have a detailed knowledge of computers, so the assistant might need to spend a while talking to them to find out their requirements.
Customers could be planning to spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds, so they will expect in-depth information and informed advice. In many cases, the customer will also want the assistant to demonstrate the hardware or software concerned.
Business customers might have specific requirements for non-standard technical hardware or software that the sales assistant has to order from the manufacturer.
Insurance Sales Adviser
Insurance sales advisers sell insurance products such as motor, travel, home, life or accident insurance direct to the public. Insurance companies increasingly sell by telephone from call centres.
The sales adviser discusses with the client what insurance cover they need, explains the terms and conditions of the policy and tries to sell it to the client.
Retail Assistant
Retail assistants serve customers in shops. Their work can vary depending on where they are employed. For example, in self-service stores, the retail assistant will normally be stationed at the checkout and only offer help when asked.
In department stores, the retail assistant might be based at a counter in just one department. In specialist shops, retail assistants often walk around the sales area and approach customers to offer assistance and advice, for example, in shoe shops, furniture stores, mobile phone shops or electrical appliance stores.
When a sale is made, retail assistants deal with payment, which could be made by cash or credit/debit card. They scan the item, or enter the amount in a cash till, and give change and receipts.
Other duties might include dusting and tidying shelves and shop areas, ordering, unpacking and displaying new stock, and making sure that shelf labels or goods are marked with the correct price. Some retail assistants might cash up at the end of the day and take money to the bank.