Job Description & Personal Specifications of a Sales Assistant
Nearly every company has a salesperson or sales team that is responsible for promoting and selling their products and services. Personal selling is a valuable skill that is transferable to professions such as retail, technology, consumer products, accounting, insurance and entrepreneurship. Sales assistant positions allow college graduates and young professionals to shadow and learn from more senior sales representatives, which can help jump start their own sales career.
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Function
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Although the role of a sales assistant varies based on the industry, her primary responsibility is to assist and perform administrative functions for the larger sales team. In a retail company, the sales assistant helps customer on the sales floor with their purchase, manages product orders and shipments, and keeps shelves neat and stocked with goods. Corporate sales assistants spend more time handling data entry, routing sales leads to the appropriate sales manager and sending collateral to trade shows and customer events. Other duties include answering customer inquiries, assembling sales proposals, planning events and creating sales progress reports.
Education
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A high school diploma is required for a sales assistant position, and most employers prefer a two- or four-year college degree in marketing, business administration or a related major. Coursework that helps prepare students for a sales career include advertising, marketing research, behavior management, consumer and buyer behavior, and customer relations.
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Skills
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Employers mainly look for candidates who are proactive, flexible and take initiative in the workplace. Sales assistants must also have strong interpersonal communication skills and be computer savvy. Since this role handles a variety of administrative duties, sales assistants should be well-organized and able to juggle multiple projects simultaneously. International companies may prefer candidates who are fluent in a second language. Depending on the position, some sales assistant roles require professionals with six months to five years of experience in customer service or sales support.
Salary
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According to a November, 2009 Salary.com report, the average salary range for a sales assistant in the United States is between $34,236 and $43,138; the median salary for this position is $38,353. An April, 2010 PayScale salary report places the average salary range for U.S. sales assistants between $35,131 and $45,644. PayScale also estimates that the average bonus for sales assistants is between $1,438 and $8,086.
Potential
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that sales representative jobs for the wholesale and manufacturing industry will increase by 7 percent between 2008 and 2018. Sales managers who work closely with marketing, advertising and public relations professionals can expect to see jobs increase by 15 percent over the same period. Candidates with a college degree and industry sales experience will have the best job opportunities. In addition, current sales professionals exiting the job sector will drive demand for additional sales talent.
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References
- International Association of Administrative Professionals: Administrative Support Job Descriptions
- The Job Explorer: Sales Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
- Salary.com: Sales Assistant II
- PayScale: Salary Snapshot for Registered Sales Assistant Jobs
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing
- Photo Credit business report image by Christopher Hall from Fotolia.com
