Sales Jobs can be very different. Here’s what to look for in a job to become a salesperson.
Sales Jobs Can Be Very Different
Here’s What to look for in a Sales Job that suits you
Sales can be a great profession. It’s a results based career choice which means it gives you a lot of flexibility. As a Salesperson you can find flexibility, your desired income level and other benefits in your career.
A top salesperson can be highly paid and have a high degree of control over their own time. Depending on the industry they sell in, they may not necessarily follow a 9-5pm routine. Their time can be their own, with the ability to choose when they work and when they don’t.
So if you are thinking about sales as a career or are already a salesperson but looking for a better opportunity then here are some of the main Sales Jobs to consider.
Varying Industries can have different duties and responsibilities for Salespeople, however a salesperson’s core duties usually don’t change regardless of the industry they are in.
The main requirements of a Sales Job are:
- Prospecting – this means making an initial ‘cold’ contact to find potential customers or clients and can include cold calling, using referral networks, sending emails, traditional mail and using social media sites to contact potential customers.
- Qualifying – depending on what the product or service is and how it’s priced, a salesperson needs to make sure a potential buyer wants to buy, and can afford the product or service. Top salespeople are skilled at asking the right questions to determine whether they should pursue a potential customer, or leave them and move onto a better prospect who is more likely to become a sale
- Presenting – a salesperson needs to educate their potential customers on how their product or service can help them
- Closing – this is where a salesperson makes their money. A sales job requires the salesperson to obtain a ‘yes’ from the customer or client, have them sign an agreement or contract and have them pay for the product or service
It is the job of a salesperson to make sales. Some people think this makes it a difficult profession or that salespeople somehow compromise their integrity being in sales. In reality, very few people buy a product or service unless they want it. The goal of a salesperson is to direct a person’s motivation to buy towards the product or service they are selling.
Sales Representative
A Sales Representative is someone who usually works with an established customer base. Their job is to keep in contact with the customers of the company they work for, and keep them buying. This includes up-selling them (encouraging them to buy more) and cross-selling them (encouraging them to buy different or associated products or services to what they already buy).
Because a Sales Representative has an established customer base they are not usually required to prospect for new business, or their new business prospecting takes a lower priority compared to servicing their current customers.
So if the thought of being in sales but not prospecting for new business appeals to you, then becoming a Sales Representative may be a good choice for you.
Are you looking for a Sales Representative Job?
Pharmaceutical Sales and Medical Sales
Pharmaceutical Sales and Medical Sales require medical training in many cases. The reason for this is salespeople in the medical field are often required to sell technical or cutting edge products to doctors, medical centres, hospitals and other organisations that purchase medical or pharmaceutical equipment or supplies. This means a medical background is required.
Pharmaceutical Sales and Medical Sales are often described as recession proof. People get sick or become injured regardless of the economic environment, so pharmaceutical and medical products are always in demand.
Pharmaceutical and Medical Salespeople are often highly paid due to their knowledge and training and the demand for products. So if you have medical training then Pharmaceutical Sales or Medical Sales could be for you.
If You Are Looking for
Pharmaceutical Sales Jobs, Entry Level Pharmaceutical Jobs
Sales Associate
A Sales Associate usually works in a retail environment. They can work at a clothing, food, electronics or any type of retailer. Depending on the company, they may receive a commission or bonus for sales made. A common type of bonus a sales associate receives can be a substantial discount on the products their company sells.
This type of sales job is for you if you prefer not to find your own customers, because in a retail setting the customer comes to you.
Car Sales
A Car Sales Job is a great choice of career if you are a car enthusiast. A Car salesperson can sell new or used cars. They can work for a dealership that specialises in a particular make of cars or they can work in a second hand car yard selling used cars a wide variety of makes and models of used cars.
Car Sales requires you to be available when buyers are looking which means weekend work with time off during the week.
As a car salesperson you will receive a wage plus commission for each car you sell. You’llmost work from the dealership or car yard.
In a Car Sales Job you don’t need to do much prospecting for buyers. Your buyers will come to you. Apart from having a list of regular car buyers you can call when a new model becomes available, most of your buyers will be people who contact your dealership or car yard to buy. Your job as a car salesperson is to close the sale by showing the buyer why the car you have available is the right one for the buyer to buy.
Software Sales Jobs
Software Sales Jobs and other sales jobs in the tech industry are among the highest paying jobs in the sales profession. Software has been described as ‘eating the world’ because virtually every product or service we now use has some software associated with it, whether in the product or service itself, or in it’s supply.
For a software company, once their product has been developed, there is no cost to ‘produce’ more of it. Software can be copied at the click of a button, so the company can afford to pay you a higher percentage of the revenue the company receives from sales.
Added to this is the demand for new software, which can make software sales very lucrative and software sales jobs among the highest paid professions.
A common product is SaaS (software as a service). This is where a company makes their software available on a subscription basis. This makes it easier for the user because they don’t ‘buy’ the product, they simply pay for the service each month.
Are You Looking For Software Sales Jobs?
Sales Engineer Jobs
To be a Sales Engineer you’ll need advanced knowledge of a particular technology. For companies who require a complex solution to a challenge, a sales engineer can help them put a solution in place.
Due to their specialist knowledge an experienced sales engineer is in high demand and can expect to earn a high income. A Sales Engineer Job is a great choice for someone who already has specialist engineering skills who would like to substantially increase their income.
Are You Interested In Sales Engineer Jobs?
Insurance Sales Jobs
Insurance Sales Jobs are broadly defined as inbound or outbound.
Inbound Insurance Sales Jobs are more call centre based with salespeople required to help people intending to take out a policy choose the policy that best suits them, process the payment and set up their policy.
Salespeople in Outbound Insurance Sales Jobs have traditionally been called agents. Insurance agents are most commonly on a straight commission basis and mostly rely on their network and other marketing activities to sell policies.
Are You Interested In Insurance Sales Jobs?
Real Estate Salesperson
Real Estate Sales is another sales profession where there is high income potential. Depending on the value of the properties you sell and the commission you charge, as a Real Estate Salesperson you have the potential to earn an income way above average.
Most Real Estate Sales Jobs are straight commission, however it is possible to be paid a base salary plus commission in some states.
Would You Like To Be A Real Estate Salesperson?
Find The Best Real Estate Sales Jobs Here
Difference between a Salesperson and a Business Development Manager (BDM)
A Business Development Manager or BDM, is similar to a salesperson, but the two jobs differ. Broadly speaking, a Salesperson is required to increase the revenue of the company by closing sales.
A Business Development Manager is required to identify customers who are a good fit for the company’s products or services, build a relationship with them, then assist the sales team to present and close the sale.
Sales Manager Jobs
Depending on the company, a Sales Manager will have a job description similar to a salesperson, or they may, as the title suggests, manage a sales team.
Depending on the company you work for, a Sales Manager Job will require you to have sales experience and the ability to manage a sales team, which includes being skilled at motivating the team to perform, sales skills training and conflict/disagreement management among team members.
On the other hand, some companies may give you the title Sales Manager, yet only expect you to perform the same duties as a salesperson.
Part Time Sales Jobs & Work From Home Sales Jobs
Companies also offer Part Time Sales Jobs and Work From Home Sales Jobs. A large percentage of retail Sales Associate Jobs are part time, so if a part time position is something you’re looking for then consider becoming a part time retail sales associate.
Work From Home Sales Jobs tend to be more online based, so if you have good (not necessarily great) computer skills and are looking for work you can do from home, then this may suit you.
Remote Sales Jobs & Inside Sales Jobs
Inside Sales is where the salesperson sells remotely. An Inside Salesperson makes contact with potential customers by phone, email, social media or some other avenue, but does not usually meet them in person. The sale is made remotely.
Remote Sales Jobs are the same as Inside Sales Jobs. If you are looking for a sales job where you work from home and make the sale over the phone, then inside sales may be for you.
Outside sales
Outside Sales Jobs involve spending most of your time out prospecting and visiting customers. In Outside Sales you visit your customers or clients and potential customers.
Inside Sales gives you the opportunity to speak to more people each day because you don’t lose time travelling, whereas Outside Sales requires you to travel to your customers. However outside sales gives you the opportunity to build a closer relationship with your customers than inside sales.
There is not a ‘better’ way to do sales. Both Inside and Outside Sales have their place. The product or service you sell will mostly dictate the best sales strategy to use.
You Can Find The Best Outside Sales Jobs Here