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What does a commercial sales associate do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a commercial sales associate do

A commercial sales associate specializes in representing a company to offer products and services to businesses and organizations, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify business and client opportunities, pursuing leads, reaching out through calls and correspondence, arranging appointments, explaining or demonstrating products, and negotiating contracts. Aside from securing sales with businesses, a commercial sales associate must also perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and presentations, arranging schedules, and maintaining records of all transactions, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

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Commercial sales associate responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real commercial sales associate resumes:

  • Accomplish tasks in a timely manner.Skills UsedComputer, math, reading wiring schematics.
  • Assist patients with Critical/Triage calls; document necessary symptoms for medical assistants to determine what medical intervention is necessary.
  • Survey and record HVAC equipment to provide repair and maintenance estimates for facility owners and managers.
  • Prospect for new customers for a new technology in Michigan that involves HVAC and commercial refrigeration systems.
  • Communicate ongoing contact activity utilizing Salesforce.com.

Commercial sales associate skills and personality traits

We calculated that 13% of Commercial Sales Associates are proficient in Cash Handling, Financial Statements, and Treasury. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Interpersonal skills, and Physical stamina.

We break down the percentage of Commercial Sales Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Cash Handling, 13%

    Worked heavily with contractors and made estimates.- Cash handling.- Customer Service.- Daily phone calls, computer work and paper work.

  • Financial Statements, 9%

    Analyze financial statements and tax returns, be involved in lease negotiations, and be primary contact for designated customers.

  • Treasury, 9%

    Implement treasury management products and services.

  • Client Relationships, 9%

    Discovered and developed new client relationships with enhanced customer service and sales skills while further solidifying existing ones.

  • Data Entry, 6%

    Document transactions through data entry and balancing paperwork.

  • Business Development, 5%

    Provided strategic and tactical process improvement and IT consulting services and business development for clients.

Common skills that a commercial sales associate uses to do their job include "cash handling," "financial statements," and "treasury." You can find details on the most important commercial sales associate responsibilities below.

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a commercial sales associate to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to listen to the customer’s needs and concerns before and after the sale." Commercial sales associates often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "documented transactions for incoming and outgoing cash through data entry and auditing paperwork to enable same day credit of customer deposits. "

Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform commercial sales associate duties is interpersonal skills. Commercial sales associates responsibilities require that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be able to work well with many types of people." Commercial sales associates also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "award - 2013 sales excellence award proactive, excellent interpersonal skills, results focused, sales and solution driven. "

Physical stamina. commercial sales associates are also known for physical stamina, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to commercial sales associate responsibilities, because "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives are often on their feet for a long time and may carry heavy sample products." A commercial sales associate resume example shows how physical stamina is used in the workplace: "call points include orthopedic clinics, family medicine clinics, physical therapy offices, hospital or and same day surgery centers. "

Self-confidence. commercial sales associate responsibilities often require "self-confidence." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives must be confident and persuasive when making sales presentations." This resume example shows what commercial sales associates do with self-confidence on a typical day: "work in a confidential environment handling customer's credit card and paypal accounts. "

Most common commercial sales associate skills

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Commercial Sales Associate Resume
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Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume
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Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume
Commercial Sales Associate Resume

Compare different commercial sales associates

Commercial sales associate vs. Associate sales representative

The duties of an associate sales representative depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around reaching out to clients through calls or door-to-door visits, offering products and services, collecting payments, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures when necessary. An associate sales representative often has a quota and deadline to reach; therefore, it is essential to be sales driven and goal-oriented. Furthermore, one must adhere to the policies and regulations of the company.

If we compare the average commercial sales associate annual salary with that of an associate sales representative, we find that associate sales representatives typically earn a $4,852 lower salary than commercial sales associates make annually.Even though commercial sales associates and associate sales representatives are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require business development, powerpoint, and customer service in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a commercial sales associate are more likely to require skills like "cash handling," "financial statements," "treasury," and "client relationships." On the other hand, a job as an associate sales representative requires skills like "work ethic," "patients," "excellent interpersonal," and "excellent organizational." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

On average, associate sales representatives reach similar levels of education than commercial sales associates. Associate sales representatives are 0.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 5.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial sales associate vs. Outside sales

An outside sales representative is responsible for generating the company's sales and revenues by offering goods and services to existing and potential clients, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, and researching on possible leads. Outside sales representatives monitor the current industry trends to identify new business opportunities that would help the business adjust to market changes to achieve profitability goals. An outside sales representative must have excellent communication and customer service skills, immediately resolving complaints and assisting on marketing promotions to gain sales prospects.

A career as a outside sales brings a higher average salary when compared to the average annual salary of a commercial sales associate. In fact, outside sales salary is $21,433 higher than the salary of commercial sales associates per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Commercial sales associates and outside sales both require similar skills like "business development," "customer service," and "customer complaints" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that commercial sales associate responsibilities requires skills like "cash handling," "financial statements," "treasury," and "client relationships." But an outside sales might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "first hand," "ongoing support," "work ethic," and "crm."

In general, outside sales achieve similar levels of education than commercial sales associates. They're 1.8% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 5.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial sales associate vs. Sales support representative

A sales support representative is responsible for assisting the complex operations of sales departments, performing administrative duties under the supervision of a direct manager. Sales support representatives' tasks include acknowledging and encoding customers' orders in the system, processing payments, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the products, writing sales reports, and updating the customer of the shipment details. They also support the sales representatives on selling goods and services to potential customers by creating marketing materials and communicating with customers over the phone and e-mail to generate revenues and increase profits.

On average, sales support representatives earn lower salaries than commercial sales associates, with a $17,549 difference per year.commercial sales associates and sales support representatives both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "powerpoint," "customer service," and "sales floor," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, commercial sales associates are more likely to have skills like "cash handling," "financial statements," "treasury," and "client relationships." But a sales support representative is more likely to have skills like "sales support," "phone calls," "pos," and "good communication."

Most sales support representatives achieve a similar degree level compared to commercial sales associates. For example, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 6.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Commercial sales associate vs. Sales internship

Sales internship is a program that requires work in the business and sales development. Sales interns work as assistants to managers and senior staff. Their duties and responsibilities are administrative. They do research, send emails, update records, and make calls. It is their job to maintain good client relationships. They observe the process and other details related to sales. Also, they help in identifying and tracking sales leads, evaluating success, and generating sales reports.

Sales interns average a lower salary than the annual salary of commercial sales associates. The difference is about $21,399 per year.According to resumes from commercial sales associates and sales interns, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "client relationships," "business development," and "powerpoint. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A commercial sales associate uses "cash handling," "financial statements," "treasury," and "data entry." Sales interns are more likely to have duties that require skills in "sales intern," "crm," "work ethic," and "salesforce. "sales interns reach similar levels of education compared to commercial sales associates, in general. The difference is that they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 6.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of commercial sales associate

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.