In the world of business, a position in sales is one of the most rewarding roles. Financially, sales consultants get most of the monetary value of the job due to commissions. In order to become a good salesperson, one must have the skill to pursue sales from start to finish. Sales consultants endorse and vend products to consumers and clients. They are the ones who identify the needs of their clients and provide opportunities for those needs to be met through the acquiring a product or service.
Nowadays, sales consultants are labeled as commission-hungry people, but in reality they are service oriented professionals that makes sure customers’ are given satisfaction with the service or product they purchased.
Education Requirements
A sales consultant needs to have a degree in commerce or business background in order to have a full understanding of the industry. A bachelors degree is often preferred, but not necessarily required. Sometimes when a sales consultant is selling or vending a technical product or service, they should have experience and a general background about technical aspects of the product or service they are selling.
There are some companies that accept entry level applicants and then train people on the job, however, for many companies, an experience in sales is preferred.
Duties and Responsibilities
A sales consultant should be able to properly and professionally interact with potential clients and customers to determine their necessities. After determining a client’s needs, a sales consultant should be able to recommend the most appropriate products or services out of the company’s portfolio.
They should also be able to make follow up calls to try and close a sale while maintaining good relationships with existing clients and customers working towards acquiring repeat orders. Sales consultants must liaise among the clients and the post-sales team once the product or service has been sold, to guarantee that customer contentment is maintained. They should also maintain clients’ database and files to keep a track of individual clients and customers’ preferences and meet their sales targets. A sales consultant also trains staff members on new sales strategies and ensures that strategies are implemented in order to increase business awareness and sales.
Skills and Knowledge
A sales consultant needs to have a sociable character and take pleasure intermingling with an extensive diversity of people. They should have in depth knowledge of the products or services they are promoting. A sales consultant should have excellent communication and listening skills, be self motivated, trustworthy, accountable, flexible, and enthusiastic about the job.
The most important skill that a salesperson should have is the aptitude to position himself in the clients’ shoes, to understand the client and to recognize what it is that will make him want to buy a particular product. A sales consultant or salesperson should have strong computer skills and must be able to work with other team members to meet quotas and targets.
Salary and Compensation
Annual salary and compensation for sales consultants usually ranges from $30,000 to $70,000 depending on experience, type of industry or product and size of company they are associated with. Most sales consultancy jobs offer a base pay plus commissions around 5%-6%.
