What a sales representative should do. What is a sales representative and his responsibilities. How a Sales Representative Works - Pros and Cons

One of the most popular professions at the moment is Sales Representative... His responsibilities are quite broad. He promotes products and services, and sales. The work is quite difficult and requires a wide range of skills and certain personal qualities from a person.

Historical reference

Before exploring the responsibilities of a sales representative, it is helpful to take a brief historical background. In the CIS, this profession became known in the early 1990s with the arrival of such foreign companies as Coca-Cola, Mars, Procter & Gamble and so on. In an instant, the profession of a sales representative became mega-prestigious. It is not surprising, because the employee received a high salary and a full package of social guarantees, had an official car, as well as prospects for rapid career growth. But the requirements for applicants for the position were also quite high. All the achievements of Western recruiting were used in the selection - group interviews, multilevel tests. Applicants were required to have a university degree and be fluent in English.

Over the years, the profession of a sales representative has become widespread. this work was still prestigious, and wages were above average. Being a sales representative has been a good career start for many young people. This work attracted professionals from various fields of activity who sought to gain material stability and realize themselves in trade.

Subsequently, almost all domestic companies adopted Western experience and introduced the practice of working with sales representatives. Nevertheless, by that time the market had stabilized, the competition had become less fierce, in connection with which the specifics of the work of a sales representative changed somewhat. She became simpler, calmer emotionally. But at the same time, the prestige of the profession among young people has somewhat dropped. However, sales representatives are still in demand.

Where are required

Almost all enterprises that manufacture products or provide services need sales representatives. For example, they are needed by manufacturers and distributors in the following areas:

• Food;
• cosmetical tools;
• household chemicals;
• medicines;
• household appliances and electronics;
• containers and packing materials;
• polygraphy;
• car accessories and expendable materials;
• Construction Materials;
• etc.

What is the responsibility of a sales representative

A sales representative is a rather difficult and stressful profession. In fact, the effectiveness of its work depends on financial indicators manufacturing enterprise... The main responsibilities of a sales representative are as follows:

• Implementation of the plan for the sale of goods or services of the company.
• Moving along a specific route and visiting retail outlets in order to form an order and write off products.
• Collection of applications for the supply of products.
• Promotion of new products in the company's assortment.
• Ensuring the constant presence of the entire range of goods at the entrusted retail outlets.
• Implementation of merchandising of goods on store shelves.
• Negotiating with the management trade enterprises on the installation of advertising equipment.
• Advising clients on the properties and quality of goods, as well as their layout.
• Working with an existing client base or developing your own (if you have to work from scratch).
• Expansion of the client base in the entrusted territory.
• Maintaining the relevance of contracts and monitoring their correct execution.
• Control of the indicator of receivables.
• Control of delivery and shipment of goods.
• Organization promotions and control over their implementation.
• Contribute to maintaining a positive image of the organization in the eyes of employees retail chains and end consumers of products.
• Collecting information about market conditions and conducting data analysis in order to predict the situation.
• Attending seminars and trainings organized by the management to improve professional skills.
• Collecting and analyzing information about the assortment, sales volumes and methods of work of competing organizations.

A responsibility

The duties of a sales representative come with responsibilities. The following main points can be highlighted:

• For failure to fulfill the obligations specified job description.
• For causing material damage to the organization.
• For offenses committed in the course of performing work duties.

Rights

In addition to duties and responsibilities, a sales representative also has rights that must be respected by the employer. This is what the substitute employee is entitled to this position:

• On social guarantees provided by law and labor contract.
• For deposit rationalization proposals aimed at improving the quality of work and improving working conditions.
• Assistance from the management in the performance of official duties or the exercise of rights.
• To study draft decisions and decisions of the head, related to the work of a sales representative.
• To ensure satisfactory working conditions in accordance with legislation, sanitary standards and safety measures.
• To study documents directly related to the performance of official duties.
• To cover the costs associated with medical, vocational and social rehabilitation in the event of health problems during the performance of official duties.
• For professional development.

Who is a Sales Representative Supervisor

Large organizations may have dozens or even hundreds of sales representatives. Naturally, a leader alone cannot control the work of everyone. Therefore, the position of supervisor of sales representatives is being introduced at the enterprises. The duty of such an employee is to monitor the work of the agents assigned to him. He must:

• make sure that at the beginning of the working day, all subordinates went to work;
• discuss the results of the work done;
• go to outlets together with beginners for the purpose of learning;
• correct mistakes that sales representatives make in their work with clients;
• engage in training and certification of subordinates.

Basic requirements for a sales representative

There are certain requirements that are important from the employer's point of view, so that the employee fulfills the duties of a sales representative in a quality manner. For a summary, the following points are important:

• Availability higher education... As a rule, a diploma in management, marketing is required.
• Driving license. Moreover, for many companies, one of the main requirements for a sales representative is to have their own vehicle.
• Work experience. As a rule, the applicant must have at least a year of experience in trading.

Required knowledge and skills

In order to effectively fulfill the duties of a sales representative, the applicant for the position must have certain professional skills. Here's the basic set:

• Sales skills. Sales ability is analyzed based on work experience or personal qualities.
• Ability to work with office equipment. A potential sales representative should be able to work with a PC (in particular, with office programs and the Internet). He should also be familiar with copiers.
• Knowledge of workflow. We are talking about the conclusion of contracts, the preparation of primary accounting documentation.
• Knowledge of laws and regulations that relate to the conduct entrepreneurial activity and trade.
• Knowledge of the territory and its specifics. Trade companies prioritize those employees who live directly in the distribution region.

Personal qualities

The fulfillment of the duties of a sales representative is associated with a certain emotional load. For a resume of an applicant for this position, the following personal qualities will be an advantage:

• Sociability. A sales representative should be able to easily establish contacts and find a common language with people, competently convey his position and possess the gift of persuasion in order to promote the product or service of the organization.
• Responsibility and discipline. Their functional responsibilities the sales representative carries out out of the office and without the supervision of senior management. Therefore, it is extremely important that a person knows how to organize himself and correctly allocate time.
• Purposefulness and persistence. A salesperson should strive to increase sales and not give up at the first failure of a potential client.

Formation of wages

The work of a sales representative is considered to be quite highly paid. The duties of a specialist are such that the amount of the fee directly depends on the results and quality of work. Salary consists of a fixed salary and a bonus part, which includes the following elements:

• volume of sales;
• volume of focal marks;
• retention of receivables in a certain range;
• growth of the customer base;
• other indicators determined by the management of the enterprise.

Sales Representative Resume Sample

If you are not intimidated by the duties of a sales representative, and the skills meet the requirements, you can safely move on to writing a resume. Here's an example of a good self-presentation for a job seeker:

Benefits of working as a sales representative

People who strive to realize themselves in the field of sales are not afraid of numerous job duties sales representative. In the resume, they try to indicate their most best qualities and professional skills. And all because this profession has such undeniable advantages:

• good career prospects for active employees;
• invaluable experience in the field of sales that can be applied in subsequent jobs or in your own business;
• direct dependence of the amount of wages on the volume and quality of the work done;
• constant communication with new people (with sellers and heads of outlets);
• developing your own client base, which will be useful when applying for a new job or for own business;
• The sales representative spends most of his working time outside the office, which is an absolute advantage for people who do not like to sit still;
• reimbursement of expenses for fuel and mobile communications;
• No total control on the part of the bosses, no one "stands above the soul" while performing the work;
• flexible working hours (if necessary, the sales representative can go away to resolve personal issues).

Disadvantages of working as a sales representative

Despite all the advantages of working in the sales field, the job responsibilities of a sales representative come with a number of negative aspects. Here's what to look out for:

• attachment to the presence of a vehicle (in some organizations company cars are allocated, but all responsibility for their maintenance falls on the employee);
• irregular working hours, and sometimes no days off;
• busy (and even stressful) work schedule associated with the need to fulfill the plan for sales and visits to retail outlets;
• large fines for the return of overdue goods not sold by retail outlets;
• constantly growing requirements for sales volumes;
• you can stumble upon the negative from sellers who do not want to work with a certain product;
• significant wear and tear of the vehicle, as sometimes you have to drive on "dead" roads;
• material liability for entrusted goods and equipment (for example, PDA, vehicle).

Sales Representative: How to Become a Professional? A sales representative is a specific profession that does not have a clear career ladder. Within different organizations, a sales representative may be promoted to a supervisor, instructor, or brand manager. Some members of this profession refuse to be promoted. This serves as a good answer to the question of whether it is profitable to work as a sales representative. But if a career is a priority, then you need to not just work, but learn how to properly work as a sales representative. The secret is simple: constant self-improvement. The work should always be 100% complete, the prize should not be a reward, but a mandatory personal setting. It is necessary to build up your activities so that the management can make a decision on an increase in the next 5 years. At the same time, do not forget about the voluntary refusal of the promotion.

How to Become a Successful Sales Representative?

Work for a manufacturer And here for such an employee, the salary is higher and more stable. In addition, the company provides him with:

• corporate transport;
• reimbursement of expenses for its maintenance;
• corporate mobile communications;
• medical insurance;
• additional pension savings;
• overseas business trips;
• refresher courses.

The status of working as a sales representative for a manufacturing company is higher than for a similar profession, but for a distributor.

He is helped by the most powerful marketing company of the manufacturer. However, in order to get into such an organization, you must be already a well-known expert in this field or an unreal lucky one.

When working for a manufacturer, forget about leeway. All your steps are monitored, strict control over the observance of working hours.

Responsibilities of a sales representative, pros and cons of working

• Know the names of everyone you do business with.
• When visiting, inspect a retail outlet, what kind of advertising is placed in it in general and specifically for your company.
• Mark what competitors' products are, where they are placed, whether it is possible to move them.
• Consider ways to increase the representativeness of your products.
• Interview people to find out what products they need.
• Present your product by explaining what properties of the product distinguish it from others and what benefits the client will receive from its use.
• Ensure that the display of the goods is in accordance with the policy of the company.
• Monitor the completion of the necessary papers, draw up a report on what has been done.
• Fix plans for each point.
Reviews “I started working in trade 3 years ago, before that I worked at a factory, my salary was small, so I decided to try myself in an unknown profession.

Who is the sales representative? working as a sales representative: pros and cons

You can be a great salesperson, the example at the end is just about that, or you can be a mediocre supervisor, despite career, for some reason this post seems boring to me. To each his own. Andrey October 16, 2014 I liked what I read very much, I also read the comments to the article with pleasure.

for myself understood clearly.

Attention

Having your own car is good, and you can make money. I do not have a car, the work is not for me) but I would very much like to try the power! Good luck to everyone! Thanks! Vyacheslav September 19, 2014 100% hitting the mark Tatyana September 13, 2014 An empty article, it is a pity that the author did not write, for example, about vacation and sick leave, probably they do not exist or vacation is Saturday and Sunday? Elena May 29, 2014 Thanks for the article. Everything is perfect. I have been working for six months with three manufacturing companies.

Features of the profession of a sales representative

• the constant occurrence of stressful situations: traffic jams, rudeness of a potential client, disrupted delivery times, etc.;
• frequent processing;
• having your own car (preferably).

Career advancement Starting as a sales representative in a company, you can earn promotions to the following positions (in order of priority):

• territorial sales manager (retail);
• the head of the territorial group;
• corporate manager;
• supervisor;
• regional sales representative.

It is worth noting that a manager's salary directly depends on his motivation, sociability, ability to avoid conflict and responsibly approach his work.

Profession - sales representative: how to present and sell

After meeting with the client, the mentor analyzes the situation in detail, points out the advantages and disadvantages, together with the sales representative, finds ways out of a difficult situation. The mentor monitors the veracity of reports, the correctness of the judgment about the outlet and competitors.

Info

In general, 70% of the work of a mentor with newcomers consists of work in the fields. Probation lasts two months, at the end of each we carry out an attestation.

If a person has shown himself well during this time, we take him on a permanent job. Subsequently, various training courses are held for all our sales agents to improve their qualifications.

I would like to note that it is very difficult to educate a good sales representative today. In order to achieve sales, you need to be very motivated, and candidates often lack this quality.
However, it's not all bad.

How a sales representative works - career prospects

Important

In addition, it is worth starting a career from working for a manufacturer because of the simplicity, because the distributor has less earnings, needs his own car, and other disadvantages, but it is more difficult to find a job for him. The only way to become a professional in this area is to try as much as possible from the first days, strive to understand everything and aim for the result.

What does it take to be a great sales representative?

Well, and the night schedule of your working day, because this is the time of their work. What is the essence of the work of a sales representative Each sales representative has a sales plan established by his management, which he must fulfill for the prosperity of the company and himself.

To achieve this, he must actively sell his product group to established partners, and look for new ones. What a sales representative does:

• takes orders for the supply of goods;
• merges them with the leftovers in the warehouse;
• controls the work of collecting the order and sending it to the final goal;
• controls the workflow on these issues;
• monitors receivables and their return;
• provides maximum service support to partners in its product group.

Scope of work

1. Food.

10 sales rep mistakes

Aretm October 17, 2013 Thank you for such an excellent article, now you can safely go to the trade representatives Victor September 10, 2013 From an early age my father and mother taught me, live - live, shoot - shoot like that. To say only what is on my mind, but on my mind I have always had only lavE =) wherever you can quickly withdraw cash, you can get ours, but it is better, of course, overseas ...
article super, ATP, took a couple of phrases on note, tomorrow rub with the owner of the company, you have to "shoot" from the heart ELD June 06, 2013 Excellent article, the author wrote everything correctly. Ekaterina April 09, 2013 Many thanks for the article! I will definitely take your advice into account))) at the moment I am looking for a job in this area.

How a Sales Representative Works - Pros and Cons

Can you do that? If you think it's as easy as shelling pears, and your language is hanging, then, perhaps, you will make a career in this field. But if everything new scares you and is not your strong point, then you shouldn't even try to take on the job of a sales manager.

Pros of being a sales representative

1. Of course, those who do not seek to sit in the office all day, but want freedom in their actions and ways of working, will like the position.
2. Only the ability and persistence of a person depends on his earnings. If someone is sitting on a bare salary, then a sales representative can significantly add to his salary.
   After all, the main income depends on sales. How much he sold, concluded contracts, so much he received a percentage of the remuneration.
3. For those who like to communicate and establish connections, work is more than suitable.

As the saying goes, if you can convince the employer to hire you, you can sell the product. After all, the main thing is what you did, managed to present yourself correctly. Interviewing a sales representative and employer can be stressful. This is how resistance to conflicts is tested and the ability to find a way out of a difficult situation is revealed. But regardless of experience, a sales representative will not be hired without a driver's license. After all, the main work will be on the road and travel. Small companies also require your own car, which you will be working on. Of course, all expenses for fuels and lubricants and cellular communication must be paid by the organization. And yet, if you are ready sometimes even late at night to be in touch and quickly hit the road, then you will be hired. Algorithm of work In any work there is a certain order of actions.

A sales representative, or a traveling salesman, is a confidant of a distributor's company, a person who sells goods to retail outlets. Many young people and girls are attracted to this profession - they promise a good salary, take without work experience. Is this bread so easy to give? About his work to the magazine IQR said Vyacheslav, who for a long time worked as a sales representative for a food distributor.

How to get a job as a sales representative without work experience

The main features necessary for a novice sales representative: activity, creativity, sociability, charisma, stress tolerance, consistency, sanity and so on, the list is endless, as there are a huge number of working moments that a sales representative faces, and all these qualities will be useful to him.

Sales Representative Job Interview

The resume of a sales representative should include the sales trainings passed, a description of previous jobs, what they did, how they came into contact with sales. The employer searches the database not only for the words "sales representative", but also for the phrases "sales manager", "salesman", "sales agent", "salesman". First of all, of course, they are looking for people with sales experience. However, it is in this area that new talents without work experience are welcome.

You should understand that initially, when the employer reviews your resume, naturally, candidates with higher education and experience in this position will have an advantage. But there is a big "but" - this job is given to energetic young people who are able to convince their employer that they are the ones who deserve this place .

How to do it? Everything is extremely simple, be persistent, prove to your future boss that you are exactly the employee he needs. The main quality of a sales representative is the ability to convince and prove his case, then - it's up to little. be focused and at the same time relaxed, the conversation should be light-hearted, so the employer will understand that you have people and will hire them.

From the editor. How does the interview usually take place?

Vyacheslav describes his personal experience... In large cities, in particular, in Moscow, group interviews are often. (mostly young, without a clear specialization in the resume, but with ambitions for a good salary), conducts a preliminary interview. In interviews, as a rule, it is said that the salary is very small (or none at all), but "the best earn more than 100 thousand rubles a month." If you are comfortable with a sales agent's salary scheme based only on percentages, then you are invited for a short training.

During the training, an experienced employee presents the product to a group of candidates, praising its qualities (very professional and interesting), answers questions about the product (after all, goods are not always food products, often the task is to profitably present a technical device or even software software). Next, you yourself will repeat the same to potential customers. A candidate can get up and leave at any time, realizing that this is not suitable for him. You need initial communication skills, without them - nowhere.

But the obvious plus is that almost everyone without work experience is actually hired for the vacancy of a sales representative, and you can learn a lot. This is due to the fact that the company's costs for an individual employee are minimal - only salary and compensation for transportation costs. The main costs are spent on education and training, so the more people you recruit, the lower the company's unit costs per one newcomer. A similar recruiting scheme has been implemented in. This was our remark, then Vyacheslav continues his story.

Sales Representative Training Program

The process of work of a sales agent implies constant movement between points of sale. Each sales representative has a weekly itinerary for visiting outlets. It is determined either by the TP itself, or supervisor who gives a ready-made route left over from the previous employee. When planning a itinerary for a week, a sales representative assesses which retail outlets need more frequent visits, and which need one visit per week.

Working the first week in this position, you study the company's standards:

• field training is carried out at the point of sale;
• learning the basics of merchandising;
• you bring organizational issues to automatism, such as the procedure for exchanging goods, collecting debts, filling out reports for retail outlets;
• you get the theoretical material necessary for the presentation and the best display of the company's brands.

After training, the process of visiting a retail outlet goes through the steps of a visit, there are 8 of them in total, you can learn about each of them on the Internet, I will not describe in detail. Here's a list:

• preparation for the visit;
• point of sale evaluation;
• greetings;
• checking inventory;
• presentation;
• merchandising;
• filling out reports;
• visit analysis.

Advice: the most common mistake of novice sales agents is failure to follow the steps of the visit, hence the first failures, failures, and as a result - unwillingness to work. Try to as soon as possible study the technique of the steps of a visit to a retail outlet. Important! Remember! This is not idle chatter! A competent structure of the visit guarantees almost 100% success. The sooner this technique is mastered, the faster the career growth will occur.

To top it all off: do not forget to improvise, that is, think over various tricks in communicating with customers, find an approach to a person, win over to yourself, after that you will be welcome at any point of sale.

Working day and job responsibilities of a sales representative

The working day starts at about 9 am. Arriving on the route to the first retail outlet, you check the availability of the main package of documents, as well as the post of materials for presentations. Before the visit, you synchronize the order program, then go to the outlet. Be sure to complete all the steps of the visit specified earlier, check the presence or absence of debts from the client, fill out an order. On average, a visit to one point takes 15-20 minutes. This time varies depending on the ability to sell and on your "loyalty" at the point of sale. If everything is done, you continue the route.

What does “loyalty” mean in a retail outlet? , you ask? In simple terms, this is how much you are appreciated, respected and "afraid" at the point of sale. All priorities are set in the process, and there is a niche for each new sales representative.

Pros and cons of working as a traveling salesman

Pros:

Lunch and personal time in the process of work is determined by the sales representative himself. You yourself are free to build your day as conveniently as possible.

Minuses:

This results in irregular working hours. At first, returning home from work will be delayed by 2-3 hours. You definitely need a car, without it - nowhere. Depreciation and breakdowns are paid out of your pocket, the employer only compensates for fuel costs in limited amounts.

Clients come across very harmful, obnoxious. I will not describe in more detail, tk. everyone performs the assigned tasks in their own way.

What is the job of a sales representative

Goals and objectives in the entrusted territory

Each sales representative is set a monthly sales plan, the salary depends on its implementation. The sales plan indicates how many and which brands the company needs to sell. In addition to the general task for the month, there are so-called additional motivations, for the fulfillment of which bonuses that increase wages are awarded.

At the beginning of the month, the supervisor announces new additional motivations and continues or closes the old ones. During the month, a sales representative can track his sales results, roughly suggesting at what point it is necessary to push in order to achieve the set goal.

The TP team is a close-knit team that goes towards one goal ... The entire team is assigned a goal for the month. By completing it, the team also receives additional bonuses.
Tasks for each sales representative individually and for the entire team as a whole are determined by the supervisor. After setting all the goals, a meeting is held every day upon arrival at the office, at which plans and problems that hinder the implementation of the goals are discussed.

Control of accounts receivable

The sales representative is responsible for overseeing the receivables. Every day you need to track your debtors, otherwise an unpleasant situation may arise. If you "miss" the debtor, the director of the organization closes your shipment of goods to the specified outlet, and you lose in sales. Due to this factor, a novice sales representative must print a list of clients with debts every day upon arrival at the office, and the next day, in accordance with the route, indicate to the debtors about the resulting debt.

How much does a sales representative earn

Career

A novice sales agent is assigned the “newbie” status, this is the lowest level, so bonuses and plan fulfillment are estimated lower than others, and accordingly, the salary will be lower. To improve the status, it is necessary to undergo training, pass an exam in front of the management at a point of sale. In case of a positive outcome, the status is raised to “amateur”. Otherwise, everything remains as it is. The next step is “professional”. It takes about 3-4 months to raise your status, it all depends on your quick wits and willingness to work.

Wage

As already mentioned, there are different monetary rewards for certain statuses. A beginner, when fulfilling the plan and additional programs, has an average of 25-30 thousand rubles. An amateur - 30-40 thousand rubles, a professional - from 40 thousand rubles, but the figures are approximate, it all depends on the fulfillment of the tasks and the amount of monetary motivation in your company. Information on wages relevant for the Nizhny Novgorod region (I live in Vyksa).

Parting words for beginners

At the end of our conversation, I would like to say that every sales representative is looking for an approach to people. Find your balance - everything will go flawlessly. Working as a sales representative, I realized one thing: you need to be able to impress the interlocutor (customer), preferably a positive one.

When starting work, be confident in yourself and do not show your weaknesses, otherwise, at the initial stage, you will be haunted by failures. Do not think that if you do everything correctly, as it is written in the books, then there will be no problems on your territory, there will be problems, but in fewer numbers.

There are obnoxious clients with whom it is not easy to negotiate and come to a consensus. Once you win, you can win the second time. From my experience I can say that there are clients who want to break you psychologically, so that you dance to their tune, make only those orders that are beneficial to them, do not offer an inconvenient, more expensive category of goods - to the detriment of your salary. Therefore, immediately at any point of sale, prioritize so that the manager, director or ordinary saleswoman knows that when placing an order, they should take your opinion into account.

Ask why the client should listen ? A sales representative maintains a customer card or fills in the stock of each customer into the program, so he can track the sales of the outlet. And already, based on the history of the data, it gives advice on pre-order.

Particular attention should be paid to merchandising, it is worth informing the outlets that there should be order on your shelves or refrigerators and there should be no other people's products.

Do not take what has been said for the ultimate truth, always get your way and go forward. A sales representative is an interesting and versatile profession, so feel free to test yourself in this area, perhaps you will find your place in the sun. Good luck with your work, and let everyone make their own choice.

Evgeny Balakin

You got a job as a sales representative. You do not have a diploma in this specialty and, most likely, you do not have a piece of paper on the completion of special courses. No wonder: very few people consider this job a profession, and very few remain in it for more than five years.

Many trade representatives, before going into this business, probably heard from friends that "they pay a lot, but you don't have to do anything." And this is true - from the point of view of all those who work with their hands. I worked for 15 years as an electrician and for two years as a trade representative at MARS. Then, in two years, he came to the director of a trading company. There are prospects if you treat this work as a profession, and not as a temporary job.

At the very beginning, your idea of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe work of a sales representative will be something like this: I drove through the shops, collected applications and money, handed it over to the office. The way it is. The essence of the trade representative's work is to ensure the export of goods to retail outlets and return Money(hereinafter referred to as DS, see the Brief Dictionary of the Trade Representative). But there is one circumstance that debunks the myth about the ease of being our brother. 3-5-10-100 companies in your city send tens and hundreds of trade representatives to the fields every day (and these figures are about the pet market - food trade representatives have much higher competition!). Several of your fellow competitors come to the store you visit today. They offer the same or a similar range. So why does the merchant take goods from some and not from others? I will give a simple example of the first visit of two trade representatives to TT. The first one is dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, in his hands - either nothing, or a pile of scattering "pieces of paper", entering, he says "hello" and immediately begins to "offer": "We have food, toys and collars. Will you take it? "

The second is dressed in a decent suit (or, if it's hot, without a jacket, but in a nice shirt and tie). Diary, presenters, contracts, calculator - everything is in the briefcase. After inspection trading floor and casual (but intelligence) communication with the seller, the trade representative goes to the commodity expert and introduces himself: “Good afternoon, Marya Ivanovna! I am Ivan from the Super Supplier company, a distributor of brands such as X, Y and Z, came to discuss the possibility of mutually beneficial cooperation. Give me five minutes, please. "

Which trade representative is more likely to work with this outlet?

Ideal trade representative

The ideal sales representative knows and can do a lot. He knows the product (characteristics - and benefits from these characteristics), his own prices and competitors' prices for the same product, knows how to calculate the benefits of a point and clearly show it to the decision maker, knows how to come up with and correctly propose new layout options that will allow placing his product in the maximum assortment and in the best places and at the same time will bring additional profit to TT. It is organized: it is never late, all the necessary "papers" are always with you, the car is clean, serviceable and refueled. He is friendly, tactful, can always support any conversation and lead this conversation to the topic he needs. He remembers (writes down and refreshes in his memory before a visit to TT) his own and others' promises, the names of decision makers, their habits, personal details that the decision maker spoke about at previous meetings (or about which the trade representative, being partly a psychologist, drew his own conclusions).

A good trade representative knows how to negotiate with any person. Not only at work, but also in life. And he is simply obliged to persuade the stubborn buyer. The ability to solve one's own and other people's problems is one of the main characteristics of a good trade representative. No wonder he is often called a manager (manager). By becoming a trade representative, you are taking the first step up the career ladder in trade. To learn all this, you need to have a strong will, courage, communication skills, a developed intellect and a great desire to earn good money and live better. If none of this is there - do not waste your and other people's time, there are simpler professions.

Strength of legs, will and mind>

The wolf's legs are fed. In this case, the legs are movement, the energy that you invest in work, in your training, in achieving a goal. How quickly you get used to the profession and gain experience depends on your energy.

A couple of tips on how to maintain physical condition. The main thing here is the way of life. Get enough sleep, play sports, if possible, do not smoke or drink alcohol, eat right (it is better to eat a little more often than at night before you go to bed). Many do not know how to eat in the fields - they are looking for cafes or go home for lunch and afternoon tea, wasting time and money. I have diabetes, I studied the physiology of proper nutrition. Meat, cheese, good sausage provide protein, and bread, cookies and fruits provide carbohydrates. Combine. Believe me, a piece of cheese with a bun eaten in a car and washed down with yogurt replaces a full meal.

There are people who are inherent in self-confidence under any circumstances, but I've only met such people in the movies. For normal people, confidence appears only with experience and as a result of volitional efforts. The more TT you visit, the more you communicate with the CL, the faster your confused look will be replaced by a business one. It is the lack of confidence of the trade representative that is the main reason that commodity experts and sellers sew it off, and they do it with undisguised pleasure. Imagine: you are a commodity expert in a shop. A dozen trade representatives come to you every day. Many have been working for a long time and are talking about business. And here comes the newbie. A running glance, gets confused in words, does not know his own product well, does not understand at all what the merchandiser and his store really need. Will you discuss his proposal with such a trade representative? If you have time and you are in a good mood, have fun, give hope (imaginary) and let go of it. Or just leave if you have no time. The most important thing for a budding salesperson is to survive the first wave of rejections! Hang large letters in a prominent place: “ One refusal is not a refusal!».

However, without turning on the head, all your marathon runs will be agony. I went to the director of one store eight times, after the fifth refusal I didn't want to go anymore. But then I suddenly realized what the problem was. Everything turned out to be simple - I was over 30, and I got used to communicating on "you" in trade, and the director was 20 years old, and he was already the Chief! At the sixth meeting, I began to address him by his first name and patronymic - and the ice broke. At the eighth meeting, I still broke through this point and then worked with it for a long time.

Psychologist or psychopath

But even after gaining confidence, do not flatter yourself, because this is the confidence of a beginner. First, second, tenth luck doesn't make you a professional. We deal with people, and this requires patience and special knowledge. Even successfully working as a sales representative for many years, I cannot be absolutely sure that I will find the key to any person. In addition, many people are more complex than meets the eye. Therefore, a beginner should not play with the psychology of the client - he will see through, and you will not go to him again. Now your maximum task is not to break down on the first refusals. Doesn't it work, can't find the strength in yourself to meet the requirements, to convince and achieve results? Look for another job - otherwise it is fraught with psychosis. Stress in this job is guaranteed to you anyway. In order to survive the stage of becoming in the profession with the least losses, do not take the refusal to heart, it is not personally you are refused, but your offer - turn on the "I am thick-skinned" mode and go to a new client. It's also very important to be an actor. Don't lie, don't act out who you are not. The most disgusting example is defiantly talking on the phone with a supposedly other client whom you supposedly make happy with your deliveries. Better try to take the place of KL - get used to his role in order to understand what exactly he wants. The psychological knowledge and skills that you will definitely acquire while working as a trade representative will stay with you forever.

Study your product and think for others

To successfully sell a product, you need to know it. Know not only how Whiskas differs from Friskies, but also what the sales statistics are, what is the target audience your product, what price niche it occupies and what products it competes with. Each distribution company has its own assortment. Ask the management to conduct assortment training for you. Sometimes the company gives a novice trade representative a memo for each group of goods, which contains all the frequently encountered comments on these specific goods and phrases that neutralize them - study them as "Our Father". The ROP and the supervisor should draw up such cheat sheets and distribute to their sales representatives.

But you cannot rely only on memos and bosses. Include your own head. Once I went to a small shop. The owner apparently decided that his customers only wanted a cheap product, so he put up a Chappi bag and forced the saleswoman to sell the feed in bulk. I imagine that she thinks about all this (the food crumbles, hence the shortage and dirt - and the time for service is very long), I find solutions to the problem and suggest that she (not the owner!) Put Chappi 400 g and Pedigree jelly 100 for a sample next to the bag If you don’t sell it in a week, I’ll take it. A week later I sold it and began to take it all the time. A month later, other packages were added. Six months later, the bag disappeared, and everyone was happy - the owner of the store, the salesman and me. You should know that few of the ordinary staff think about how to improve the performance of their TT! They just have no time for it. And the look was blurry. Often it is a good sales representative who comes up with how to increase sales at a point of sale. And then they say to such a trade representative: "Oh, Petya, dear, come in, have a cup of tea with us, and then make an application yourself and take the money at the cash desk for the last delivery." ALWAYS THINK FOR A POINT!

Success and wounds

You are helping the company earn money. You are usually paid a salary and bonuses for this, less often a percentage of sales. The plan is always growing. This is an axiom trading business... If the plan is not increased, the work of the trade representative will turn into collecting applications for the same points and for an established assortment. I call this kind of work "posting prices". Students on a part-time job will cope with it - and will do it for much less money. Trade representative is a striking force. It is he who gives the constant growth of distribution in breadth and depth - more TT and a wider assortment. A good sales representative constantly increases sales. Before me, they worked on my territory for years with the same sales volume - 800 thousand rubles a month. In six months I reached 1.6 million, a year later - 2.4 million, the territory was divided in half, and in a year we together brought it to 4 million. The division of the territory that you personally "plowed" will be very painful for you , but vital for business, because with good work, there always comes a moment when you can no longer develop the territory yourself, you simply do not have enough time and energy, and you start to slip, serve the existing sales. When my plot was divided, I was terribly offended, I even wanted to leave. Beginning trade representatives, know: if you do a good job, the division of the territory is inevitable and necessary. I couldn't sell $ 4 million alone.

Routes and reports

The sales representative must be able to independently organize their work. In the evening, compiled detailed plan tomorrow: where to go (route via TT), with whom and what to talk about (CL and purpose of the visit), what should be with you at every meeting (presenter, diary, two or three pens - they are always lost, price, receivables schedule , contract forms ...).

A well thought out route helps to save time, physical and emotional strength. Chaotic throwing of trade representatives is contraindicated. In addition, CLs get used to the fact that you show up on a certain day and at about the same time - and they will no longer say: "Oh, we weren't expecting you." It is easy to build a route. On the territory of one trade representative there are approximately 50-100 TT. It is necessary to find out at which points of the CL work with orders and receivables only on certain days. You may have to negotiate special conditions if you have to go through half the city to visit one point. Take a map with streets and houses and mark all points with the days of the week. Then mark those TTs with which you are already working, then those with which you want to work (for a developed area, at least 10 pieces - two visits per day for development, for a poorly developed area - much more).

20-25 TT per day, I know from my own experience, the optimal number of visits. In some places, there is already a good relationship, and in them you can save time for communication every other time (every other time, not more often, otherwise you will lose contact!). 5-10 minutes to order, money and a few words "about the weather." More time is needed at new points (15-20 minutes). In the developed ones - much more. Half an hour for inspection, thinking through tactics and negotiations is the minimum. Although the first time it is better to do an inspection, write everything down, and think over the negotiation tactics in the evening. Do not hesitate to discuss with your manager or experienced trade representatives how best to plan and conduct negotiations with a specific TT: they know a lot more, including they may personally know the decision makers you need - the advice of senior comrades will be very useful.

The route changes over time. I advise you to recycle it every 3-4 months. There are always points that need to be visited twice a week, and points that will be enough for two visits a month - this determines the size of the store and the volume of sales.

Most sales representatives do not like reports. However, they need them more than the strictest bosses. An independently compiled detailed report on the assortment in points (your own and competitors) allows you to notice where and what can be improved, what to strive for. This is a great help for a thinking and purposeful trade representative.

Bribes are not smooth

Novice trade representatives are often afraid that they will be asked for a bribe to enter a point, and mistakenly classify rebates as bribes. In fact, not many KLs take bribes. They ask even less. One good trade representative recently told me that she saves 500 rubles from her salary every month for small gifts to the CL - chocolates and so on. For the same purpose, souvenirs from manufacturers are used, which are sometimes given out in the sales department (pens, mugs, notebooks, product samples). These are not bribes, these are gifts, and they help improve relations. Never say that you bought it yourself - say with a smile “a gift from the company” and put it on the table. And immediately transfer the conversation to an abstract topic - relieve tension. For example: "It's so hot outside today, but it's good here, it's cool!"

And retro is actually a kind of TT profit from the sale of your product. If you sell goods to the outlet for 100 rubles and pay retro 10%, then if the price on the shelf is 120 rubles, the outlet earns 30 rubles. Sometimes it is easier to give a discount of up to 90 rubles, they will sell for 120, and still earn 30. Often, when preparing negotiations with a point that everyone requires retro, the price is deliberately overstated in order to give retro without losses. Recently, I have been honestly saying: “The price is minimal, there is no other money, if you want just a retro one, we raise the price”. But I do not advise beginning sales representatives to say so - you still do not know the economics of the enterprise, and an experienced buyer can overwhelm you with figures, which are not necessarily adequate and honest.

Epilogue

Most sales representatives get into the profession by accident. Only a few remain for a long time. Almost everyone can be average. To become a pro, you need to study - study psychology, economics, marketing, management ... Only in this way the way up will open. Or you will become a guru who solves problems with one call, who is appreciated by the management and are trying to entice competitors. Or, if you do not study, you will, like most trade representatives, squeakily pull the strap, languishing with boredom and lack of prospects.

I will soon begin a detailed story about the psychology of sales. Sales representatives can ask me urgent questions at www.torg-pred.info

Brief Dictionary of Trade Representative

AKB is an active customer base - retail outlets to which shipments are systematically made. It can be either a joint stock bank of an organization or a joint stock bank of a separate trade representative, or a department or even a separate product.

OKB - total client base - the number of TTs in the territory.

DS - Cash.

ROP - Head of Sales Department. There are ROOP (wholesale), RROP (regional), etc.

Supervisor - in large organizations with huge price lists, the sales department is divided into groups under the control of supervisors, the price is divided into them for a better study of the territory. Such a supervisor is, in fact, a full-fledged ROP. In small organizations - an intermediate link between the trade representative and the ROP, so to speak, the senior trade representative. In words, he manages several trade representatives, but usually this is an additional incentive for a powerful trade representative who cannot be nominated to the ROP (or the place is occupied, or not yet matured) and it is a pity to let go. He can share his experience with newbies, help them establish contact with TT, he has personal plan sales to be performed.

TT - Trade Point.

Trade representative, TP, torpedo - sales representative. The torpedo, in my opinion, reflects the essence of the work - pressure, energy and striving for the goal.

Fields are the area of ​​responsibility. He worked in the fields - visited TT on his territory.

Decision maker, CL - Decision Maker; The Key Person is the right person, the one who can help solve the problem. Depending on the situation, from storekeeper to director.

Retrobonus is a remuneration paid by a wholesale company to a point of sale based on the results of sales. For example, TT purchased goods for 100 thousand in a month - the company pays it 8% retro - 8 thousand. It can be both cash and commodity - they will give goods for the same 8 thousand.

Distribution - market share, ratio of battery to design bureau, width product line presented in t / t. In general - the degree of development of the territory.

The Key Client is the one who generates the most sales or brings in the most profit.

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A good salesperson can sell three pairs of gloves to Venus de Milo

Robert Orben

On modern market job search The most popular and demanded profession is the profession of a sales representative. The payment is decent, there are no special requirements, so people are interested.

But little is taken seriously, since the profession is often associated with the sale of unnecessary things to anyone (this is exactly how they worked in the 90s of the 20th century). But time changes and demand changes. So who are sales representatives today?

Sales representative - who is this?

First of all, a sales representative is a person who likes to communicate, engaging in sales in the process of communication. And no matter what the sales representative does, whether he sells tea or cars, he should love what he does.

More professional definition lies in the fact that a person in this profession is an intermediary between the supplier (the company in which he works) and different retail outlets. For example, a consignment of hair care products arrives at the warehouse of a certain company.

The task of the sales representative will be to find as many retail outlets as possible that will take this product for sale. They can pay for it immediately, or they can pay upon the sale.

Of course, first of all, the goods are offered to those with whom they already work, and only then they start looking for new customers. This is, in principle, the general scheme of a sales representative's work. In reality, quite often, it is different.

Functions of a sales representative

A list of functions that employers impose on sales representatives will help to more clearly understand the essence of this work. So, the work includes:

• Receiving orders for the company
• Looking for new clients
• Increase in sales
• Work with documents
• Financial control
• Service

Acceptance of orders is a stage of work that allows you to maintain stable sales with trading partners. For example, a representative has his own base of outlets, to which he has been supplying his goods more than once. After the product is sold, the store places an order for re-delivery.

An entrepreneurial sales rep will never settle for a list of clients they have. He will always look for new ones, thereby expanding his client base and increasing sales. And in each store or kiosk, a representative will work to expand the range of products supplied.

The duties of a sales representative also include the maintenance of documentation: the conclusion of contracts, the provision of invoices, checks, certificates and other documents. In addition, the entire financial control and accounting is also on his shoulders.

And, finally, whatever the sales representative does, if necessary, he should provide support and assistance in selling his goods to the sellers of the outlet where the goods are sold.

He can not only advise store employees, but also communicate with consumers, telling about the product and his company. But, very often, the above functions of a sales representative's work may look a little different.

There are situations when he only accepts orders and fills in the documents, and, directly, the products are taken by the buyers themselves. That is, a sales representative in such a situation is also a freight forwarder: he independently draws up an invoice and issues products.

You can work only on the phone, finding new clients to conclude contracts, or you can independently visit all retail outlets. The method will depend on the specifics of the product being sold.

Employers' requirements for the level of job seekers

In reality, sales representatives roam the city all day long. That is why, one of the requirements for applicants is the availability driving license, and often a personal car.

In addition, employers hire people under the age of 40 who are sociable, inspiring confidence and sympathy for such a position. Experience in sales is welcomed, a great desire to do this and to undergo training, if necessary.

The presence of secondary or higher education depends on the level of the company where the person gets a job. When selling specific products, knowledge of the product is encouraged.

When choosing the profession of a sales representative, a person must have ambition, an active life position. You need to think quickly, be able to respond correctly to the situation, be organized and attentive, especially when processing documents. It's a good idea to navigate the business of a sales rep.

Even for those with some skill, the job of a sales representative is very time consuming. The schedule is often irregular. It follows from this that it is no less important than all of the above to have an increased resistance to stress, to be an adequate person.

This is the only way to keep up with the crazy rhythm of this labor activity... But, nevertheless, the work of a sales representative is worth trying your hand at. Especially if a person feels a desire for this type of activity.