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

Also called: Outside Sales Representative, Sales Consultant, Sales Representative (Sales Rep), Salesman

What they do:

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

On the job, you would:
  • Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
  • Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
  • Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.
On the job, you'll need:

Business

  • sales and marketing
  • customer service

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Transportation

  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Social

  • bringing people together to solve differences
  • talking people into changing their minds or their behavior

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • come up with lots of ideas
  • group things in different ways

Enterprising

People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Dependability
  • Initiative
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Attention to Detail

Customer relationship management CRM software

  • Oracle Eloqua
  • Salesforce software

Data base user interface and query software

  • Blackboard software
  • Yardi software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • Oracle PeopleSoft

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Bright.

New job opportunities are very likely in the future. This career will have large numbers of openings.

Median Annual Salary: $63,230

Education

High school diploma/GED or bachelor's degree is usually needed.