Which of the following are the most important roles a salesperson has to play?

In any organisation, the sales department plays a pivotal role in the success of the business. The unique and important role of sales is to bridge the gap between the potential customer’s needs and the products/services that the organisation offers that can fulfil their needs. Here are some of the key ways in which sales impact the organisation’s success:

Sales Lead Conversions

As mentioned before, salespeople bridge the gap between customer needs and the product/service that fulfils that need. Often, salespeople are dealing with already warmed up prospects who have an existing awareness of the company through marketing and advertising efforts, and it’s the job of the salesperson to close the deal by introducing further information and helping the customer make those connections.

Take for example, car sales. You typically go to a car dealership knowing you are looking for a car. The car salesperson will typically ask you questions about your personal life including size of your family, typical daily routine, etc. in order to gain insight into what you would use the car for. They can then offer information about various cars in the dealer’s range that would suit your needs and guide you in making an informed decision about which car is the one for you.

Because salespeople interact directly with the potential customer, they have the advantage of being able to glean personal knowledge that will aid them in delivering their sales pitch and tailoring their offerings to their audience. This is often an attractive aspect for customers, as they may view the salesperson as the expert, which builds credibility and therefore trust.

Business Growth

Sales play a key role in the building of loyalty and trust between customer and business. Trust and loyalty are the main reasons why a customer would choose to recommend your company to a friend or family member or write a great review of your product or service online.

Recommendations and reviews have always been valued by prospects and customers, as they come from a third party and the perception is that the reviews and recommendations are independent of the seller and therefore carry more credibility. In the digital age, they are extremely influential, due to the reach and power of social media and online media. During sales interactions, encouraging the customer to recommend a friend or give positive feedback can have an impact on the growth of the business through increased brand awareness and sales.

Customer Retention

Selling is a personal interaction between one human and another, which is a powerful thing. Never underestimate the personal connection between two people, and the potential effect this can have on your brand’s reputation.

Excellent salespeople are those that not only make the sale but create a long-lasting impact on the customer. Long term customer relationships lead to repeat custom, referrals and increase the brand’s reputation by word of mouth.

One of the keys to customer retention through sales is to perform sales follow-ups. Setting up after-sales calls or meetings is a great way to maintain and build a positive relationship and gives the customer an opportunity to feedback their experience of the product or service. If the customer has a complaint or issue, it can be dealt with quickly and professionally. Too often, unhappy customers will not complain, they will simply switch their custom to another provider and won’t recommend your services or products to others. It’s more cost-effective to retain customers than to win new ones, so look after your existing customers well.

In conclusion, the power of sales in the continued success of an organisation is not to be underestimated or under-used. Take advantage of the impact sales can have, not only on revenue but on brand reputation, long term customer retention and business growth.

If you are interested in learning more about the important role of sales in an organisation, then you may be interested in ISMM courses. The Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) offer varying levels of sales and marketing qualifications for people at all stages of their career to gain further knowledge and progress in their career.

If you would like to learn more about the sales and marketing courses we offer at Oxford College of Marketing, call (0)1865 515 255 or email [email protected]. You can also browse the courses on our website.

A career in the retail industry can be exciting if you are looking to switch careers. There are various jobs to take up in sales. Each role has a part to play, too. Learn about the different types of salespeople below.

1. Customer relationship executive

A customer relationship executive focuses on maintaining and building a relationship with customers, including prospects and target clients, in order to generate more sales for a particular product or service.

Customer relationship executives serve as the direct contact between client and company. Usually, they meet clients regularly and present new products to them. You can typically find this type of salesperson working in banks.

2. Pre-sales executive

Generally, pre-sales executives or consultants do not deal with client transactions directly. Instead, they play an important role in the entire sales cycle. Pre-sales executives lay out the groundwork for client acquisition. They create sales pitches, run market analyses, and provide product knowledge support to the sales team. They also help sales teams in assessing prospective consumers and leads so the organisation can gain a better understanding of their target market.

3. Door-to-door salespeople

Perhaps one of the most traditional perceptions of salespeople, door-to-door sales workers are involved in face-to-face interaction with clients. Usually, they even visit them in common meeting places or their residences. Door-to-door salespeople have patience and people skills; they also tend to know and use excellent persuasion tactics.

Door-to-door salespeople must be prepared for two-way dialogues, immediate feedback, and flexibility. After all, they constantly deal with prospective clients of all backgrounds and personalities.

4. Hunters

The go-getters of the industry, hunters are called as such because they are driven by a mission: to target and build new opportunities for selling. This type of salespeople goes the extra mile to build a new customer base, whether it is with a new clientele or a cluster of clients in a different city or region. They are primarily responsible for client acquisition, as well.

To be a hunter, you must be quick on your feet, innovative, and charismatic. Having great communication skills is also a must, as with most types of salespeople roles.

5. Problem solvers

Problem solvers are sales personnel or executives whose main responsibility entails resolving customer problems and servicing the consumer base. These professionals are called such because they provide solutions to their customers; thus, they are in charge of achieving and maintaining customer satisfaction.

Problem solvers are crucial in sales. They maintain a level of trust, as well as an ongoing relationship, between the company and the consumer. Problem solvers must be agile, quick thinkers, and good communicators. They must also have compassion and empathy for the customers.

6. Industry sales executives

Industry sales executives are high-level salespeople who facilitate business-to-business (B2B) selling. They assist in the production of other goods and services. This is a specialised role, as these sales executives must be familiar with the industry and market players. They are also expected to have technical knowledge about the product or service.

Usually, these salespeople sell components, raw materials, or semi-finished goods to businesses. So, their clients can further develop or manufacture them into finished products.

7. Closer

Closers play a special role in the industry. They are in charge of closing deals so that a transaction can be completed. Closers are usually vital for high-profile accounts or recurring package sales, such as business-to-business transactions with several purchases throughout the course of a year.

Closers must have excellent persuasion tactics and communication skills in order to finalise a deal. They may also offer special arrangements and discounts in order to make the sale.

Finding #JobsThatMatter in the sales industry

Different roles in sales call for different skillsets and experiences. That said, strategy and data are vital to generating leads, acquiring new customers, and learning their desires and pain points in order to best serve them.

While some may chalk up sales to an ability to smooth-talk people and persuade them to purchase your product, there are certain jobs that require a more rigid set of qualifications.

For example, industry sales executives need to understand the fundamentals of their products and how they help in the completion of their clients’ end-product. This knowledge is not something easily picked up at sales training programmes or product briefings, especially when you need to be equipped to answer highly technical questions by clients or think on your feet.

Online disruptions and other emerging tools will cause sales executive roles to continue evolving over time. That said, throughout various changes, sales will always remain relevant to users’ social and economic needs.

Ready to pursue a successful career path in sales? Read our comprehensive guide here.

Find your next career opportunity in sales and explore #JobsThatMatter on JobStreet. Update your profile with relevant skills and knowledge for the job you’re eyeing. For more expert career advice, visit our Career Resources Hub.

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