Sales Executive
Sales executives perform a vital role in any company that sells services or goods to a group of clients. They function as the essential point of contact between a business organization and the clients it serves. This involves a number of different duties, among them offering advice to both clients and the business, handling any queries the client may have about the company, and introducing the clients to new products. Because the job encompasses so many different avenues, being a sales executive is a dynamic, challenging position, and promises a rewarding working experience.
In this article, Links Recruitment will be walking you through some of the most important things to consider with regards to the sales executive job description. We’ll discuss the duties and responsibilities that come with the role and what qualifications sales executives typically possess. We’ll also talk about the career path of sales executives, and what your salary might look like in a few different locations in Asia. Whether you want to hire a sales executive or want to become one yourself, this page will explain everything you need to know.
What is Working as a Sales Executive Like?
When you work as a sales executive, you never know what the day is going to bring — this is part of what makes it such an exciting, engaging position. You might be dealing with an urgent query the client has, you might be brainstorming a way to pitch a new product or service to one of the clients you already handle, and you could even find yourself in board meetings with top-level executives in the company you work in. Whether it’s inside the boardroom or outside of it, you’ll be solving problems every day.
Because the job is so flexible, sales executives have a lot of different duties. Here are some typical things you’ll be responsible for in the role:
- Keeping accurate records of sales between the company you work for and its clientele
- Negotiating packages and contracts
- Attending conferences, meetings, and trade fairs
- Predicting, reviewing, and improving sales performance throughout the company you’re employed by
- Demonstrating and presenting products in order to interest a particular client
- Creating new sales avenues by establishing new business opportunities
- Striving to achieve and surpass monthly and annual sales targets
- Organizing sales visits and pitches
It’s possible to become a sales executive without graduating from university, although accreditation from a recognized institute of higher education is valued highly. Particularly relevant areas include business, marketing, and communications degrees. If you don’t have a degree, several years of experience in the commercial sphere will be necessary in order to prove you can handle the role, and that you understand the industry in question — although a university degree will give you a much better chance at getting the job. Here are some other qualities sales executives tend to possess:
- Strong interpersonal skills, since a lot of your day-to-day work will require interfacing with clients and other departments within your company
- A solid understanding of the business world, and especially of the industry your company is in
- IT skills, in order to create presentations, proposals, and spreadsheets for tracking sales performance
- Fluency in another language is highly valued, particularly for businesses with clients from many different countries
- Maturity, confidence, and patience are vital attributes
- Good problem-solving abilities for solving tricky issues on a near-daily basis
- Numerical skills, without which you’ll have a hard time working in a numbers-heavy role, are necessary
If you begin working in the sales arena straight out of high school, you can expect to spend several years working as an entry-level sales representative. If you perform well at the entry-level, upward mobility is possible, and the years of experience will serve you well as a sales executive. If you graduate from university with a degree in business, communications, or a related field, you can expect to advance to the level of sales executive with comparatively fewer years spent working at the lower-level sales representative positions. You’ll also have better salary prospects in the long term, which will be further increased by possessing an MBA.
The promotional possibilities for sales executives are excellent, and upward mobility right to the very top of the corporate chain is possible. Many executive-level position holders were sales executives at some point in their career; because the role is so demanding, a successful track record as a sales executive proves that you possess a broad set of skills. It’s also possible to transition from being a sales executive to performing high-up roles in advertising or marketing departments.
Here’s what your salary as a sales executive could look like in a few different locations:
| Position | No. of Year Experience | Hong Kong Monthly Salary (HKD) | Singapore Monthly Salary (SGD) | China Monthly Salary (RMB) |
| Experienced Sales Executive | 10-19 | 23k-40k | 5k-10k | 14k-28k |
| Mid-Career Executive | 5-9 | 10k-22k | 2k-4k | 7k-13k |
You can find more information about salaries and salary trends in 2020.
If working as a sales executive sounds appealing to you, check out the Links International job search page, where you can see a list of relevant jobs. On the other hand, if you want to hire somebody for the role, Links International can help you recruit the perfect person. Navigate to the Links International recruitment page to get your search started in the best way possible.
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As an award-winning recruitment agency with 20 years of recruitment experience across Asia regions, our specialist can offer professional career advice and consultation for you. Find sales executive roles on Link’s job board today!