An administrative sales assistant is a member of a sales department’s support staff. The assistant may report directly to the department manager in some cases. In larger sales departments, however, it is not uncommon for this type of sales assistant to be assigned to a specific group of salespeople, providing clerical and sometimes customer-oriented support to the team. Here are some things to consider if you want to learn more about what it takes to work as an administrative sales assistant.
When it comes to providing administrative support in a sales environment, all of the skills that are associated with any type of administrative assistant position apply. The basic requirements for any administrative assistant position will usually apply to any sales-related position as well. Most employers will expect a minimum of a high school diploma, competent computer skills, strong organizational skills, and a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with coworkers.
It is a good idea to take classes that help sharpen basic clerical skills, such as working with databases, presentation software, and writing letters, in order to become an administrative sales assistant. While some of these abilities can be learned in high school, many people learn them by attending classes at a local vocational school or community college. It’s also not uncommon for people to accept an entry-level clerical position elsewhere in the company, giving them the opportunity to learn the company’s culture while honing these fundamental skills.
In order to work as an administrative sales assistant, you’ll need a few other skills in addition to these basic administrative assistant abilities. These skills include the ability to qualify leads for the sales team, strong people skills that make it simple to build rapport with prospects, and a willingness to hold demonstrations on site or via electronic media when a salesperson requests it. With this type of work, keeping records using software designed for sales tracking is also a necessary skill.
It’s important to remember that the specific responsibilities of sales administrative jobs differ from industry to industry and company to company. Some will necessitate a significant amount of interaction with both prospective and existing clients, with the possibility of selling additional goods or services to the customer. Others are strictly support roles within the company, while others may be called upon to accompany salespeople to conventions, conferences, or prospect site visits. You could work as an administrative sales assistant in a sales department that deals with both retail and wholesale sales. You may be assigned to a single salesperson or to the entire sales team as a support person.
In many ways, choosing to work as an administrative sales assistant is an excellent way to break into the sales industry. Working in this position allows you to learn and master some of the fundamentals of selling, such as the difference between a qualified and unqualified lead, how to define a prospect, the nature of upselling, and the sales cycle. Because the sales administrative assistant will be working closely with the sales team, exposure to all of these tools and terminology can help educate the assistant and pave the way for a promotion to salesperson.