How to become a Sales Executive

6,908

909

£30,000/y

avg. starting salary

Good at talking your way into things? You should become a Sales Executive… Sales Executives promote and sell their company’s products or services - either to customers (B2C), or other businesses (B2B). Their role covers everything from sourcing leads and liaising with prospective customers, through to conducting market research and negotiating contracts. They’re also responsible for maintaining good relationships with existing clients. Typical tasks and duties for a Sales Executive will usually include:

Generating leads through sales calls, face-to-face meetings, and emails
Determining clients’ need and answering questions
Providing information about products and services
Meeting monthly or annual sales targets
Recording and tracking sales
Keeping up-to-date with new or updated products or services
Attending conferences, events, and trade exhibitions

Aside from excellent communication skills and an ability to negotiate effectively, you’ll also need to a good level of confidence. Especially when talking to new people. And, because a Sales Executive’s role is based around their comprehensive knowledge of the product or service they’re selling – you’ll need to be a good researcher with an in-depth awareness of your industry as a whole. A competitive nature could also help you to get ahead in this industry; just as long as you don’t take it too far (e.g. stealing clients, unprofessional behaviour, pushing your colleagues off their chairs). A Sales Executive will also need the following skills and attributes:

Sales skills
Positivity
Adaptability
Resilience
Determination
Ambition

Sales Executive

Up to £30,000

Sales Manager

Up to £40,000

Sales Director

Up to £80,000

"I love the fast-paced nature of sales the most, as well as the social culture and opportunities for progression. I’ve always been a competitive person too, and this role allows me to put that to good use – which is certainly more productive than angry games of Mario Kart. You even get rewarded for exceeding targets with commission on top of your basic salary, and let’s face it, that’s a good motivator for anybody. You definitely need a thick skin but, to be honest, it just teaches me how to improve my sales pitch for next time. After all, everyone likes a challenge."

Get qualified

There are no set entry requirements to become a Sales Executive, but experience in working with customers could be beneficial. In some specialist sectors (e.g. pharmaceutical sales), you might also need a degree. Other useful qualifications include the Sales Training Diploma or the CPD Diploma in Sales Management.

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