What makes a good sales associate

Good salespeople love to network. They get involved in their community and have many different business relationships. Networking is not so much a part of the job to them but the way they like to spend their time. Believing in the product or service they are selling is essential. A successful salesperson is always motivated.

They are always ready to make a sale at any given moment and continually looking for possibilities. Top earners know how to bounce back from a dry spell. Rather, they look for innovative ways to turn things around. An outstanding salesperson knows how to juggle deals they are trying to close with promising leads.

They can even respond to queries through emails and on the phone at the same time. Great multitaskers make excellent additions to any sales team. The folks that are best at selling stuff are also honest. They know that shady deals lead to burned bridges that can multiply and cost a lot more than one client. Being curious with the clients and the product is only the start. An outstanding sales representative can go with the flow. The ability to adjust to whatever's thrown your way and reprioritize on the fly is critical to success.

Additionally, many sales associates work in a team environment where giving and receiving feedback is normal. The ability to give and receive valuable feedback relies heavily on having strong active listening skills. Have you ever considered a road bike? The ability to properly facilitate POS transactions is especially important for retail sales associates. Basic math and money handling skills ensure your customers and company are in alignment financially. Brush up on addition and subtraction, so you can accurately perform fast math when working with cash.

That's why time management is crucial. Learn how to prioritize multiple tasks while balancing the right amount of time spent with each prospect — and know when to break up with a deal gone cold. For example, if you work in a retail environment with a busy rush of customers, you will need to determine if your time is best spent engaging with those who just walked into your store or performing inventory to stock the shelves.

While both tasks are important, as a sales associate you will need to determine which task needs to be prioritized and which can wait. Customer-facing roles can be unpredictable. You'll often be expected to learn new selling techniques and product information, and the ability to quickly master new skills can help you succeed. Solicit feedback from senior members of your team, and implement their feedback quickly.

If you're a hiring manager, learn more about creating a smooth onboarding process for sales professionals with the ultimate guide for training new salespeople.

Working as a retail sales associate can introduce you to a variety of useful skills including customer service best practices , inventory management, commission-based sales techniques, and visual merchandising. As you prepare to apply for retail positions, update your resume to include skills such as leadership or working with others.

If you have organized events, participated in customer-service focused volunteer work, or lead group projects, include these valuable experiences in your resume. A strong sense of personal autonomy will set you up for success as a sales associate. When you have specific sales targets to reach and are working independently to achieve them, personal responsibility will keep you focused on and in alignment with your goals each day.

Foster a sense of personal autonomy by performing tasks or duties independently — without being instructed to do so. This might look like volunteering to come in on a Saturday to fold and stock new inventory or creating a training document for an onboarding process that's been overlooked.

The ability to persuade prospects that your product or service is the ideal solution for their problem is important for sales associates.

A typical sales associate has a high school diploma or GED, or college degree in Business, Communications, or another major that has portable skills.

For those looking to expand their educational background and become a sales associate, there are many virtual or in-person sales training programs that provide the tools needed to grow as a salesperson. Whether you choose to list beginner retail roles, internships, or a more unique position, let the recruiter know you gained transferable skills from the experience and that you understand how to apply them moving forward.

A career in sales is a career full of possibilities. Every industry calls for a team of capable sales associates and finding a product or service you have a passion for can assist you in finding the right company to join. Back to all posts. Sense of Empathy Sales associates must be able to understand the point of view of their customers to achieve the greatest rapport and to provide the most effective assistance. Attention to Detail Paying close attention to details allow your sales associates to identify opportunities for improved customer service.

Some of these include: Ensuring that customers have the accessories, cables, and power supplies needed for major purchases ensures greater satisfaction with the products and services you offer customers. Listening to the goals and priorities of customers provides valuable information that can be used to promote products and services precisely in line with their needs. Knowing the capabilities and features of your product lineup helps your sales team provide the most accurate and helpful advice for your valued customers.

Positive Attitude A positive attitude can go a long way toward ensuring success on the sales floor and in the breakroom. Personal Responsibility Top sales performers are willing to take responsibility for their own success and to perform the work needed to achieve goals. By providing them with the right training! Here are a few examples of the retailers that understand the importance of the sales associate and make the effort to train their teams for success:.

Lush prides itself on its customer-centric approach, with sales associates who are always ready to offer advice and give product demos. To ensure teams are able to wow customers with in-depth product knowledge, Lush regularly collects feedback and opinions from employees so they can rapidly create the extra training or resources that employees need the most.

Plus, Lush employees are given the power to perform ' random acts of kindness ', so if they click with a particular customer or someone looks like they're having a rough day, they can surprise them with a free gift! Related : Store Review: Lush Liverpool, putting the fizz back into retail.

Knowing your customers and understanding what satisfies and frustrates them is at the core of being an agile and proactive store associate. Budget supermarket Lidl understands that customers hate waiting in long lines, so employees are given the power to open a new checkout whenever a line exceeds a certain number of people. Having this process in place means that store associates are set up to provide a positive customer experience.

Luke Taylor, Waterstones' retail director understands the unique value of sales associates in the literary chain of bookstores: 'You can't replace what a bookseller can do with an algorithm on Amazon. It's about good old-fashioned knowing your customers and knowing your books'.

Waterstones ensure that they draw the most value from store associates by empowering them on the job, frontline employees are given the power to decide which stock to order, what discounts to offer and which events to hold. Employees feel fulfilled and are able to use this responsibility to curate a tailored customer experience based around their knowledge of the local customers.