Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing, Except Technical And Scientific Products

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products

Description

Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.

Tasks

Contact regular and prospective customers to demonstrate products, explain product features, and solicit orders.
Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.
Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support.
Provide customers with product samples and catalogs.
Identify prospective customers by using business directories, following leads from existing clients, participating in organizations and clubs, and attending trade shows and conferences.
Prepare drawings, estimates, and bids that meet specific customer needs.
Monitor market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales.
Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports.
Obtain credit information about prospective customers.
Train customers' employees to operate and maintain new equipment.
Prepare sales contracts and order forms.
Negotiate details of contracts and payments.
Forward orders to manufacturers.
Negotiate with retail merchants to improve product exposure, such as shelf positioning and advertising.
Plan, assemble, and stock product displays in retail stores, or make recommendations to retailers regarding product displays, promotional programs, and advertising.
Check stock levels and reorder merchandise as necessary.
Arrange and direct delivery and installation of products and equipment.
Buy products from manufacturers or brokerage firms and distribute them to wholesale and retail clients.

Knowledge

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.
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.
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.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills

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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
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.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Work Activities

Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
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.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Work Context

Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail 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?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment: How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Level of Competition: To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
Freedom to Make Decisions: How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Interests

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.
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.
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.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
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.
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.

Work Style

Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Persistence: Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Achievement/Effort: Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Related Occupations

Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products

Public Relations Specialists

Retail Salespersons

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

Demonstrators and Product Promoters

Lay Titles

Account Executive

Account Leader

Account Manager

Account Representative

Account Specialist

Accounts Executive

Agent

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Architectural and Engineering Supplies Sales Representative

Barber and Beauty Equipment and Supplies Sales Representative

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Broker

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Clothier

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Commission Broker

Consignee

Contact Person

Contact Worker

Containers Sales Representative

Contracts Specialist

Converter

Cordage Sales Representative

Customer Account Technician

Diamond Broker

Diamond Merchant

Distribution Agent

Distributor

Exporter

Factory Representative

Field Marketing Representative

Field Representative

Field Service Representative

Florist Supplies Salesperson

Food Products Sales Representative

Footwear Sales Representative

Fuels Sales Representative

General Merchandise Sales Representative

Hardware Supplies Sales Representative

Hobbies and Crafts Sales Representative

Home Furnishings Sales Representative

Hotel and Restaurant Equipment and Supplies Sales Representative

Household Appliances Sales Representative

Importer Exporter

Industrial Rubber Goods Sales Representative

Inside Sales Person

Inside Sales Representative

Jewelry Sales Representative

Leather Goods Sales Representative

Livestock Commission Agent

Livestock Sales Representative

Malt Liquors Sales Representative

Manufacturer's Representative

Manufacturers Agent

Marketing Associate

Medical Sales Representative

Men's and Boys' Apparel Sales Representative

Merchandiser

Metal Dealer

Mill Representative

Mortician Supplies Sales Representative

Motor Vehicles and Supplies Sales Representative

Musical Instruments and Accessories Sales Representative

Negotiator Sales

Novelties Sales Representative

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Office Machines Sales Representative

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Outside Sales Representative

Paper and Paper Products Sales Representative

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $26.07 hourly, $54,230 annual.

Employment (2008):: 1,414,030 employees