Monday, February 7, 2011

A CAREER IN RETAIL SALES?

A retail sales person primarily assists a customer decide on the product they need, collect payment and provide customer service. Retail sales may include large organizations like Walmart or a local convenience store.

It may include maintaining stock records, cash deposits and coordinating with suppliers. They may also be involved in transacting credit/ debit cards, deciding on displays, etc.
Depending upon the products sold, specialized knowledge may be required. In an auto dealership, special knowledge of vehicles will be required and/ or imparted. The sales person will also be required to knowledgeable on related warranties and sales techniques specific to auto sales. They may also be required to have basic knowledge of how car finance works. Similarly, each product line has it’s own special skills that may be required to be learnt.

Given the high rate of attrition, the opportunities for jobs in retails sales in very high. The persons should be prepared to stay on their feet for 7 to 8 hours a day and work with diverse customers with equally diverse issues. This is not a typical 9 to 5 job. Evenings and weekend work is common.

While there is no specific required qualifications, most employers prefer a high school graduate for retail sales. They tend to hire college graduates for management positions. Larger companies provide a formal training program that may range from a week to a month. This program exposes the sales persons on product knowledge, company sales processes and other related information.

Soft skills that most employers look for are a pleasant personality, good communication skills and tact in responding to queries. Multiple language skills is a major advantage in retail sales. It is common for companies to conduct a background check prior to hiring.

Career growth is dependent upon the size of the company, any individual can rise to become the manager of the store. It is common to find retail sales persons leveraging their experience and branch out on their own and achieve tremendous success.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 14.4 million people were employed in the U.S. Retail Industry as of April, 2010. The internet has created a dent in the retail industry employment with customers buying goods online and thereby the number of stores reducing.

According to http://www.payscale.com/, the median salary in retail sales can vary from $37,000 to $65,000 depending upon title and location.

On the lighter side: Two shoe salespeople were sent to Africa to open up new markets. Three days after arriving, one salesperson called the office and said, "I'm returning on the next flight. Can't sell shoes here. Everybody goes barefoot."At the same time the other salesperson sent an email to the factory, telling "The prospects are unlimited. Nobody wears shoes here!"

"WHAT NEXT" is provided by Ramesh Anand, President, American Personnel Resources LLC. ( http://www.aprllc.com/ )
Please conduct further research for this and other careers of your choice.

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