what is a sales consultant?
As a sales consultant, you participate in improving a company's sales and product promotion. Since you have experience in the sales industry and a well-developed network, you facilitate negotiations and persuade your network to purchase your client's products. Using a structured and proven process, you strive to close deals effortlessly.
You work with sales and marketing teams to analyze opportunities and develop marketing strategies. As a sales consultant, you offer advice and assist sales representatives in developing marketing strategies to meet targets and goals. Since you are responsible for nurturing relationships with the company's clients, you train the sales representatives to drive sales and close deals.
As a sales consultant, you work for a consulting firm and help different companies improve their sales strategies. Alternatively, you focus on a specific organization and use your skills to analyze market statistics, develop ways to improve brand awareness, and beat competitors. You don't meet with prospects when you work for a specific company, as you have sales representatives to close deals. Your role involves supervising and advising the company on areas of improvement concerning sales.
Would working as a sales consultant suit your negotiation skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a sales consultant role.
sales consultant jobsaverage sales consultant salary
According to Job Bank, sales consultants in Canada receive an average salary of $52,444 per year. The earnings in the role fluctuate based on your experience and educational qualifications. In an entry-level role, you earn a lower salary than senior sales consultants. You start with an annual salary of $39,967, but with experience, your earnings increase to over $100,000 per year.
what factors affect the salary of a sales consultant?
Your earnings fluctuate based on your responsibilities and the company. In some organizations, sales consultants find product leads and sell the items to the prospects. You may also work with the marketing team to improve brand awareness and develop strategies for improving the sales process. When you have additional responsibilities, you are likely to earn more compared to sales consultants who focus only on selling to customers.
Working in a large company may also significantly improve your earning prospects. Large companies have an extensive customer base and often deal with different product categories. They also have vast resources and offer additional perks, including sales commissions and bonuses.
types of sales consultants
Some of the different types of sales consultants include:
- Independent sales consultants: an independent sales consultant is an external expert in sales who helps companies achieve their goals. Your role is to assess your client's current sales and marketing strategies and study market statistics. You recommend the best promotional strategies for various company products and train sales representatives on ways to close deals.
- Automotive sales consultants: in this role, you are an expert in selling vehicles and automobiles. Your job is to study demographics and identify groups likely to buy a specific type of vehicle. You also design sales strategies for specific target groups.
- Home sales consultants: you assist real estate agents in closing deals and selling properties. You do this by devising sales and marketing strategies that target different types of buyers.
- Sales and marketing consultants: a sales consultant can harmonize the functions of sales and marketing teams and ensure they work towards the same goals. For instance, you help companies develop marketing strategies that complement sales techniques to ensure their customers receive the same message.
working as a sales consultant
Working as a sales consultant involves developing creative ways to sell products and services to different customers. You need persuasiveness and creativity to meet your targets and accomplish your goals.
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what does a sales consultant do?
In every industry, a sales consultant performs unique tasks. However, some of the typical duties of a sales consultant include:
- Identifying prospects: as a sales consultant, you look for potential customers using various marketing channels. You can find prospects from the company's phone directory, social media pages, and other sales and marketing sources.
- Contacting prospective and existing customers: when you have a list of prospects, you initiate contact and create mutually beneficial relationships. You also maintain contact with existing clients to ensure they are happy with your services.
- Scheduling appointments with potential customers: after initial contact with prospects, you schedule a meeting to explain the company's products and their benefits to the potential client. After the meeting, you follow up with them until they make a purchase.
- Emphasizing product features: as a sales consultant, you improve product knowledge and understanding of the market among sales teams. You find the best ways to emphasize the product features through sales strategies.
- Negotiating service agreements: when a customer agrees to purchase a product, you close the deal and negotiate service agreements. You discuss the prices, the terms of sale, and any service agreements. You also open a customer account for the new buyer after the deal has been closed.
- Working with the marketing team to improve brand awareness: as a sales consultant, you find creative ways to keep the company's products attractive. You also improve brand awareness and the company's online presence. You develop new marketing strategies to improve sales efforts.
- Training sales representatives: as a sales consultant, you train sales representatives on how to close deals and attract more customers with unique sales techniques.
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work environment of a sales consultant
A sales consultant typically works in an office environment. Your job involves working from your desks and cold-calling leads. You spend most of the day on a computer, trying to find leads and calling prospective customers. Sometimes, you manage customers through sales programs and customer relationship management (CRM) software.
You can work for any industry or employer with a sales department. For instance, building suppliers need sales consultants to work with estate agents to close deals. High-end department stores and information technology (IT) companies also need sales consultants to identify the best ways to sell their products or services.
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who are your colleagues?
As a sales consultant, you work with sales representatives, sales associates and sales executives. You are also likely to work with the marketing team, including digital marketing managers, social media managers and marketing executives. You work under the supervision of sales managers, marketing managers and account managers.
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sales consultant work schedule
The typical work schedule of a sales consultant is 40 hours a week. Overtime work is occasionally necessary to align with the client's schedule or meet deadlines. You meet clients during office hours if you work in business-to-business (B2B) sales. However, selling directly to consumers often involves working weekends and evenings. Since your job relies on networking, you attend events to meet new sales leads or nurture existing client relationships. Sales consultants typically have flexible work hours as long as they meet targets. You can work a full-time or part-time schedule. Working from home and remote work is viable, but sometimes, you meet clients for product demonstrations.
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career opportunities as a sales consultant
As a sales consultant, you have multiple opportunities for growth in various industries or upwards in the company. For instance, you can aim for sales director or marketing director positions. It will be the first step into a management role as you gradually progress to an executive level. Some sales consultants specialize in specific niche marketing and move into other industries, such as insurance, medical or property.
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advantages of finding a job as a sales consultant through randstad
Working with Randstad offers you a range of benefits.
- Always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- Many training opportunities
- A range of jobs in your area
sales consultant skills and education
To become a sales consultant, you should meet the following job requirements:
- College course: while some employers provide on-the-job training if you have completed secondary school, having a college degree improves your employment prospects. Pursue a course in marketing or business administration to excel in a sales consultant role.
- Work experience and certification: in most provinces, sales consultant jobs are not regulated. However, if you specialize in selling certain products, you may require certification from a provincial regulatory body. For instance, a licence from Ontario's Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) is necessary to sell vehicles in Ontario. You also need a certificate from Skilled Trades Ontario to sell building materials and hardware products, while sales consultants in Quebec require certification from Quebec's Ministry of Employment to sell books.
competencies and characteristics of sales consultants
Some of the skills and competencies of a sales consultant include:
- Persuasion: as a sales consultant, you persuade potential customers to purchase your client's products or services. You emphasize the product's features and highlight its benefits to consumers. To improve your persuasiveness, you should communicate clearly, listen actively, and answer your prospective customer's questions promptly.
- Positivity: as a sales consultant, you project genuine enthusiasm and a positive outlook, and you use optimistic language in your conversations. People are drawn to someone with positive energy and enthusiasm about a product. Hence, your language should resonate with your clients.
- Outgoing personality: you need an outgoing personality to strike up conversations with strangers and sell your products subtly. You appear friendly and are capable of drawing people into conversations easily.
- Detail-oriented: as a sales consultant, the product features, prices, and inventory should be at your fingertips. When the figures change, you keep up with the details to avoid giving misinformation to prospective customers.
FAQs
Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a sales consultant.
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what are the duties of a sales consultant?
As a sales consultant, you devise strategies for promoting the products or services of a company. You focus on the product's features and benefits when selling the items and find ways to improve brand awareness. As a sales consultant, you research the target market and identify prospective customers. You convince the prospects to buy your products by explaining the features and guiding them through the sales funnel.
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what skills do you need to be a sales consultant?
To excel as a sales consultant, you require exceptional customer service skills. You should be friendly and a good communicator in order to build lasting relationships with potential customers. Your communication skills also help you explain product features to customers. Having good negotiation skills is also important to succeed as a sales consultant.
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how much does a sales consultant earn in Canada?
As a sales consultant, you earn an average salary of $52,444 per year. In an entry-level role, you start with a salary of $39,967 annually. The most experienced sales consultants take home over $100,000 per year. Your exact earnings depend on your industry, sales experience and the company's size.
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is sales consultant an entry-level job?
The position you hold as a sales consultant depends on the company. In some organizations, you perform lead generation duties and conduct research in an entry-level position. In other companies, you work alongside sales and marketing teams to develop strategies for building brand awareness.
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is it hard to be a sales consultant?
While being a sales consultant is a good career with promising prospects, it does have its challenges. Getting started in the role requires resilience and the ability to handle rejection. Persistence is key for a sales consultant.
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how do I find a job as a sales consultant?
Finding a job near you as a sales consultant is easy. Search our job offers. Have you found what you're looking for? Then submit your application using the ‘Apply’ button top right on the page. No jobs available right now? Send us your resume and we'll pass it on to a recruiter who will contact you if an opportunity opens up for you.
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