Sales Representative

Published On: November 30, 2021

Have you ever thought of having a career as a sales representative? Perhaps you’re great with people and consider yourself someone who can sell ice to an Eskimo. It’s true, being a sales rep means you need to have great peoples skills, but, it’s also so much more than that. In this article, we’ll be taking you through all you need to know if you’re considering a career path in sales.

What does a sales representative do?

Essentially, a sales representative sells goods, services, or products to customers. They do this by engaging with various customers, finding out what they’re looking for, and working on ways the goods they’re selling can alleviate the issue for the client.

Sales reps need to be able to develop relationships with various clients, harness them and pay attention to them. In order to come up with sales strategies, sales reps need to understand the product or services more than anyone else. They need to be able to guide the customer on making an informed decision, ethically.

Some of the responsibilities of a sales representative include:

Hitting sales targets

Guiding and education prospects

Negotiations

Client management and relationship building

Closing contracts

Educating potential customers

Handling payment process

Sales reporting

Basic skills needed to be a sales representative

As with any career, there are certain basic skill sets required to excel. The more skills you are able to master and use in the workplace, the more likely it is that you’ll have a successful career. There are plenty of skill sets needed to be a successful and effective sales representative, and we’re about to take you through some of the top-level ones. Ready? Let’s dive right in!

As sales representatives spend the majority of their time communicating with various stakeholders, great communication skills are absolutely necessary! Both verbal and written communication skills need to be top-notch, as it’s likely you’ll be spending a lot of your time in either physical or virtual meetings, emails, or on the phone. By being an effective communicator, you’ll be able to get your points across successfully, without room for any mishaps.

The better you’re able to manage your time, the more time you’ll have to be out in their field doing what you love to do. When it comes to time management, no matter what your career, being able to harness this skill will aid you in being the most productive you can be. You always want to work smarter, not harder.

Negotiating is an extremely vital part of any salesperson’s job. After handing over an initial proposal, 8 times out of 10 it’s likely you’ll enter the negotiation phase. It’s important for sales reps to hone in on this skillset, as high stake negotiations are risky, and you always need to make sure you’re working in the best possible outcome, with not too steep discounts.

Confidence is always key. However, as a sales rep, you’re essentially representing your entire company to various external stakeholders. Being the face of a company requires confidence. Confidence in your body language, understanding of the product or service, confidence in your ability to make a sale.

Last., but certainly not least, if you don’t enjoy interacting with a variety of people, it’s safe to know becoming a sales rep won’t be for you. This role requires you to communicate with people every single day – in various ways! If you love dealing with people, have been told you’re somewhat charming and perhaps you can’t think of anything worse than staying put for 8 hours a day – then a career in sales might just be for you.

Benefits of working as a sales representative

Working in sales is much more than just a 9-5 job. This career path continually forces you to develop both personal skills and experience daily. There is a certain type of caricature attached to being a sales rep. Think of having to be a suave talker in a suit with a pretentious briefcase, but this is very far-fetched from reality. Let’s discuss some of the benefits you’ll experience working in the sales division.

Understanding the fundamentals of sales will take you into almost any industry you can imagine. There are an array of various career opportunities in sales, and definitely not limited to the everyday hustle and bustle.

Not a day will go by that’s truly the same. Nothing monogamous comes from dealing with a variety of people daily, so if you find yourself shivering at the idea of being behind a computer, you can rest assured that this is highly unlikely to happen in this field.

As salespeople typically work on a commission structure, the salaries and percentages are usually great. This not only motivates you to continue to strive for greatness but allows you the income to build the life outside of work that you truly want.

Speaking to the fact that you’ll be in comms with a variety of people daily, you’re constantly learning. Meeting new people opens your mind, makes you more adaptable and allows you to harness additional skill sets.

Is a sales representative career something I can study?

Contrary to popular belief, you can in fact study toward becoming a sales rep! Having a successful career in sales requires a diverse range of skills, and at iQ Academy we offer a variety of courses that can fast-track your career in the field.

Learn about the entire ecosystem that drives sales performance and return on investment by taking one or even both of these courses:

Alternatively if you are more interested in progressing to a managerial or team leader sales role, you may want to consider one of these programmes:

We have courses to cater for all levels of experience, you can start working towards your goals no matter if you have any prior knowledge about sales or business. If you need help choosing the right course, feel free to contact us.