A sales professional is someone who is responsible for selling products or services to potential customers. He seeks to satisfy potential customers with the products he sells. Great sales professionals have strong sales and communication skills and an education in business.
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Why go into sales?
The field of sales is a great place to build a career. Salespeople have the opportunity to earn a high salary through the incentive system of bonuses and commissions. They often have a clear career path within their company. Many sales positions offer the advantage of flexible hours. The degree of flexibility depends on the position and the company. However, most sales professionals have the freedom to set their own daily hours, as long as they meet the demands of the business.
Professionally, this flexibility allows you to choose the work environment that makes you most productive. It offers you the opportunity to work at your own pace and organize your day in the way that is most appropriate for you. The sales department is the only department in the company that has a direct impact on positive cash flow and the bottom line.
Despite new technologies, new tools and new business models, the skills of sales professionals will always be crucial. They will help them build relationships, close deals and find new opportunities.
Almost every industry relies on sales professionals to generate revenue. Therefore, there are :
- higher short-term salary prospects;
- a variety of options for training and professional development;
- long-term management opportunities to help define a company’s sales strategy.
Students or professionals in transition may decide to go for a work-study program to gain experience and become a sales professional. Employees who are already working or looking for a job are eligible for the INSEEC Bachelor and MSc programs. They can apply for a VAE, VAP or their CPF.
What are the jobs in sales?
Customer Account Manager
Account Executives must be proficient in internal sales tools and have a good track record of closing deals and meeting quotas.
Promotion to Account Executive is the top grade for Sales Representatives and other entry-level positions. In general, this position involves responsibilities such as:
- lead generation ;
- up-selling to existing customers;
- sales forecasting ;
- bringing in new business.
Inside Sales Representative
Not to be confused with inbound sales, inside sales are related to the exact location where sales activities take place. An inside sales representative tends to work exclusively behind a computer, usually in the office or at home.
His job is to seek out new sales opportunities through inbound lead follow-up and outbound telephone and email canvassing. He needs to understand the customer’s needs and requirements in order to satisfy them in the best possible way. He has an administrative position, he transfers qualified opportunities to the sales managers to close the sale.
Generally, inside salespeople use CRMs to conduct much of their sales activity. In addition, hiring managers look for characteristics such as:
- the ability to multi-task;
- strong writing skills;
- good organization.
Sales Manager
A sales manager is responsible for leading his or her team to achieve sales goals. The Sales Manager recruits and trains sales people.
Sales managers set sales targets based on the company’s financial goals and objectives. They develop a strategic sales plan and evaluate their team’s performance so that they can improve.
Account Manager
An account manager is the person responsible for establishing and maintaining long-term relationships with a company’s customers. He must supervise a series of clients assigned to him. He establishes relationships with key stakeholders of these companies and seeks new sales opportunities with them.
What is the average salary in sales jobs?
A person working as a sales representative in France usually earns about 31,200 euros per year. Salaries range from 16,000 euros to 49,600 euros. This amount is the average annual FIXED salary. A variable part is added in most cases.
Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors. These include education, certifications, additional skills and the number of years you have been in your profession.
The median salary is 33,700 euros per year. Half (50%) of those working as sales representatives earn more than 34,000 euros.
Is the sales field hiring?
You can work in many different areas as a sales professional. Whether you are interested in finance, medicine or cosmetics, all of these fields need salespeople to help them sell their products and services. There are sales jobs in virtually every area of interest.
How to become a sales manager?
If you want to be successful in a sales job, you will need to learn new things and adapt to changing circumstances. For a career in sales, most employers prefer candidates with a higher education, minimum BAC+3. At INSEEC, we offer BTS, Bachelor, Master and Master of Science courses to specialize in sales.
A sales manager must have strong communication and interpersonal skills, as well as sales and customer service experience. He/she must also be able to lead and motivate a team of sales representatives, thus having managerial skills.
More articles about selling on our FAQ.
Updated 18 October 2023