Sales associates perform a variety of tasks related to helping customers find and purchase what they need. These tasks include explaining the benefits of different product offerings, answering questions, guiding customers to the right choice based on their needs and processing payments.
When writing the skills portion of a sales job description, it is important to remember that sales workers are constantly interacting with customers, so they must have good interpersonal and communication skills. Selling skills are also important because sales positions frequently require persuasive interactions with customers to demonstrate how products meet customer needs.
Salespeople often work individually, but functioning as part of a team is just as critical. Teamwork and leadership skills, therefore, are important for any sales job, so be sure to reference them when you create your sales job description. Take a look at the example below to learn more.
Sales Job Summary
Are you a persuasive seller who loves interacting with people in a fast-paced environment? If so, you could be an excellent fit for our sales team. We are looking for a candidate who is an energetic, results-driven self-starter to help manage our diverse clientele. Under the supervision of the sales manager, you will have the opportunity to provide top-of-the-line service to existing accounts and contact prospective clients to gain new accounts. Creative skills are a major plus, and you will have the chance to utilize your problem-solving prowess in developing innovative solutions for our clients. We provide the best training in the business and a multitude of opportunities for rapid advancement.
Job Responsibilities
- Contact current and potential clients on a daily basis to provide detailed explanations of products, demonstrate product function and perform miscellaneous account service tasks
- Gather information and make recommendations about current product offerings based on client needs when the opportunity presents itself
- Quote prices, terms and conditions, contract details and service delivery dates
- Resolve problems with existing accounts by researching issues, proposing solutions and initiating corrective action with the appropriate manager
- Write up prospective client contract bids that effectively sell our products’ value and our ability to deliver top quality service
- Promote growth by following leads for prospective clients, researching business directories, attending trade shows and responding to formal inquiries
- Monitor our competitors’ product lines, prices and promotional campaigns along with overall market conditions in the region
- Prepare budgets, expense reports, sales records and other official documents as a part of general administrative duties
- Research and obtain credit history for interested clients when necessary
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to resolve conflicts in a professional manner
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs, including Word and Excel
- Previous sales experience
Preferred:
- 3-5 years of previous outside sales experience
- Experience writing contract bids
Sales Job Responsibilities
Your business cannot thrive without a strong and effective sales team driving profits up. Whether you specialize in B2B services or retail products, you need a loyal clientele that only a sales team comprised of superstars can build—and where do you find those? The first step is writing a sales job description that is worthy of superstar candidates, and you can do this through vivid language and specific details in the sales job responsibilities section.
This is the meatiest part of the sales job description where you should be communicating to candidates what the daily tasks of the position are, and in order to be effective, you should utilize action words and specificity. As far as formatting, including between six and eight items is typically standard, and you may organize them in a bulleted list. The following are examples of this:
- Communicate with clients and potential customers to establish relationships and persuasively sell products
- Demonstrate genuine understanding of the value and benefits offered by the company’s products and services
- Utilize a range of platforms, including phone, email and social media, to reach clients and develop sales opportunities
- Support clients throughout every step of the sales process, from general education to closing of the sale
Sales Job Specifications
If you write your sales job description right, candidates who read it should jump at the opportunity to apply. Who wouldn’t? You’re hiring for a great position with exciting responsibilities. Not every interested candidate is a qualified candidate, though. The next part of your description should serve to narrow down the pool of applicants and allow you to focus on those who are best suited to the position. Eliminate jobseekers who are under- and overqualified by carefully indicating the qualifications you seek.
You can do this in the job qualifications and skills section. This part of your sales job description should explain the qualifications and requirements of the job. Education level, prior experience and essential skills are just a few of the specifications you may include. Anywhere from 4-6 is appropriate to include, and you can collaborate with your hiring manager if you are unsure of what the job’s qualifications should be. After determining several criteria to include, organize your sales job specifications into a bullet point list like the following examples:
- High school diploma required
- Associate degree or higher preferred
- At least 1 year of experience in sales
- Proven track record in customer service
- Ability to multitask and perform under pressure