salespeople

Salespeople are professionals who engage with potential buyers to promote and sell goods or services. They work across industries and settings, from retail clerks to business-to-business account executives. The primary objective is to understand customer needs, present suitable solutions, and secure a purchase while building ongoing relationships that support repeat business and customer satisfaction.

Common responsibilities include prospecting new leads, qualifying prospects, delivering product demonstrations or presentations, answering questions, handling objections, negotiating terms, and closing deals. They also perform post-sale activities such as onboarding, training, and account management, and maintain records in customer relationship management (CRM) systems to track interactions and forecast demand.

Key skills include strong communication and listening, empathy, product knowledge, problem solving, and time management. Successful salespeople adapt their approach to different customers and channels; many employ structured methods such as consultative selling or SPIN and Challenger approaches. They rely on data and technology, including CRM software, sales automation tools, and digital outreach to manage pipelines and measure progress.

Performance is typically measured against quotas and metrics such as win rate, average deal size, sales cycle length, and customer lifetime value. Compensation commonly blends base pay with commissions or bonuses, and career paths range from sales representative to account executive and sales management. Ethical considerations, customer trust, and ongoing training are important for sustainable results.