Sales executive employment involves something more than the job of a retail sales clerk, and includes duties and responsibilities that open the way towards sales manager jobs. The qualities and qualifications in sales executive employment vary across target fields and the knowledge of a sales executive in real estate would vary subjectively from that of a sales executive engaged in the sales of clinical products.
While sales executive employment in consumer product sales is the one most in public mind and imagination, fields like financial services, insurance, technical products, advertising, engineering, etcetera, all view sales executive employment as a vital function of their businesses.
Types of sales executive employment
Sales executive employment may be categorized broadly into two types:
- In-house sales executives: In-house sales executives function from offices and communicate via phone, fax, email, or video conferencing to create and support sales
- Field sales executives: Field sales executives travel widely and visit clients and customers to create sales of products and services
Sales executive employment is a steady future and according to BLS statistics job growth in most fields is above or close to 10% through 2016. While Sales manager jobs are expected to grow at a rate of 10.2% through 2016, product sales representatives are expected to witness a slow growth rate of 8.4% during the same period. However, opportunities for sales executives in Securities and Financial Services is pegged at a healthy 24.8%, which is the highest expected growth rate for sales executive employment across various fields. In spite of changing economies, sales executive employment in fields like real estate, or insurance are all expected to show a growth greater than 10% through 2016.
Sales manager jobs remain the career goals of those who start as sales executives
For most people in sales executive employment sales manager jobs represent the next level of natural career progress. Sales manager jobs require higher functions like scheduling tasks, coordinating, setting goals, creating training programs, assigning sales quotas and sales territories to sales executives, and participating in the development of sales strategies. Sales manager jobs also involve hardcore policy functions like analysis of sales data, spotting of weaknesses and development of policies in conjunction with the marketing team. Sales manager jobs in small companies often involve the shouldering of both marketing and sales functions as well as those of logistics and distribution of products.
Sales is a function that is difficult to be overtaken by machines and physical presence continues to play a vital role in sales. As a result, sales executive employment and sales manager jobs will always be there for those who have the flair for communication and enjoy convincing others.