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Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Occupation Detailed Description

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

The main tasks and work activities of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products are to answer customer questions about goods or services, estimate costs or terms of sales, explain technical product or service information to customers, negotiate prices or other sales terms. In general, for the Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products, persuasion, speaking, active Listening, negotiation and other 12 skills are required.
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related ExperienceA considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
ExampleMany of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products jobs. 5.99% of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 5.10% of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products have Post-Secondary Certificate.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
5.99%
Post-Secondary Certificate
5.10%
Some College Courses
38.23%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
8.66%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
42.02%

Tasks and Work Activities of Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

  • Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, or credit terms.
  • Quote prices, credit terms, or other bid specifications.
  • Emphasize product features, based on analyses of customers' needs and on technical knowledge of product capabilities and limitations.
  • Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
  • Maintain customer records, using automated systems.
  • Collaborate with colleagues to exchange information, such as selling strategies or marketing information.
  • Prepare sales presentations or proposals to explain product specifications or applications.
  • Provide customers with ongoing technical support.
  • Inform customers of estimated delivery schedules, service contracts, warranties, or other information pertaining to purchased products.
  • Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.
  • Complete expense reports, sales reports, or other paperwork.
  • Provide feedback to product design teams so that products can be tailored to clients' needs.
  • Arrange for installation and testing of products or machinery.
  • Compute customer's installation or production costs and estimate savings from new services, products, or equipment.
  • Consult with engineers regarding technical problems with products.
  • Stock or distribute resources, such as samples or promotional or educational materials.
  • Obtain building blueprints or specifications for use by engineering departments in bid preparations.
  • Visit establishments, such as pharmacies, to determine product sales.
  • Inform customers about issues related to responsible use and disposal of products, such as waste reduction or product or byproduct recycling or disposal.
  • Present information to customers about the energy efficiency or environmental impact of scientific or technical products.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Selling or Influencing OthersConvincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with OthersHandling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Developing Objectives and StrategiesEstablishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Answer customer questions about goods or services.
  • Estimate costs or terms of sales.
  • Explain technical product or service information to customers.
  • Negotiate prices or other sales terms.
  • Maintain records of customer accounts.
  • Share sales-related or market information with colleagues.
  • Develop content for sales presentations or other materials.
  • Advise customers on the use of products or services.
  • Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
  • Contact current or potential customers to promote products or services.
  • Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.
  • Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.
  • Discuss design or technical features of products or services with technical personnel.
  • Arrange delivery of goods or services.
  • Distribute promotional literature or samples to customers.
  • Stock products or parts.
  • Monitor sales activities.
  • Develop proposals for current or prospective customers.
  • Customize energy products or services to meet customer needs.
  • Develop marketing plans or strategies.

Skills and Abilities for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

  • 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.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • 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.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • 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.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • 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.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • MemorizationThe ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • 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).
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizerse.g. Personal digital assistants PDA
  • Tablet computerse.g. Tablet computers
  • Digital camerase.g. Compact digital cameras
  • Portable data input terminalse.g. Computerized data collectors
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Ladderse.g. Extension ladders
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Measuring tapese.g. Precision tape measures
  • Solar radiation surface observing apparatuse.g. Solarimeters
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Engineering and TechnologyKnowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • DesignKnowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Economics and AccountingKnowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  • Building and ConstructionKnowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • 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.
  • Production and ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • 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.