Salesperson

Job overview
Salespersons sell goods either in a shop or business or to shops or businesses, in which case they are known as commercial travelers.

They must present their firms?' ?products to potential customers in such a way as to create an interest in the merchandise, and thereby promote sales.

What do people do in this job?
The success of a retail or wholesale business depends heavily on its sales personnel.

Courteous, efficient and reliable service leads to customer satisfaction, therefore it is important that sales personnel put themselves out to achieve this.

Salespersons inform customers about the various products and assist them to make the best choice by pointing out the differences between one and the other.

Other tasks include the handling of goods the customer might want to exchange, wrapping goods' receiving payment for them, stocktaking, ordering and unpacking stock and the decoration and display of products in the shop.

It is the responsibility of salespersons to maintain a high standard of merchandise presentation by ensuring that the department is clean and tidy and that the merchandise is laid out correctly and in a way to attract the customers.

Travelling salespersons visit customers regularly, introducing new and existing products to them by way of samples, brochures and demonstrations.

The client places an order and travelling salespersons ensure that it is carried out.

New clients and orders must continually be sought and followed up, an aspect that makes the work especially challenging.

Recently more undertakings focus on the multi-skilling of their personnel, i.e. ?training salespersons to do the work of cashiers and vice versa.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
It is important for salespersons to have negotiating skills and be able to relate to people easily.

A pleasant, tactful and friendly attitude together with a neat and tidy appearance are prerequisites.

Finally, tenacity is essential.

What qualifications are needed?
There are no formal qualifications, but the ability to make rapid numerical calculations is a distinct advantage.