Retail Salespersons

Description

Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, appliances, or apparel to consumers.

Tasks

Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
Compute sales prices, total purchases and receive and process cash or credit payment.
Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
Maintain records related to sales.
Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise.
Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items.
Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts, and know how to prevent or handle these situations.
Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
Ticket, arrange and display merchandise to promote sales.
Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns.
Clean shelves, counters, and tables.
Help customers try on or fit merchandise.
Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise.
Estimate and quote trade-in allowances.
Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
Estimate quantity and cost of merchandise required, such as paint or floor covering.
Bag or package purchases, and wrap gifts.
Estimate cost of repair or alteration of merchandise.
Rent merchandise to customers.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sales and Marketing: Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities

Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Work Activities

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Work Context

Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Frequency of Decision Making: How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Spend Time Standing: How much does this job require standing?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Letters and Memos: How often does the job require written letters and memos?

Interests

Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Work Style

Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Social Orientation: Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Work Values

Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Related Occupations

Counter and Rental Clerks

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

Customer Service Representatives

Driver/Sales Workers

Lay Titles

Agent

Art Dealer

Art Objects Salesperson

Associate Sales

Attendant Sales

Auto Dealer

Automobile Accessories Salesperson

Automobile Salesman

Automobiles Salesperson

Automotive Salesperson

Bakery Clerk

Bargain Table Clerk

Beauty Consultant

Beauty Counselor

Boats and Marine Supplies Sales Representative

Books Salesperson

Car Dealer

Car Salesman

Car Salesperson

Cashier

Cashier and Salesperson

China and Silverware Salesperson

Cigarette Seller

Clerk

Clothier

Clothing Consultant

Consultant

Corsetier

Corsets Salesperson

Cosmetic Consultant

Cosmetic Counselor

Cosmetics and Toiletries Salesperson

Coupon Redemption Clerk

Curtains and Draperies Salesperson

Dairy Clerk

Drapery Counselor

Drapery Estimator

Dry Goods Clerk

Electric Motors Salesperson

Fashion Consultant, Selling

Fitter

Floor Clerk

Floor Coverings Salesperson

Flowers Salesperson

Flying Squad Salesperson

Food Sales Clerk

Furniture Salesperson

Furs Salesperson

Garden Consultant

General Hardware Salesperson

General Merchandise Salesperson

Haberdasher

Hearing Aid Consultant

Hearing Aid Fitter

Hearing Aid Specialist

Hearing Aid Technician

Home Planning Consultant Salesperson

Horticultural and Nursery Products Salesperson

Hourly Sales Staff

Household Appliances Salesperson

Infants' and Children's Wear Salesperson

Jewelry Salesperson

Layaway Clerk

Leather and Suede Apparel and Accessories Salesperson

Meat Clerk

Meat Hostess

Men's and Boys' Clothing Salesperson

Men's Furnishings Salesperson

Merchandise Coordinator

Merchandise Manager

Merchandising Assistant

Millinery Salesperson

Musical Instruments and Accessories Salesperson

Orthopedic Shoe Fitter

Orthopedic Shoes Salesperson

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $10.15 hourly, $21,110 annual.

Employment (2008):: 4,340,000 employees