What is a Sales Rep? And How Do You Become One?

Ever wondered what a sales representative actually does? Think you might be a good fit for the role and want to know how to become one?

What is a Sales Rep?

A sales representative is a person whose job it is to champion a company/their products to potential buyers. As with most sales roles they fall into two categories: business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B).

While similar in concept B2B and B2C couldn’t be more different when it comes to experience. Consumers are generally expected to buy quickly based on impulse. They’re usually one person making a decision for themself. Businesses on the other hand tend to be slow and considered in their decision making but spend more money in the long run. This is why the specific role of sales rep is more common in B2B sales.

Businesses want to take their time talking with someone who knows the product and knows their needs. In fact, part of a sales rep’s job involves liaising with the product team, communicating common wants and needs that are not being met by the product.

What Makes a Good Sales Rep?

In some ways, being a sales rep is similar to being a brand ambassador. Although the focus is less on your company’s wider reputation and more on individual connections and deals, the two roles do have a lot of cross over.

As a sales rep, many will see you as the face of a company. Your conduct will reflect back on the people you work for and even the product you’re selling. Put simply, if people like you, then they’ll want to like your product.

It’s also important to note that the B2B context most sales reps work in is less hostile than B2C sales. Due to the fast nature of B2C sales, consumers often feel a lack of authenticity on the part of the seller. They feel the need to keep their guard up and will take anything the seller says as being suspect. At the same time, sellers are less motivated to develop friendly on-going relationships with individual customers. It’s quantity over quality.

Now we’re not saying that a good B2B sales rep won’t upsell their product or downplay ways in which a product might not meet needs. That said, when working between businesses, the atmosphere is much closer to a negotiation. So while a sales rep isn’t the same thing as a brand ambassador, they are something of a diplomat nonetheless.

Earnings Potential

Measuring a sales rep’s earnings can get a little complicated. In the UK base salaries start around £23K and can go as high as £50K with a small minority far exceeding that in specific, niche/luxury industries.

That, however, is far from the whole story. As a sales rep, your salary is only a chunk of your earnings. Sales reps also take home a commission based on their sales, bonuses for hitting targets, and sometimes even company shares. In practice this means that it’s not uncommon at all for successful sales staff to take home six figure salaries. This is particularly true for those working in enterprise software/SAAS.

How to Become a Sales Rep

Becoming a sales rep isn’t about going to the right university or studying late into the night. It’s about working your way up through retail.

It’s not uncommon to hear the sales world described as Darwinian. While this may be a bit of an exaggeration, it’s not far from the truth. Few jobs come with such direct measurements of your success. When working in sales, your boss can always see exactly how much money you’re making for the company and if the numbers are good you’ll get promoted. Eventually you’ll be able to get into a rep position.

All that said, being good at sales alone isn’t always enough. It’s important to understand that not every part of the job is under your control. You might be able to convert every customer that steps through the door into a sale but if nobody walks into the shop that day, there’s nothing you can do. On top of this, a lot of companies simply aren’t very good at promoting from within, instead hiring from outside for more senior roles.

That’s why you have to be willing to job hop in order to climb the career ladder. Always be on the look out for better positions where you can gain experience and where your skills will be an asset.

If you want to go from the shop floor to being a high earning sales rep in just a few years, then you need to be good at networking. You need to get your name out there in your industry. On top of that, make sure to always keep an eye on the job market. You never know when the next opportunity will come your way.