Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

People in this career often have these skills:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
• Active Listening - Giving 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.
• Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge 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 Marketing - Knowledge 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 Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

People in this career often have talent in:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

People in this career often do these activities:

• Negotiate prices or other sales terms.
• Prepare sales or other contracts.
• Process sales or other transactions.
• Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
• Contact current or potential customers to promote products or services.

• Sell products or services.
• Maintain records of customer accounts.
• Answer customer questions about goods or services.
• Estimate costs or terms of sales.
• Explain technical product or service information to customers.
• Demonstrate products to consumers.
• Discuss design or technical features of products or services with technical personnel.
• Recommend products or services to customers.
• Develop content for sales presentations or other materials.
• Prepare financial documents, reports, or budgets.
• Maintain records of sales or other business transactions.
• Arrange delivery of goods or services.
• Identify potential customers.
• Share sales-related or market information with colleagues.
• Coordinate sales campaigns.
• Advise customers on the use of products or services.
• Verify accuracy of records.
• Verify customer credit information.
• Appraise property values.
• Study product information to acquire professional knowledge.
• Stock products or parts.
• Distribute promotional literature or samples to customers.
• Monitor market conditions or trends.
• Attend events to develop professional knowledge.
• Monitor sales activities.
• Deliver promotional presentations to current or prospective customers.
• Explain financial information to customers.

• Insurance Sales Agents

• Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

• Writers and Authors

• Advertising Sales Agents

• Public Relations Specialists

• Personal Financial Advisors

• Sales Managers

• Marketing Managers

• Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents

• Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists