Sales Jobs

How To Get A Job In Sales (As A Salesperson)

Selling may seem to be the easiest job in the world.  A great many young people start of in sales positions when they are very young.  Usually these are in fast food franchises, or malls.  Because there are so many of these jobs and because the starting pay is not very high, these positions may be easy to get.  They are nevertheless sales jobs.  Done properly, they can establish a reputation that can lead to pay raises, promotions, and glowing references that will help you advance in whatever field you choose.

Selling is not the easiest job in the world.  It is one of the most difficult.  To be an excellent salesperson, you need a myriad of skills and personality traits.

–You must be honest.  In sales you are surrounded by cash, credit cards, personal information, and material goods, whether pens and paper clips or high end jeans and stocks and bonds.  These are not yours for the taking.  They are in your care, and how you handle them can make or break your future.  You must also be honest with your customers.  Be honest about products and services.  This will build you a client base of loyal customers.

–You must be hard-working.  Selling is difficult work.  You are in the public eye and even on your feet for most if not all of your working day.  Some sales involve physical exertion.  There is never ‘nothing to do’ in sales.  If you feel there is, then your services are probably not needed.

–You must be a people person, and enjoy interacting with the public in a sincere and pleasant manner.  You must have good command of the English language and be able to converse, intelligently, with, and relate to, a wide variety of individuals.

–You must be knowledgeable about your product, your company, and your customer’s likes and needs.  They must know the advantages as well as the disadvantages of various items.  They must learn how products have performed in the past and how they have been received by other customers.

–You must have or cultivate a good memory for faces.  Most people are flattered to be remembered.  It is the start of a relationship, and sales are all about relationships.

–You must also be persistent, but never pushy, warm and friendly but not effusive, outgoing but not invasive, and always willing to put in some extra effort and go the extra mile to give superior service.

–You must enjoy working as part of a team and be able to work with and support fellow employees.

–You must be neat, clean, and outgoing.

Salespeople have many duties.  They greet customers and show a genuine interest in their needs and wishes.  They take orders, show customers stock, explain the advantages as well as the disadvantages of a variety of products.  They check availability of items, delivery dates, and supplies.  They sort stock, and do inventories.  They tidy and they clean.  They explain warranties, refunds, and exchange policies.  They explain financial matters.  They deal with cash, checks, and credit cards.  They demonstrate the use of products, assist customers in trying out items, and take customers for test drives.  They write up or print out receipts and contracts.

They attend meetings and conferences.

They fill back orders, deal with refunds and returns.  They package up purchases and bid their customers farewell.  They receive and store stock, place orders, and deal with mountains of paperwork.  They do research.  They contact old customers and make cold calls.  Some salespeople travel.

If you have an interest in a career as a salesperson,and are still in high school, take courses in English, computers, and a variety of science, history, and general knowledge courses.  Join discussion or debating groups.  You want a well-rounded education so that you are an interesting person to talk to, and can carry on a conversation with a variety of individuals.

Get a college education.  No knowledge is wasted in sales.  If you want to be able to sell literally anything, you must have a good foundation of knowledge and direct it to the area in which you are interested.  The more you learn, the easier it is to learn, and the easier it is to explain.

Sales is not easy but it can be extremely satisfying, whether you sell burgers, bonds, or battleships.  The satisfaction comes from knowing that you have satisfied a customer, and that they will return.