Sales Representative Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

Without successful sales representatives, we wouldn’t be able to sell our products and services effectively. One of the most important roles a sales rep plays is building trust and loyalty between our customers and business. You do this by being honest, keeping the customers’ wants in mind, and being genuinely passionate about the product or service. [Your Company Name] is hiring experienced sales reps to take our business to new heights. If you have experience in sales, marketing, and are a self-motivated individual, this could be the position for you.

Typical duties and responsibilities

• Learn about new products and their benefits 
• Identify potential customers and start on the conversion
• Contact new and existing customers to talk about their ongoing needs
• Answer various questions about the product or service
• Emphasize certain features of products to highlight how they will help satisfy the customers’ wants or needs
• Recommend changes in products, services, or policy to keep up with competitors 
• Create and maintain customer records, including purchases and contact information 
• Submit sales record to management 
• Prepare sales agreements and know the terms of negotiation 
• Create and submit customer orders
• Attend different educational workshops and review professional materials to maintain professional and technical knowledge

Education and experience

• High school diploma or GED
• One year of formal sales training
• A bachelor’s degree in chemistry or engineering to sell advanced products like pharmaceuticals or medical equipment

Required skills and qualifications

• Confidence and assertiveness in cold-calling
• Strong interpersonal skills
• “Customer first” attitude
• Attentive listener
• Physical stamina (you may be on your feet for long hours)
• Meet sales objectives 
• Passion for the business 
• Good presentation and negotiation skills 
• Product knowledge

Preferred qualifications

• Basic computer skills to generate sales reports
• Ability to pick out prospective customers
• Experience with marketing or advertising 
• Ability to multitask
• Excellent comprehension and retention skills
• Elementary math skills 
• Good time management

This position through ABC Company Marketing develops, and maximizes leads with industry professionals, homeowners, architects, designers, and builders to sell reclaimed and wide plank flooring and reclaimed building materials. The position also effectively builds, manages, and strengthens client relationships.

Responsibilities include:

• Maximizes leads through ABC Company Marketing by developing business and servicing current accounts by understanding our products and services; maximizing sales by offering to upsell opportunities; developing and contacting potential customers to offer new or additional products; closing sales; building and expanding sales accounts; maintaining sales databases
• Understands our products and sales goals by studying technical literature, reviewing sales objectives, quotas, and plans, and participating in sales meetings
• Monitors competition by gathering marketplace information on competitors’ current and new products, pricing structures, services, sales campaigns, discounts, etc.
• Tracks industry and market news and trends
• Presents products to clients by providing explanations, demonstrations, literature, estimates, and samples
• Perform customer service for clients; process orders by obtaining account detail, coordinate shipping requirements, manage invoices, respond to customer inquiries and feedback
• Builds and expands accounts by maintaining rapport, answering requests, introducing new products and services, and upgrades, as well as studying account needs
• Keep management informed by submitting activity and results reports, such as daily call reports, weekly work plans, and monthly and annual territory analyses
• Recommends changes in products, services, and pricing by evaluating competitive developments
• Analyzes and discovers potential discrepancies with current products, services, and pricing
• Analyzes a customer’s needs and requests
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional organizations
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests, exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments
• Any other reasonable task requested by the Corporate Sales Manager
• Other tasks include sample packaging/management

Skills required:

• Computer knowledge, including but not limited to Microsoft Office and Google Suite
• Light cleaning duties
• Lifting 25 lbs. or less

Personality:

• Self-driven, results-oriented with a positive outlook, and a clear focus on high quality and business profit
• A natural forward planner who critically assesses their own performance
• Mature, credible, and comfortable in dealing with architects, designers, builders, and homeowners
• Reliable, tolerant, and determined
• Empathic communicator, able to see things from the other person’s point of view
• Well-presented and businesslike
• Keen for new experience, responsibility, and accountability
• Able to get on with others and be a team player

Computer skills:

• Must be adept in the use of MS Office 2000 or later, particularly Excel and Word, Google Suite, particularly Docs and Sheets, and ideally Access or a similar database to the basic level, Internet, calendar, and email

Business and selling skills:

• Must be an excellent face-to-face and telephone communicator
• Able to demonstrate success and experience managing major accounts customers and large contracts or even a business, particularly achieving genuine sales development
• Ideal background would be in sales of flooring; experience in flooring installation would be particularly helpful

We seek an energetic professional interested in helping our business grow through value-based conversations and remarkable customer experience. If you are a motivated self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment, then this is your opportunity for a rewarding career with excellent income and growth potential.

Responsibilities

• Develop leads, schedule appointments, identify customer needs, and market appropriate products and services
• Establish customer relationships and follow up with customers, as needed
• Provide prompt, accurate, and friendly customer service. Service can include responding to inquiries regarding insurance availability, eligibility, coverages, policy changes, transfers, claim submissions, and billing clarification

Requirements

• Sales experience (outside sales or inside sales representative, retail sales associate, or telemarketing) preferred
• Successful track record of meeting sales goals/quotas preferred
• Excellent communication skills – written, verbal, and listening
• Self-motivated
• Ability to multitask
• Ability to effectively relate to a customer
• Property and Casualty license (must be able to obtain)
• Life & Health license (must be able to obtain)

Who you are…

As a Sales Development Representative, you will be responsible for prospecting, qualifying, and generating opportunities to support the overall growth of the business. This role is permanent, full-time, and involves extensive training with significant advancement opportunities.

Key responsibilities (not limited to)

• Prospect, educate, and qualify leads to create sales-ready opportunities
• Interact with leads from a variety of different channels via phone, email, and chat to follow-up
• Provide regular status reports with the goal of generating leads that result in ABC Company sales
• Independent, self-motivated, and success-oriented
• Keep abreast of the industry and technologies to ensure you are a trusted resource to prospects and customers
• Follow the current ABC Company pre-sales process and consistently use CRM to document prospect interaction, ensuring efficient lead management
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills essential
• Confident and polished phone prospecting skills are required, including the ability to adapt communication style and message to the target audience
• Consistently hit qualified opportunity quotas and productivity goals
• Exceptional sense of organization and attention to detail are essential, and impeccable follow-through
• Ability to plan work to meet deadlines, especially when faced with competing priorities
• Securing net-new meetings
• Mastery of the ABC Company value proposition and ideal customer profile
• Demonstrate the capability to grow and take on more responsibility—we’re looking for folks who want to grow into the next role

Need to have…

• Desire to be coached and ready to take your sales skills to the next level
• Experience working in a fast‐paced, results-oriented entrepreneurial environment
• Knowledge of internet marketing a plus
• Fluency in the use of Microsoft Office products, internet research, and email is required