What does a product consultant do?
A product consultant is an individual who collaborates with client managers and project managers to analyze client requirements and provide optimal products. Product consultants are required to leverage industry and product knowledge to answer customer inquiries and provide customer consultations. To maintain excellent customer service, product consultants should maintain courtesy and professionalism as well as attentive to product details. They must also train new consultants on product knowledge and communicate sales strategies to the field agents of the company across the region.
Product consultant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real product consultant resumes:
- Provide SharePoint development and administration, budget and financial reporting; manage invoicing; and develop training manuals and user guides.
- Experience with the PeopleSoft CRM module.
- Operate a computerize cash register using POS system.
- Use SQL to validate data and maintain the database.
- Create SQL queries and reports for issue definition and resolution.
- Experience using multiple CRM systems such as Salesforce and NetSuite.
- Work closely with clients to log, verify and troubleshoot software issues.
- Collaborate on wardrobe hair, make-up and behavior to promote executive presence.
- Demonstrate knowledge of POS systems which includes on line orders and in store sales.
- Provide and maintain analysis on mutual funds, alternative investments, and variable annuities.
- Create different custom page layouts to meets the UI needs of clients and customers.
- Provide trouble shooting corrections on fail scans so that MRI staff can optimize their scanning options.
- Consult customers about beauty care desires and make product recommendations, upselling and cross selling as needed.
- Work with data feeds, SSIS reports, UI design, individual module design changes for various clients.
- Create an overall beauty experience for clients by building relationships, doing full face consultations, upselling, and having events
Product consultant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Product Consultants are proficient in Assists Clients, Product Knowledge, and Drive Sales. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Math skills, and Persistence.
We break down the percentage of Product Consultants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Assists Clients, 20%
Greet and assists clients efficiently Participates in learning environment Provides great customer service
- Product Knowledge, 20%
Leveraged industry and product knowledge to answer customer inquiries related to offered service packages.
- Drive Sales, 15%
Initiated bundling of online development tool as a standard offering with all PDI assessment and coaching engagements to drive sales.
- Learning Environment, 13%
Participated in a learning environment.
- Ensure Sales, 12%
Engaged clients to ensure sales through product application, targeted selling, and exceptional customer service.
- Project Management, 2%
Updated and delivered Consultant training and Project Management training (including Microsoft Project orientation) to information services mangers.
Most product consultants use their skills in "assists clients," "product knowledge," and "drive sales" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential product consultant responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a product consultant to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers." Product consultants often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "facilitated clients by ensuring optimal in-store customer experience through tailored services, targeted selling, and product applications. "
Math skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling product consultant duties is math skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers." According to a product consultant resume, here's how product consultants can utilize math skills in their job responsibilities: "manage renewable energy programs and create quantitative analysis of emerging technologies. "
Persistence. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of product consultants is persistence. This skill is critical to many everyday product consultant duties, as "a large number of attempted sales may not be successful, so sales workers should not be discouraged easily." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "used castor framework to convert xml files to java objects and their subsequent persistence in database using the daos. "
Selling skills. product consultant responsibilities often require "selling skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers." This resume example shows what product consultants do with selling skills on a typical day: "provided personalized client services and education using targeted selling and product application demos. "
Interpersonal skills. Another common skill required for product consultant responsibilities is "interpersonal skills." This skill comes up in the duties of product consultants all the time, as "a friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people." An excerpt from a real product consultant resume shows how this skill is central to what a product consultant does: "use strong interpersonal skills and sales skills to find the right products for clients' needs. "
The three companies that hire the most product consultants are:
- Deloitte135 product consultants jobs
- Highmark50 product consultants jobs
- Bank of America42 product consultants jobs
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Compare different product consultants
Product consultant vs. Sales associate
Sales associates are responsible for promoting the company's goods or services. They are expected to provide exceptional customer service to prospective buyers. They should be familiar with all features of the company's products or services so that they can answer the customers' inquiries. Sales associates also assist customers in processing their checkouts, refunds, returns, and other needs. They should be customer-oriented, and they should have great communication skills. They should know how to sell their products or services to customers. They are considered the company's representatives on the ground.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, product consultant responsibilities require skills like "assists clients," "drive sales," "learning environment," and "ensure sales." Meanwhile a typical sales associate has skills in areas such as "cash handling," "retail sales," "loss prevention," and "basic math." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Sales associates really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $31,917. Comparatively, product consultants tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $106,130.sales associates tend to reach lower levels of education than product consultants. In fact, sales associates are 7.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Product consultant vs. Sales clerk
A sales clerk is responsible for assisting customers in purchasing products, responding to customer inquiries, and providing product recommendations. Sales clerks require excellent customer service and communication skills to offer the best services to the customers and maintain good customer feedback for the business. They also check inventories, request supplies as needed, and organize product displays on the appropriate shelves. A sales clerk must have strong verbal communication skills to manage customer concerns and excellent time-management skills to perform tasks within the fast-paced work environment.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that product consultant responsibilities requires skills like "assists clients," "drive sales," "learning environment," and "ensure sales." But a sales clerk might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "stock shelves," "retail sales," "sales transactions," and "store policies."
On average, sales clerks earn a lower salary than product consultants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, sales clerks earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $28,784. Whereas product consultants have higher pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $106,130.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Sales clerks tend to reach lower levels of education than product consultants. In fact, they're 7.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Product consultant vs. Associate
Associates are typically entry-level positions for employees who are taking on their first job or organizational role. They are assigned to teams or departments that are related to their skills or educational background. They usually start with smaller tasks that may not seem as impactful but are still essential to the department. Associates are trained by more tenured team members on the ins and outs of the department and the organization. As they grow with the organization, they are given more responsibilities that directly impact the results of the department's initiatives as they work towards their goals.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from product consultant resumes include skills like "assists clients," "drive sales," "learning environment," and "ensure sales," whereas an associate is more likely to list skills in "patients," "cleanliness," "hr," and "customer issues. "
Associates typically earn similar educational levels compared to product consultants. Specifically, they're 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 5.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Product consultant vs. Store associate
A store associate is responsible for assisting customers with the products they need and recommending alternative goods that would fit their budget. Sales associates also market promotional offers and provide product descriptions to the customer. They also monitor inventories, stock supplies on the appropriate shelves, and ensure the cleanliness and orderliness of the store. Store associates also perform other administrative tasks as needed, such as creating sales reports, assisting in the counter, and helping customers on carrying their items.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between product consultants and store associates, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a product consultant might have more use for skills like "assists clients," "drive sales," "learning environment," and "ensure sales." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of store associates require skills like "compassion," "retail store," "inventory management," and "cleanliness. "
The retail industry tends to pay the highest salaries for store associates, with average annual pay of $29,472. Comparatively, the highest product consultant annual salary comes from the technology industry.store associates reach lower levels of education compared to product consultants, in general. The difference is that they're 8.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of product consultant
Updated January 8, 2025
