What does a general sales associate do?
The job of a general sales associate is to provide great customer service and increase the revenue of a business. They sell products and services and help customers find the right product. Depending on the retail store, their responsibilities may involve organizing store shelves, answering customers' questions, ringing up purchases, operating the cash register, and greeting customers. They may also be expected to take full charge of the managing of all financial transactions and balancing drawers.
General sales associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real general sales associate resumes:
- Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
- Exhibit rudimentary math skills and advance communication skills when efficiently cashiering in a fast pace environment.
- Perform minor repairs on Kohl's jewelry like changing watch batteries and removing watch links.
General sales associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of General Sales Associates are proficient in POS, Work Ethic, and Food Preparation. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Selling skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of General Sales Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- POS, 15%
Mastered POS computer system for automated order taking Maintained high standards of customer service during high-volume, fast-paced operations.
- Work Ethic, 14%
Demonstrated a strong work ethic, and the ability to quickly learn new tasks.
- Food Preparation, 11%
Cashiered, food preparation, activity guide, cleaned and sales for parties of over 500+ at times.
- PowerPoint, 10%
Authored and developed training documentation such as participant materials, quick reference guides and PowerPoint presentation materials to use in stores.
- Customer Service, 10%
Gained experience in warehouse environment such as inventory management and logistics while providing customer service and product expertise.
- Lead Generation, 9%
Collaborated with Assistant Manager to define lead generation activities.
Most general sales associates use their skills in "pos," "work ethic," and "food preparation" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential general sales associate responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a general sales associate to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "a friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people." Additionally, a general sales associate resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "created sales and customer relationship opportunities by utilizing keen communication and interpersonal capabilities. "
Selling skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling general sales associate duties is selling skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers." According to a general sales associate resume, here's how general sales associates can utilize selling skills in their job responsibilities: "handle customer complaints, develop sales schedules and assist with ordering inventory. "
Customer-service skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of general sales associates is customer-service skills. This skill is critical to many everyday general sales associate duties, as "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "participated in loss prevention, assisted customers with questions, worked the register, and restocked the floor. "
Math skills. general sales associate responsibilities often require "math skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers." This resume example shows what general sales associates do with math skills on a typical day: "completed inventory using problem-solving and basic mathematical skills. "
The three companies that hire the most general sales associates are:
- Dollar General9 general sales associates jobs
- Automation Personnel Services2 general sales associates jobs
- Petco Holdings, Inc.2 general sales associates jobs
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Compare different general sales associates
General sales associate vs. Sales associate and customer service
Sales and customer service associates are employees who are responsible for closing out sales deals and attending to customer needs. They are in charge of selling company goods and services to potential clients, often citing the common needs of prospective clients to ensure sales. They also handle customer inquiries and complaints and try their best to mitigate any problems that would arise. They are expected to be experts on company products to ensure that they can provide the best service to customers. Sales and customer service associates should have strong interpersonal skills, customer service skills, and communication skills.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between general sales associates and sales associate and customer service. For instance, general sales associate responsibilities require skills such as "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "food preparation," and "powerpoint." Whereas a sales associate and customer service is skilled in "plumbing," "phone calls," "booking," and "math." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Sales associate and customer services really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $30,394. Comparatively, general sales associates tend to make the most money in the automotive industry with an average salary of $32,400.The education levels that sales associate and customer services earn slightly differ from general sales associates. In particular, sales associate and customer services are 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a general sales associate. Additionally, they're 3.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General sales associate vs. Sales associate and cashier
A sales associate and cashier is an employee who takes on the dual role of helping customers with their product inquiries and facilitating the purchase of the customer. As a sales associate, the employee must be familiar with the different products offered by the company and should be able to direct customers to the product that best suits their needs. As a cashier, the employee must be familiar with the cash register and the system that the company uses to manage sales and facilitate payment. He/She or she must be able to work the equipment needed for a smooth checkout process.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that general sales associate responsibilities requires skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "food preparation," and "powerpoint." But a sales associate and cashier might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "basic math," "mathematics," "cash drawers," and "credit card payments."
Sales associate and cashiers earn a lower average salary than general sales associates. But sales associate and cashiers earn the highest pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $27,492. Additionally, general sales associates earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $32,400 annually.In general, sales associate and cashiers achieve similar levels of education than general sales associates. They're 2.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 3.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General sales associate vs. Team associate
A team associate is responsible for organizing supply stock and performs cleaning duties to maintain a pleasant shopping experience for the customers. Team associates are usually employed in a shopping industry, providing the best customer service for the consumers by responding to their inquiries and concerns and directing them to their specific needs. They also convey promotional offers and featured products to the consumers, requiring them to have excellent communication and negotiation skills to help the business generate revenues and increase profitability.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a general sales associate is likely to be skilled in "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "food preparation," and "lead generation," while a typical team associate is skilled in "pet," "reservations," "kids," and "patients."
Team associates earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $31,701. Comparatively, general sales associates have the highest earning potential in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $32,400.team associates typically earn similar educational levels compared to general sales associates. Specifically, they're 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General sales associate vs. Sales support associate
A sales support associate is an individual who is responsible for assisting sales staff and help customers. To provide this assistance, sales support associates use customer communication methods such as telephones or email to process customer orders and ensure that they are accurate. They work closely with distributors to make sure that products are available for their customers. Sales support associates may function as either part-time or full time, but companies may require excellent communication skills.
Updated January 8, 2025
