Alternate Title(s) | Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives, Manufacturers' Representatives, Manufacturers' Agents |
Minimum Education Requirements | High school diploma |
Salary | See Bureau of Labor Statistics for more information |
Job Skills | - Customer-service skills. Sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale. - Interpersonal skills. Sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people. They must be able to build good relationships with clients and with other members of the sales team. - Self-confidence. Sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations. In addition, making a call to a potential customer who is not expecting to be contacted, or “cold calling,” requires confidence and composure. - Stamina. Sales representatives are often on their feet for long periods of time and may carry heavy sample products. |
Job Duties | Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives typically do the following: - Identify prospective customers by using business directories, following leads from existing clients, and attending trade shows and conferences - Contact new and existing customers to discuss their needs and explain how specific products and services can meet these needs - Help customers select products to meet customers' needs, product specifications, and regulations - Emphasize product features that will meet customers' needs and exhibit product capabilities and limitations - Answer customers' questions about prices, availability, and product uses - Negotiate prices and terms of sale and service agreements - Prepare sales contracts and submit orders for processing - Collaborate with colleagues to exchange information, such as selling strategies and marketing information - Follow up with customers to make sure they are satisfied with their purchases and to answer any questions or concerns |
Job Profile | Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices. Rather than selling goods directly to consumers, wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives deal with businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. After the sale, representatives may make follow-up visits to ensure that equipment is functioning properly and may even help train customers' employees to operate and maintain new equipment. In addition to selling products, wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives analyze sales statistics, prepare reports, and handle administrative duties such as filing expense accounts, scheduling appointments, and making travel plans. Staying up-to-date on new products and the changing needs of customers is important. Sales representatives accomplish this in a variety of ways, including attending trade shows at which new products and technologies are showcased. They attend conferences and conventions to meet other sales representatives and clients and to discuss new product developments. They also read about new and existing products and monitor the sales, prices, and products of their competitors. |
The information presented within this occupational profile was synthesized from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Handbook of Occupational Groups & Families-