How to Become a Sales Representative

A sales representative has many responsibilities. Among the most common are:

• Learn and retain knowledge about the company's products and services
• Develop methods to emphasize product features to ease client pain points
• Contact new and current clients to discuss their needs and offer new incentives
• Identify potential customers through lead generation and conversion techniques
• Prepare sales agreements through discussion and negotiation
• Collaborate with other sales representatives across the company
• Visit customers to assess their needs
• Maintain contact lists for a thorough follow-up with customers
• Present regular sales reports to senior management
• Attend training sessions to learn and improve your sales techniques

Sales representatives use several pieces of tech equipment. While at the office or in a remote location, they work on a laptop or desktop computer. When in the field, sales representatives rely on smartphones or tablets to process orders. The equipment normally features customer relationship management (CRM) software to enter and track leads. For remote meetings, sales representatives utilize virtual conferencing software.

You work in an office environment. It features a workspace with a desktop or laptop computer and ports to charge and use your smart devices. It is either an individual office or spaces with other sales representatives. Some companies offer a hybrid environment where you work half of your time in the office and the rest at home. Virtual organizations, like e-commerce businesses, allow their sales representatives to work remotely. Companies also ask their sales representatives to visit clients. For instance, if you work for an agricultural firm, you travel to a customer's farm to determine their acreage and the fertilizer and seed types needed for their land. Thus, you spend less time working in an office environment and more in remote locations. 

Although you work in different industries, your colleagues are account managers, help desk support representatives, and quality inspectors. An account manager helps you maintain one-on-one relationships with customers on behalf of the company. Help desk support representatives help customers resolve issues with their products and services. The quality inspector double-checks products for defects and contacts you if there are potential issues your clients need to know.

The schedule of a sales representative varies according to the business, the location, and customers' availability. If you work in an office or remotely, your time falls within standard work hours – between 8-9 a.m. and 4-5 p.m. You work nights and weekends if necessary to reach your customers. If your clients are internationally based, you work early mornings and late nights to accommodate them. Depending on the business, your schedule is appointment-based instead of a standard workday. Your schedule changes for organizations during busy times of the year. For instance, you work extra hours if the organization releases a new product. Further, you work more hours during holiday seasons if the company focuses on those times. For example, if your company deals with Halloween costumes or Christmas decorations, you work more hours during the appropriate season.

There are several opportunities for you when you decide to make your next career move. As a sales representative, you can transition into a sales manager role where you support salespeople within your team. You also have an opportunity to become an account manager who handles a majority of one-on-one correspondence with customers. From there, you move to a director of sales who manages the sales team of an entire company. You are also the proper candidate to become a customer service manager with your knowledge of client interactions. 

If you are actively looking for a job or just checking what's out there, Spherion is the answer. They help you search for employment by matching you with a sales representative job that fits your skills. Since Spherion is one of the leading staffing companies, the team can connect you with dozens of business sectors. The Spherion team offers numerous networking opportunities to find the right office for your work style. Whether you prefer to work with a small family business or a Fortune 500 company, Spherion has options for you. Plus, we offer several advantages, including:

• A quick and seamless interviewing process
• A Spherion representative you can always fall back on for assistance
• Numerous training opportunities to enhance your skills
• A range of area jobs
• Weekly pay through paper check or direct deposit

A master's degree isn't required to begin a sales representative career. At the minimum, most organizations accept a high school degree. On the other hand, obtain an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree if you want to seek higher paying and better roles as a sales representative.

Businesses require results from their sales representatives. In other words, they want to see an increase in customers and revenue. To continue in the role, consistently meet your sales goals, properly communicate with customers, and research new ways to generate income.

The life of a sales representative is challenging and exciting. You have an opportunity to expand a company's customer base through the necessary skills and ingenuity. Although there are stressful moments, such as meeting profit quotas, your role as a sales representative opens up a world of new experiences.

The main difference is the environment where they work. A sales representative works with customers of other businesses. On the other hand, sales associates work with customers in locations like retail outlets. 

Applying for a job as a sales representative is easy with Spherion. You can search for sales representative jobs on Spherion.com by job title and location. If you don’t see the perfect role, you can submit an open application. Once you submit your contact information and resume through Spherion’s open application, a recruiter from the office closest to you will reach out with details about potential sales representative roles that fit your skill set and professional goals.