What Does a Sales Representative Do?

With the rapid development of global trade, more and more companies appear on the market selling various products and services. This process results in an increased demand for quality marketing and selling. Essentially, good selling depends on good salespeople. The sales industry is a great place to pursue your career because it is financially rewarding and challenging. One of the most popular jobs you can try in selling is a sales representative or a sales rep.

What does a sales representative do?

The role of a sales representative within the company is to showcase, promote, and sell products or services to customers. In the case of a sales representative, you sell more to companies and businesses (B2B) than to customers (B2C). That’s why many reps work directly with providers, suppliers, and retail companies. A good sales rep listens to clients and makes an effort to learn their business, analyze it, and provide efficient selling propositions while considering their real needs. The scope of industries you can work in is extremely broad since you can sell anything you’re passionate about.

What skills do you need to become a sales representative?

• Communication. There’s nothing more crucial to salespeople than having strong communication and persuasive skills. You will work with people, and this suggests understanding human psychology, saying the right words, and earning people’s trust. Interpersonal skills are the ones you can work and improve on, but you have to possess an innate talent to communicate with people.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems. Everything that involves working with people eventually involves problems. To make it in a sales position, you have to be stress-resistant and resilient when issues arise. Actually, a good sales rep tries to prevent unwanted situations from happening. Problems happen, and we have to resolve them. Politeness, patience, and ability to find solutions at the right time will definitely benefit your sales rep career.
• Taking initiative and being well-organized. People are naturally driven to positive, engaging personalities, and tend to trust them. Also, a clear realization of your career goals will help you move up the ladder and will gain you better projects, bigger customers, and more profit. Being able to multitask and plan your time accordingly is an important trait which makes you stand out and get more work done.

What are the daily responsibilities of a sales representative?

Responsibilities of a sales rep can include a variety of different activities depending on the company. Generally, the main duties of a representative are narrowed to the following responsibilities:

• Providing quality service to existing customers and working with new ones
• Gathering and analyzing sales data and utilizing it to provide better solutions and serve the needs of the customers
• Problem-solving
• Being aware of current market trends and industry updates

Do you need a degree to become a sales representative?

Sales representatives are rare types of positions where employers look at your personal traits and soft skills first, and your formal education may not play a large role during the hiring process. However, some employers would prefer their employees to have a Bachelor’s degree in sales, marketing, or a related field.

At the end of the day, landing a sales job can be a very rewarding experience. You have the flexibility to work with a wide scope of industries and meet new people. This job will get you a lot of useful connections and communication skills of an advanced level. Since the salary of salespeople usually is based on personal achievements, you learn how to organize time and resources properly to reach your goals. Generally, it is a diverse and rewarding job that is definitely worth your consideration.

Start Your Sales Career With PLS

Looking for a sales job? PLS Logistics is hiring! Learn more about our company’s culture, open positions, and opportunities!

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