A field sales executive’s primary responsibility is to sell a product or service in the territory or geographic area to which he or she is assigned. This is accomplished by the sales representative developing and maintaining relationships with potential and existing customers. The field sales executive may only be responsible for closing the sale, depending on the company, product, and service. In some companies, the representative remains the client’s point of contact and continues to meet their needs.
After a field sales executive has identified a potential customer, the representative’s job is to meet with them to learn about their needs and desires. The sales representative creates a proposal based on the meeting in an attempt to convert the prospect into a client. After landing the customer, the field sales representative handles any contracts, paperwork, or documents that must be completed in order to close the deal.
The typical route for a field sales executive is to visit their existing client base throughout their territory. This is done in an attempt to check on product inventory or to see if the service the company is using is performing as expected. This is an opportunity for the field sales representative to make a new sale, either to replenish inventory or to upsell the customer to a higher level of service.
A field sales executive’s ability to negotiate with clients and prospects is critical to their job’s efficiency and effectiveness. Because the representative is going to the client rather than the client coming to the company to buy the products or services, the representative may have a more difficult time closing the sale. When a sales representative comes to them rather than them going to the sales representative or the store to buy what they need, clients are more likely to want better pricing, to barter, and to negotiate.
Because the field sales executive serves as a liaison between the customer and the company for which the representative works, he or she plays an important role. Prospects and clients provide feedback and suggestions to the field sales executive. The representative returns to their company with this information, which can lead to the improvement of existing products or the development of new ones. Finally, because the company is meeting the needs and wants of existing clients while also attracting new ones, this all leads to an increase in sales.