What Would I Do?
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Sales and account representatives sell non-technical goods and services to retail, wholesale, commercial, industrial, professional, and other clients domestically and internationally. Your duties may include:
- Promote sales to existing clients
- Identify and solicit potential clients
- Provide clients with presentations on the benefits of goods or services
- Quote prices, credit or contract terms, and warranties or delivery dates
- Prepare or oversee preparation of sales or other contracts
- Talk to clients to solve problems and to provide ongoing support
- Review and adapt to information regarding product innovations, competitors and market conditions
- Represent companies that export and import products or services to and from foreign countries
- May conduct sales transactions through internet-based electronic commerce
- May supervise the activities of other sales representatives
Technical sales specialists do almost the same job as sales and account representatives; the only real difference is that the goods and services they sell are more technical in nature. Examples include telecommunications and computer services, as well as scientific, agricultural, and industrial equipment. In addition to specializing in a particular line of technical goods or services, your duties may include:
- Promote sales to existing clients and look for new clients
- Assess clients’ needs and recommend appropriate goods or services
- Provide input into product development
- Give sales presentations and develop reports to explain product benefits
- Negotiate prices, terms of sale and service agreements
- Estimate costs of installation and maintenance
- Prepare and manage sales contracts
- Work with clients to solve problems and provide ongoing support
- May supervise other staff
- May train their clients’ staff to operate and maintain equipment