OCTOBER marks the start of the ‘golden quarter’ where the majority of sales are made across the UK.
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, the run-up to Christmas sees both overall sales – and commission levels – leap.
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All jobs in sales involve selling a company’s products or services to customers.
Salespeople play a key role in almost every industry as they are responsible for identifying potential customers, building trust and convincing them to make a purchase.
There are lots of different responsibilities, including selling face-to-face, over the phone, generating leads, negotiating sales contracts and demonstrating products.
You may also be called on to provide after-sales service in some sectors.
Savvy sales people also keep an eye on the market, tracking trends and what competitor companies are doing.
Most sales jobs offer a small basic salary with the chance to earn much more in commission.
This means the salary you earn will vary according to how successful you are.
Estimates for sales salaries range from £16,000 for a first job up to £125,000 for a top salesperson in an industry such as estate agency or high-value iT systems.
On average, expect to pocket between £40,000 to £50,000.
Sales isn’t about qualifications, it’s about people. The saying ‘people buy from people not companies’ explains why personality is so essential to be a good salesperson.
You need to be tenacious, have the ability to form connections and trust, and be highly organised to keep track of your sales inventory.
That said, most jobs will expect you to have GCSE passes in Maths and English as a minimum and certain professional sectors such as pharmaceutical sales will seek candidates with related degrees.
You can find out more at professionalsalesassociation.co.uk and the-isp.org.
Plenty. Being a successful salesperson proves you have commercial acumen which can take you into the boardroom or even to become MD or CEO.
Once you have experience and a solid track record in sales, pathways include moving up to be an area or regional manager, where you support an entire sales team.
You could also choose to work in marketing, product or account management.
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