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A Career in Sales

A career in Sales has a mixed reputation at graduate level. This is because many of the jobs which are labeled as 'Exciting sales roles' which students undertake to make ends meet whilst at University are nothing more than harassment of the general public via the telephone or door-to-door.

A career in sales can be very rewarding (in many cases more rewarding than most) and is as much about understanding clients and managing their requirements; as it is closing a deal. The approach should be to listen to customer problems / opportunities and respond with creative and intelligent solutions which compliment or exceed their requirements. The hard-sell doesn't work.

Often it's not clear exactly what a sales role actually involves. The following is designed to help you understand the various divisions:

Sales representative
Promotes their company's products to new and existing clients. The work involves following leads to establish and grow a client base. Sales representatives spend a lot of time on the road, visiting clients to assess their needs and keep them informed of product developments. There are no formal entry requirements, but a full driving license is essential. Applicants should be confident, have excellent communication skills, be able to develop good relationships with a number of clients and have a high degree of business awareness. Salary tends to be on a commission basis, and employment packages usually include a company car and mobile phone.

Pharmaceutical sales representative
A pharmaceutical sales rep sells drugs and medical products to hospitals, general practioners and pharmacists. The job involves giving presentations to these organisations, advising on new developments and product launches, and keeping retail chemists and pharmacists aware of the drugs that doctors are prescribing. A medical background or related degree are therefore an advantage in gaining a position, although not essential. The majority of the work involves being on the road, and a company car is usually involved in the salary package. Applicants must complete an intensive training course which provides basic training in sales, medicine and product knowledge prior to starting work. This is followed by training in the workplace. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry exam must be taken within two years of starting work.

Media sales executive
Responsible for selling advertising on behalf of newspapers, magazines, radio, television and new media in an extremely competitive environment. Salary is based on commission and there are plenty of opportunities for promotion. This role will require cold calling new clients, selling over the phone and building revenue from existing clients. A media sales exec must be able to successfully promote the benefits of the advertising format on offer and maximise the effectiveness of a client's advertising campaign. Designing advertisements can sometimes be required. Increasingly companies favor graduates and full training is usually provided. Media sales requires an outgoing and confident personality, persistence, and the ability to handle setbacks.

IT sales representative
Ideally an IT sales representative will have a background in information technology or an IT related degree. The job involves establishing and developing a client base and liasing with the client's purchasing and technical staff to understand their related IT needs. An IT sales representative must ensure that internal development staff understand are able to meet customer requirements. Sales training is usually provided by the company, with some offering graduate training programmes. The work involves making client visits, giving presentations and attending exhibitions. Salary is on a commission basis and employment packages usually include a company car and mobile phone.

Telesales/telemarketing executive
Both positions involve the promotion of products and services over the telephone. Responsible for maintaining relationships with existing clients, establishing new leads and cold calling. Telemarketing differs from telesales as the employer is often an agency acting on behalf of many clients, so there will be variation in the products and services promoted. Both roles require an outgoing personality and the ability to handle setbacks excellent communication skills and organisational abilities, . Basic administration skills are also an advantage as both roles often involve keeping client records up to date and processing orders.

Sales Support
An often-overlooked aspect of sales is the support role. Based primarily in the office, sales support provides a soft introduction to the mechanism of selling. Although not positioned on "the front line", a support function still requires direct contact with customers so a positive client-facing attitude is required. Rather than targeting, pitching and clinching a sale yourself, the emphasis should be on assisting in positioning the pieces so that a sale (both pre and post sale) can be made in a smooth and controlled manner. Sales support means ensuring that promises made by the sales team are fulfilled, schedules are kept, and the appropriate materials are provided. Good organisation, communication and anticipation skills are essential.

Retail manager
Responsible for managing staff, interacting with suppliers and maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. Although this position is not focused on direct contact with retail customers it will commonly involve handling customer complaints. Responsibilities include devising sales strategies, setting the team targets and contributing to the increased profitability of the retail outlet by ensuring sales staff meet sales targets. Requires communication, personnel management and good organisational skills. Most large retail organisations particularly department stores and supermarkets look for graduates to recruit into their management trainee programmes.

Sales manager
A sales manager is responsible for a team of sales representatives, and must handle recruitment, personnel management and the team's ongoing development. This managerial role is usually achieved through promotion based on demonstrating extensive knowledge of the market and of the operations of the sales team. Organisational skills and a head for figures are essential as a sales manager's responsibilities include devising sales strategies, setting the team's targets and implementing budgets. The role is far more oriented towards personnel and product management than direct selling. However, serious customer complaints will be passed to the sales manager for resolution, and key clients are often passed to senior management to ensure their business is secured.