Signs a Career as a Sales Executive is for You

A Sales Executive is responsible for selling a company’s products and services to customers and businesses. As well as approaching potential customers, you’ll strive to gain repeat business by maintaining relationships with existing clients. Here are the signs you’d make a good sales executive:

You have…

• drive and self-motivation
• excellent communication skills
• a positive, confident and determined approach
• resilience and the ability to cope with rejection
• the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• numeracy skills
• a full driving licence

You want to…

• negotiate price, costs, delivery and specifications with buyers and managers
• liaise with suppliers to check the progress of existing orders
• understand the needs of your customers
• research the market and related products
• maintain and develop relationships with existing customers in person and via telephone calls and emails
• cold call to arrange meetings with potential customers to prospect for new business
• negotiate the terms of an agreement and close sales
• present the product or service favourably and in a structured professional way face-to-face
• create detailed proposal documents, often as part of a formal bidding process, which is largely dictated by the prospective customer
• make accurate, rapid cost calculations and provide customers with quotations
• record sales and order information, send copies to the sales office, or enter figures into a computer system
• feed future buying trends back to employers
• review your own sales performance, aiming to meet or exceed targets

You don’t mind…

• working in a pressured, competitive environment
• occasional late finishes towards the end of the financial quarter
• professional dress
• low ratio of women to men in the sector.

Getting started

Working as a sales executive is open to all graduates but a 2:1 degree or above in business may give you an advantage. Involvement in university activities and work experience may also be a good way to demonstrate your relevant skills and enthusiasm for the role. Work experience in retail or hospitality can give you transferable skills but work experience with automotive companies will provide you with knowledge of relevant systems and useful contacts.

Search all sales executive jobs on our vacancies page.

Article source: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/sales-executive