Retail Salespersons Occupation Details

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Retail Salespersons

The main tasks and work activities of Retail Salespersons are to greet customers, patrons, or visitors, gather customer or product information to determine customer needs, reconcile records of sales or other financial transactions, review laws or regulations to maintain professional knowledge. In general, for the Retail Salespersons, persuasion, speaking, active Listening, service Orientation and other 10 skills are required.

Retail Salespersons Job Description
Education	These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience	Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Example	These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.

The following chart shows the education/training levels for Retail Salespersons jobs. 63.45% of Retail Salespersons have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 2.02% of Retail Salespersons have Post-Secondary Certificate.

Less than a High School Diploma

19.32%

High School Diploma (or the equivalent)

63.45%

Post-Secondary Certificate

2.02%

Some College Courses

1.42%

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)

9.79%

Bachelor's Degree and Above

4.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Retail Salespersons

Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.
Maintain records related to sales.
Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations.
Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales.
Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items.
Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise.
Clean shelves, counters, and tables.
Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns.
Bag or package purchases and wrap gifts.
Help customers try on or fit merchandise.
Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise.

Performing for or Working Directly with the PublicPerforming for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Selling or Influencing OthersConvincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersHandling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Greet customers, patrons, or visitors.
Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
Reconcile records of sales or other financial transactions.
Review laws or regulations to maintain professional knowledge.
Process sales or other transactions.
Calculate costs of goods or services.
Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.
Monitor work areas to provide security.
Recommend products or services to customers.
Answer customer questions about goods or services.
Advise customers on the use of products or services.
Explain technical product or service information to customers.
Set up merchandise displays.
Prepare sales or other contracts.
Demonstrate products to consumers.
Clean work areas.
Monitor inventories of products or materials.
Purchase stocks of merchandise or supplies.
Arrange delivery of goods or services.
Sell products or services.

Skills and Abilities for Retail Salespersons

PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Adjustable widemouth plierse.g. Adjustable widemouth pliers
Adjustable wrenchese.g. Adjustable wrenches
Bar code reader equipmente.g. Barcode scanners
Cash registerse.g. Cash registers
Domestic clothing ironse.g. Clothing irons
Garment steamere.g. Clothing steamers
Cash registerse.g. Computerized cash registers
Magnetic stripe readers and encoderse.g. Credit card processing machines
Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
Electronic funds transfer point of sale equipmente.g. Electronic funds transfer EFT terminals
Fluid regulatorse.g. Gas consoles
Hammerse.g. Hammers
Pocket calculatore.g. Handheld calculators
Ladderse.g. Ladders
Ticket dispensing machinese.g. Lottery machines
Magnetic stripe readers and encoderse.g. Magnetic card readers
Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
Point of sale POS terminale.g. Point of sale POS computer terminals
Label dispenserse.g. Price guns
Screwdriverse.g. Screwdrivers

Sales and MarketingKnowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Retail Salespersons Occupation Detailed Description

Tasks and Work Activities of Retail Salespersons

Skills and Abilities for Retail Salespersons