Understanding the Sales Associate Skills That Will Get You Hired Quickly

Maybe you’re a student or retiree looking to bolster your income through part-time hours while you focus on school and other areas of your life, or maybe you’re interested in building a career in sales. Whether you’re looking to work just a few hours a week or grind full time, a sales associate position could be the right fit for your skills and circumstances.

You may think of entry-level retail positions when referring to sales. However, while these jobs are a good starting point, they can provide plenty of opportunities for high-earning careers. In fact, you can earn a decent salary working in luxury retail or corporate sales. Also, if you work with higher-priced items like cars or appliances, you can earn a decent commission.

You might wonder which skills are needed to land these positions, especially if you’ve never worked in sales before. Some individuals are natural-born salespeople — they have innate charisma and confidence and they know how to work with customers in order to close a deal.

Don’t fret if you don’t think that description immediately fits you, though. There are important skills necessary for a job in sales that can be taught or developed. When submitting your resume or cover letter, these are the areas that you want to highlight to show a hiring manager that you’re the right candidate for their sales job.

Here are a few skills to consider developing as you search for a sales associate position.

Communication skills are key for anyone working on the sales floor. You’re constantly communicating with someone — customers, co-workers, and even managers. If you don’t communicate well, you’re not going to succeed in a sales associate role.

Communication skills are also important as you need to know how to effectively explain the features and benefits of your company’s products and services to customers. Make sure you don’t oversell or over-promise and keep your sales pitch in easy-to-understand terms.

What you’re saying certainly matters, but so does the way you say it. Watch your tone and demeanor. Make sure your interpersonal skills are strong, and you are coming across as friendly, genuine, and engaged. Your body language is important to consider, as well.

If you’re a retail sales associate operating a cash register or POS (point of sales) system, the software will generally do the math when you swipe or insert a customer’s credit card. Still, it’s important to have a decent grasp of basic math if you are responsible for any money handling. If you can calculate discounts and costs quickly without using a computing system, that’s a skill that will come in handy, especially if your cash register system breaks down or you receive a customer question on the fly.

At the most basic level, you should know how to count cash and make change. If you work your way into management, you may need to learn more advanced formulas that are handy in a retail setting.

To operate an electronic cash register or inventory management system, you’ll need to know your way around a computer. It’s important to include these basic computer skills on your resume to let potential employers know you’re technologically savvy, which goes a long way in sales. It’s even better if you have any certificates that show this proficiency, such as being familiar with the Microsoft Office software suite, so be sure to highlight them on your retail sales associate resume.

Top sales associates are naturals at problem-solving and time management. You need to think on your feet when working with the public and fellow team members. However, in the retail environment, you won’t always know what to expect.

No two customers are alike — they all have different needs, interests, personalities, and quirks. They will also come to you with different concerns and questions. You need to be able to adapt quickly to every scenario you encounter. Using your ingenuity to answer their questions and solve their problems could mean the difference between making the sale and not. More importantly, it allows you to achieve customer satisfaction, which means the customer is more likely to return in the future.

However, there’s more to problem-solving than being able to come up with an answer to an issue quickly; you also need to be creative, patient, and a good listener. It’ll also go a long way if you’re knowledgeable about not only your products and services but also about how your company operates and processes sales and inventory.

Potential employers won’t expect you to start the job with specific brand and product knowledge, but they’ll want to know that you’re capable of retaining merchandising information.

When you’re a sales associate, it’s important to know your products or services inside and out. If you don’t, how do you expect to assist customers? By being able to answer customers’ questions, you’re more likely to make a sale and reach your sales quotas. This keeps your bosses happy and, if you’re working on commission, puts extra money in your pocket, as well.

They say patience is a virtue — especially when you work as a sales associate. It’s not easy working with the public, and neither is maintaining excellent people skills. Patience is crucial if you seek to have excellent customer service skills, because you need to exhibit patience as they decide how to spend their money. If you display impatience with customers, they might be turned off and choose to take their business elsewhere.

Potential employers want to know that you’re available and empathetic, that you will listen to customers’ needs, let them drive the timeline of the sale, and won’t close it early just because you’re ready to move on to something else.

Persistence — the drive and motivation to work toward your career and sales goals — is integral to any successful retail sales associate career. It’s rare, especially when working with luxury higher-priced items, real estate, or niche services, to make a sale during your first meeting with a customer.

It’s important not to get discouraged as the process drags out. If a customer seems to hesitate, you should be able to find a way to reel them back in. This may include offering them alternatives and additional information if they’re shopping in your store or following up by phone or email to see if there’s anything you can do to assist them as they make a decision.

Successful and effective workers know they can increase their sales through active listening skills. It’s an excellent way to gain your customer’s trust.

When you’re actively listening to someone, this means you’re focused on what they’re saying. You’re paying attention to the words they use as well as their message, tone, and body language. Through active listening, you can show them that you want to understand what they have to say and that their needs are important to you.

A good way to show potential employers that you can actively listen is by asking questions. During the interview, ask specific questions related to what the employer has just said.

If you have the skills needed for a sales associate job description, let Joblist help you find the right opportunity. We know that job searches can be difficult and frustrating, so we’re here to make the experience easier.

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