Sales representative
Sales representatives sell products and services to individuals and businesses. They also follow up leads to find new customers.
Also known as: Salesperson, sales rep, field sales executive
- Starter salary£23,000 a year
- Experienced£50,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 45 a week
What you'll do
As a sales representative, you will:
- contact new and existing customers
- give presentations to promote new products and services
- offer sales quotes and agree prices and delivery schedules
- provide an after-sales service for enquiries and issues
- attend sales conferences and product launches
- keep track of industry trends
- meet sales targets
Working environment
You could work in an office, from home, in a contact centre or at a client's business.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to sell products and services
- customer service skills
- persuading and negotiating skills
- persistence and determination
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- administration skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a sales representative
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
You could do a degree before applying to join a company's graduate training scheme in sales. Most subjects are acceptable, for example business and marketing.
If you want to work in a specialist area of sales, you may need a degree related to that field, such as:
- information technology
- biomedical engineering
- pharmaceutical science
Languages could also be useful, especially if you want to work with a company that sells worldwide.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:
- Customer Service Practitioner Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- IT Technical Salesperson Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
- Sales Executive Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
- Business to Business Sales Professional Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships in marketing or retail may also give you useful skills for this career.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
Work
You could start as an administrator in a sales office and move into a sales position after doing an apprenticeship or in-house training on the job.
Direct application
You can apply directly for sales jobs.
Employers will set their own entry requirements but will expect applicants to have confidence, enthusiasm and excellent communication skills. Sales or customer service experience will also be very useful.
Career path and progression
With experience and a good track record in sales, you could become an area or regional manager, supporting a sales team.
You could also move into marketing, or work in product and account management.
You might wish to specialise in a particular field, for example medical or pharmaceutical sales .
Career tips
You can forge a sales career in many different sectors from vehicles, property and medical equipment to financial services and digital technology.
In job vacancies, the advertised salary may include on-target earnings (OTE), which depend on meeting individual or company sales targets. You should check what proportion of the salary is made up of OTE.
Guides for this industry
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