Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Onet SOC Code 41-4012.00 Career Description: Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold. Related Clusters:

Career Summary:

• Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
• Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
• Contact regular and prospective customers to demonstrate products, explain product features, and solicit orders.
• Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.
• Consult with clients after sales or contract signings in order to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support.
• Prepare drawings, estimates, and bids that meet specific customer needs.
• Provide customers with product samples and catalogs.
• Identify prospective customers by using business directories, following leads from existing clients, participating in organizations and clubs, and attending trade shows and conferences.
• Arrange and direct delivery and installation of products and equipment.
• Monitor market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales.
• Negotiate details of contracts and payments, and prepare sales contracts and order forms.
• Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports.
• Obtain credit information about prospective customers.
• Forward orders to manufacturers.
• Check stock levels and reorder merchandise as necessary.
• Plan, assemble, and stock product displays in retail stores, or make recommendations to retailers regarding product displays, promotional programs, and advertising.
• Negotiate with retail merchants to improve product exposure such as shelf positioning and advertising.
• Train customers' employees to operate and maintain new equipment.
• Buy products from manufacturers or brokerage firms, and distribute them to wholesale and retail clients.

• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• The background needed for sales representatives varies by product line and market. Most firms require a strong educational background and increasingly prefer or require a bachelor's degree as the job requirements have become more technical and analytical. Nevertheless, many employers still hire individuals with previous sales experience who do not have a college degree. For some products, factors such as sales ability, personality, and familiarity with brands are as important as a degree. On the other hand, firms selling complex, technical products may require a technical degree in addition to some sales experience. Many sales representatives attend seminars in sales techniques or take courses in marketing, economics, communication, or even a foreign language to provide the extra edge needed to make sales. In general, companies are looking for individuals who have the personality and desire to sell. Some large distributors sponsor educational programs designed to keep their sales representatives a step ahead of the competition. Courses include building effective customer relations; communication skills; creating win/win situations; recognizing and handling stress; inventory management and control; vendor relations, ethics, legalities, and negotiation; professional selling skills and strategies; and, warehouse management and safety. For related information and recommended courses to prepare for this occupation, Tennessee high school students may visit the Marketing Education Curriculum Standards online.

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• First Interest High-Point - Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

• Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
• Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
• Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
• Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
• Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
• Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
• Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
• Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
• Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
• Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
• Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
• Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
• Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

• Autonomy - Workers on this job plan their work with little supervision.
• Achievement - Workers on this job get a feeling of accomplishment.
• Achievement-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
• Compensation - Workers on this job are paid well in comparison with other workers.
• Working Conditions - Workers on this job have good working conditions.
• Company Policies and Practices - Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.
• Supervision, Human Relations - Workers on this job have supervisors who back up their workers with management.
• Independence-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
• Ability Utilization - Workers on this job make use of their individual abilities.
• Variety - Workers on this job have something different to do every day.
• Recognition - Workers on this job receive recognition for the work they do.
• Support-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
• Responsibility - Workers on this job make decisions on their own.
• Working Conditions-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
• Activity - Workers on this job are busy all the time.
• Independence - Workers on this job do their work alone.
• Supervision, Technical - Workers on this job have supervisors who train their workers well.
• Creativity - Workers on this job try out their own ideas.
• Recognition-Mean Extent - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
• Social Status - Workers on this job are looked up to by others in their company and their community.
• Co-workers - Workers on this job have co-workers who are easy to get along with.

Wage and salary data provided by:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, Tennessee Department of Labor website
• TN Department of Labor & Workforce Development website
• Bureau of Economic Analysis website