Sales assistants provide support to the salespersons and other sales personnel in an organization. Sales assistant work consists of administrative and organization tasks for the sales department and carry out duties such as answering phone calls, emails, coordinating with different departments, making follow up inquires about completed sales and performing basic level customer service duties.
They are employed by corporate organizations, manufacturing companies and retailing outlets where they may execute different types of job functions depending on the specific requirements. The role of a sales assistant is often considered to be a stepping stone towards higher positions in the fields of sales. As they perform a wide variety of tasks, sales assistants are an integral part of the sales team in any organization.
Responsibilities
Sales assistants execute a large number of different tasks on a daily basis. In smaller organizations which hire a single sales assistant, the entire sales department is dependent upon them for the the proper functioning of the department as well as the entire company. Some of their daily functions include:
Skills
Being an integral part of the sales team, a sales assistant must possess excellent communication, interpersonal and convincing skills. They should be able to work well in a team based environment and handle pressure situations in an efficient manner. Having basic knowledge about the various sales related functions is an advantage for a sales assistant. They must possess good problem solving capabilities as it plays a major part in their daily work activities. They should be proficient with computer programs such as MS Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel in order to create sales reports and presentations.
Requirements
A bachelor's degree in business administration in sales and marketing is generally required for those applying for the position of a sales assistant, although some organizations even hire candidates who possess a high school diploma and prior working experience in the field. Most of the training required is conducted on the job.
Work Conditions
Most sales assistants work around 40 hours in a week with occasional instances of overtime whenever required by the company. While some of them may be required to spend long hours on their feet in order to carry out several tasks in a day, others may have a complete office desk based job where they execute the sales functions assigned to them.
Career Advancement
As most sales assistants consider this job to be a good foundation base for their future careers in the field of sales, receiving promotion is usually their prime objective. Advancement to the position of a sales associate, salesperson or sales executive is achieved with the help of expectational performance, possessing the necessary qualifications and tenure in the organization. Some of them even undertake specialization courses while working in order to receive better opportunities.
Earnings
Sales assistants earn anywhere between $35,000 and $55,000. These figures are largely dependent upon the industry, company, experience and skill level of the particular individual. Those working in senior positions earn a substantially higher amount owing to the nature of their job responsibilities. Additional benefits in the form of health insurance and pension plans along with paid vacations are received by those working in full time positions.
Sales assistant work is a great way to begin your career in the field of sales as it provides in-depth knowledge about the inner functioning of sales and the various sub-fields associated with it.