Sales jobs offer a variety of career options. The average sales professional makes $68,877 a year. Outside sales representatives need to be organized, have stamina, and have good time management skills. They also must hit a quota and have good relationships with customers. Account managers are also essential for every sales team, as they develop and nurture customer relationships. They also develop ideas to make the company’s products better. But not all sales jobs are right for everyone.
First-time salespeople should consider a company with a strong training program and a comfortable base salary. They should avoid companies that offer only commission and require temporary employees. These companies are likely to hire many people, regardless of their ability, because they risk very little if they do not succeed. Besides, temporary salespeople are more likely to have a poor customer experience.
Sales jobs vary in responsibility, educational requirements, and leadership opportunities. Take a look at the list below for more information on the different types of sales jobs available. Account executives typically have a bachelor’s degree and are responsible for selling products or services to businesses and organizations. They can work directly for a manufacturer or for an independent sales agency. Typical job responsibilities include generating new sales leads, delivering presentations to customers, participating in sales meetings, and on-site training.
A director of sales is a top sales position that oversees sales managers. Their responsibilities include setting sales quotas and hiring new sales representatives. Directors of sales often report to the CEO, and they typically earn more than a $100,000 base salary a year. They may also manage sales territories, train sales representatives, and set company goals.
An account manager may be responsible for the retention and satisfaction of a specific client base. An account manager may also focus on finding cross-sell and upsell opportunities. An account manager may also handle conversations directly with customers. In larger companies, salespeople often work directly with account managers in order to expand client accounts. An average salary for an account manager is $61,000.
Sales engineers typically earn $97,000 per year. Top sales engineers make up to $133,209. A sales engineer is a valuable asset to a company. In some cases, sales engineers work for independent sales firms. They typically need a bachelor’s degree in engineering, as well as extensive knowledge of the product and its scientific processes.
Account managers are often responsible for developing relationships with key accounts and moving them through the sales pipeline. They spend most of their time identifying potential leads and making calls or sending emails to qualify them. They also keep track of key account metrics and report quarterly profits. Account managers are also responsible for the sales in their specific geographic area. Regional sales managers may prepare sales reports, forecast quarterly profits, and train new salespeople in the region.
Successful salespeople have a strong belief in their products and services. They know that rejection is part of the job and see every rejection as a learning opportunity. Some salespeople even find rejection so fun that they try to maximize the number of “noes” they receive instead of “yeses.