Sales Representatives, Wholesale & Manufacturing

conventional interests customer service sell products prepare sales contracts consult with clients estimate prices monitor market condition resolve problems

Outside Sales Representative, Sales Consultant, Sales Representative (Sales Rep), Salesman

What they do:
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.
On the job, you would:
  • Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
  • Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
  • Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.

Knowledge

Business

  • sales and marketing
  • customer service

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics

Transportation

  • movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Social

  • bringing people together to solve differences
  • talking people into changing their minds or their behavior

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • come up with lots of ideas
  • group things in different ways

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Dependability
  • Initiative
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Attention to Detail

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Customer relationship management CRM software

  • Oracle Eloqua
  • Salesforce software Hot Technology In Demand

Data base user interface and query software

  • Blackboard software
  • Yardi software Hot Technology

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

  • Microsoft Dynamics Hot Technology
  • Oracle PeopleSoft Hot Technology

Education

high school diploma/GED or
bachelor's degree
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training
Find Certifications
Find Licenses
Apprenticeship.gov

Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.

Salary:

$65,630
$37,240
$133,010
Check out my state
Local Salary Info
Find Jobs

Explore More

You might like a career in one of these industries:

See more details at O*NET OnLine about sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing.