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Sales Trainee Duties and Responsibilities

The type of organization a sales trainee works for will determine the exact roles and responsibilities. Based on job listings we analyzed, a sales trainee's duties typically involve:

Adhere to Procedures As a trainee, adhering to company procedures and learning new systems is an important part of a sales trainee's daily tasks. This includes attending company training sessions on products or services and completing study assignments.

Assist Customers Sales trainees assist customers who are making purchases by providing them with information to help their decision, informing them of sales services and warrantees, and ensuring that the payment procedures are expedited.

Support Sales Representatives Sales trainees help sales representations through selecting products or services for customers, answering questions, and checking stock and availability. If a particular product is being pushed, sales trainees will assist in selling these to reach sales targets.

Rotate Stock Depending on the company and type of sales role, sales trainees are also involved in rotating stock and learning about stock control, checking the quantities of products, and updating inventory records.

Enter Data Processing payments or maintaining customer details is a key part of the role as a sales trainee, as well as keeping customer preference records up to date. Sales trainees often use computers to input data and need to be comfortable working with computers and software.

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Sales Trainee Skills and Qualifications

Sales trainees have strong interpersonal skills, the ability to remain professional and polite with colleagues and customers, and good selling abilities. Typically, employers will require a high school diploma and prior retail or sales experience, as well as the following abilities:
  • Customer Service Skills - Sales trainees spend a large proportion of their time working with customers and assisting them with queries or complaints, so strong customer service skills are necessary along with a professional disposition
  • Math Abilities - This role requires the ability to calculate discounts, totals, and refunds owed to customers, so sales trainees need to have good numerical skills
  • Persistence - Selling to customers can sometimes require patience, so sales trainees need to not get discouraged when a sale isn't successful straight away and be able to remain persistent
  • Communication Skills - Sales trainees need to communicate effectively with people of all different personality types and remain polite and clear when providing information to customers
  • Teamwork - Sales trainees work alongside other sales colleagues, so they work effectively as part of a team and take on tasks when necessary to assist their team mates
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Sales Trainee Education and Training

The minimum requirement to become a sales trainee is a high school diploma, although many employees may prefer applicants who have a bachelor's degree in marketing or a similar subject. A background in sales or evidence of retail experience is also beneficial for this role. Much of the training for this position is on the job training from more experienced colleagues.
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Sales Trainee Salary and Outlook

The median annual salary for sales trainees is over $40,000. Sales trainees in the 10th percentile earn around $21,000 annually, while the highest paid earn $72,000 a year. Some companies offer bonus or profit sharing schemes, as well as commission, which can reach as much as $29,000. Some employers offer health benefits, such as medical and dental insurance, as part of their benefits package. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the growth rate for this sector is expected to grow by 2 percent through 2026.
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Helpful Resources

We've collected some of the best resources to help you start your career as a sales trainee:

The Sales Bible - This book, by Jeffrey Gitomer, is the ultimate sales guide that serves as a great resource for helping sales professionals to reach their full potential. From generating leads to using top-down selling techniques, this book offers a great selection of useful tips.

Outbound Sales. No Fluff - A concise but thorough guide to the fundamentals of sales, this book is ideal for anyone that's new to sales as well as those looking to brush up on their knowledge. This is a modern take on a classic subject, with the framework and skills needed to develop a successful career based on practical advice.

Sales Best Practices - This LinkedIn group, with over 300,000 members, is focused on sharing best practices, experiences, and solutions related to sales and marketing. From cold calling to productivity and sales tools, this is a great place to learn new skills and build knowledge.

Sandler Training Blog - Posting a varied mix of advice for every type of sales professional, from managers to sales executives, the posts on this blog typically include sample messaging, examples, and concepts that readers can put into action.

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