Job description

A Sales Consultant is employed to increase a company's sales by generating business from new and existing clients.

There are a variety of different sales consultant roles across a wide range of industries and you could be based in an office selling over the telephone, in a retail outlet selling products to clients face to face or you could be out of the office the majority of the time, visiting businesses or peoples' homes to sell your products.

Whatever your role and whatever industry you work in, some of your daily duties might include:

• Identifying new clients.
• Speaking to clients to establish their needs.
• Discussing your products or services with new and existing customers.
• Advising clients which of your products would be most suitable to their needs.
• Maintaining records of your sales activity.
• Discussing your sales targets with sales directors or managers.
• Keeping up to date with developments within your industry.
• Developing and improving your sales techniques.
• Processing payments and orders.

Qualifications

As with many sales jobs, employers are usually looking for some experience gained in a similar role, though some more technical sales roles often require candidates to have a degree or qualification in a related subject.

Salary Snapshot

Recent salaries advertised at the time of writing (January 2010) include:

• £17-21,000, OTE £33k for an IT Sales Consultant working for a leading software firm in London.
• £21-30,000, OTE £70k++ for a Sales Consultant working for a clinical nutrition company in Manchester.
• £18-23,000, OTE £35k plus benefits for an Internal Sales Consultant working for an audio visual company in Birmingham.
• £28-35,000, OTE £50k + for a Senior Sales Consultant working for a clinical care company based in Leeds.