A sales job can be very satisfying, with the opportunity to travel and meet new people every day.
Sales positions have a high earning potential and are often flexible, allowing sales professionals to set their schedules.
Evaluating the various types of sales positions available, as well as the education needed for each, will help you decide if a career in sales is right for you.
This article will define a sales job, include a list of commonly held sales positions, and address some of the most frequently asked questions about a career in sales.
Table of Contents
A sales job is one in which someone is in charge of presenting and selling goods and services.
In most sales jobs, you are responsible for producing leads and achieving sales targets.
You may be asked to negotiate contracts with customers, offer sales presentations, and give product demonstrations.
Depending on the job, you may also be required to organize an entire sales team’s activities or prepare weekly or monthly reports for management.
Sales jobs vary considerably in terms of responsibility, leadership opportunities, and educational requirements.
Here is a list of just a few of the different types of sales jobs available.
We include the average salary for each position and the primary responsibilities and educational requirements to assist you in determining which may be the best fit for you.
We’ve included the average salary for each position, as well as the primary responsibilities and educational requirements, to help you decide which one is right for you.
The average annual salary is $48,649.
The primary responsibility of an account executive develops business plans to meet pre-determined goals and quotas.
They typically manage the entire sales cycle, from client acquisition to deal closure.
Cold calling, generating new sales leads, closing customer contracts, generating new sales, analyzing customer needs, and developing innovative solutions to meet the needs of their clients are some of their primary responsibilities.
Account executives are typically expected to have a bachelor’s degree in business, business administration, or a field of study relevant to their industry.
The average annual salary is $54,303 per year
A primary responsibility of a sales representative sells products or services on behalf of manufacturers and wholesalers to businesses and organizations.
They could work directly for the company that makes the goods or for an independent sales agency.
Contacting new and existing customers to meet or exceed sales quotas, delivering presentations to customers, and participating in sales meetings and on-site training are some of their primary responsibilities.
While formal education is not always required, many employers prefer candidates with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sales, Business, or another closely related field.
A bachelor’s degree can often be substituted for sales experience by many employers.
The national average salary for an account manager is $61,014 per year.
The primary responsibility of an account manager is a customer’s first point of contact.
They are in charge of managing sales and nurturing relationships with specific customers in order to keep them using the company’s products or services.
Developing trusted advisor relationships with key accounts, ensuring timely delivery of solutions to customers, developing new business from existing clients, and tracking and forecasting key account metrics are some of their primary responsibilities.
A bachelor’s degree is required for account management positions, preferably in advertising, communications, business, public relations, or marketing.
The average annual salary for this position in 2018 was just under $80,000.
Candidates with significant sales experience may be considered without a bachelor’s degree.
A regional sales manager is a sales professional who is in charge of selling products or services in a specific geographic area.
Among their primary responsibilities are preparing sales reports, forecasting quarterly and annual profits, identifying hiring needs and training new salespeople, and analyzing regional market trends to uncover new opportunities.
A bachelor’s degree in a business-related field, such as sales, business, business administration, marketing, or statistics, is usually required for regional sales managers.
The national average salary is $103,141 per year.
A sales director is a sales professional who is in charge of supervising a team of sales managers who typically cover a large geographical area.
They are in charge of strategic planning, launching new products and services, predicting and avoiding market stagnation, and maximizing profits.
They also create sales reports and strategic plans to help them meet their sales targets.
A bachelor’s degree in business administration, communications, marketing, or a closely related field of study is typically required for sales directors.
Some employers will accept substantial work experience instead of a bachelor’s degree.
The median annual salary in 2017 was just under $100,000.
Sales engineers sell products that are tailored to specific fields or industries.
The products are frequently related to manufacturing or science or are otherwise complex, and selling them necessitates a thorough understanding of how they operate.
As a result, a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is expected to be a minimum requirement for any position as a sales engineer.
The median annual salary in 2017 was around $60,000 per year.
This field’s sales professionals are similar to sales engineers, but the products they sell are less technical and typically require less expertise to understand.
Otherwise, the job entails selling to businesses and government agencies, among other potential clients, on behalf of wholesalers or manufacturers.
The median annual salary in 2017 was around $23,000.
This covers almost everything in the retail industry that has to do with serving customers.
Many positions are hourly or salary-based, while others are entirely or partially commission-based.
Multiple job titles are used to describe the work being done in this area.
Sales representative, sales associate, sales consultant, or simply the word sales are all standard job titles.
The words retail and sales are sometimes used interchangeably.
Even jobs listed as assistant store managers are usually sales positions like any other.
Because many retail outlets consider all full-time employees to be potential managers-in-training, with few exceptions, assume that any title that includes the word “store” refers to a retail sales position.
A high-paying job in sales isn’t the only advantage. Many inside salespeople work remotely or have the option of working from home.
You only need a phone and a computer to get started.
You’re pretty crucial to the company, so you’re much less likely to be let go during a downturn.
Because sales is a highly transferable and valuable skill, you can easily switch industries or companies, though you will need to establish a new network. Working in sales will help you grow as a person a lot.
You’ll have to get out of your comfort zone and push yourself, and as a result, you’ll experience tremendous personal growth…
a lot more than other jobs/industries
This is also true of being a recruiter, as I discovered firsthand.
There are goals and quotas to meet, and you are constantly chasing them.
Also, failing to meet your goals consistently may cost you your job. Sales jobs are a few jobs where you can be fired simply for not being good at it.
In most jobs, you have to make many mistakes to get fired, but not in sales. If you don’t close deals in sales, you’re costing the company money and could be fired.
Don’t worry; it won’t happen right away. A good company will train you thoroughly and be extremely patient as you learn the fundamentals of your role.
However, if it has been six months and you are still not closing any deals, they may have a conversation with you about how sales may not be the best fit for you.
Sales jobs are also in high demand. Sales teams are typically made up of alpha males (and females) and people who enjoy competing.
It is not uncommon for many sales teams to be made up of people who participated in high school or college sports.
You can be quiet and introverted while still succeeding in sales, and that is entirely true. However, it would help if you survived on a team where most of the members are not like you.
That is crucial. You won’t be surrounded by other introverts in sales, even though you can be a massive success as one!
These are the significant disadvantages or disadvantages of sales jobs that you should be aware of. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic job.
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