What does a retail sales representative do?
A retail salesperson's responsibility is to sell products and provide necessary information to the consumers to convince them of availing items. Retail salesperson's duties include coordinating with promotional programs, recommending strategies to increase sales, answering customer's inquiries, and escalating any concerns to the management that might affect the company's sales performance. A retail salesperson must have excellent communication skills to build a good rapport with the customers and assist them with their needs. A retail salesperson also helps with inventories and documenting a customer's suggestion for service improvement.
Retail sales representative responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real retail sales representative resumes:
- Track leads, manage business opportunity, and initiate sales promotions using Siebel CRM.
- Achieve quarterly and yearly bonus goals by controlling business expenses and effectively managing payroll costs.
- Train new RSC members on sales techniques.
- Complete daily office visit entries through CRM.
- Conduct WebEx & PowerPoint presentations over the phone.
- Used passion for technology and resourcefulness to generate sales.
- Assist customers by answering questions relate to apple products.
- Assist with training peers by helping new RSC members grow with sales.
- Perform conventional, FHA/VA, and MHA loan origination of purchase and refinance mortgages.
- Use of multitasking skills to ensure that customer has great experience within a timely manner.
- Well verse in selling; home security and automation, home internet and television, and DirecTV.
- Top priority are to drive sales of wireless services and products at a kiosk locate inside of Costco.
- Exceed quota with net adds, renewals, pull through, mobile broadband, tablets, and incremental revenue.
- Exceed POS to plan goals for assign stores by selling incremental displays, executing initiatives and maintaining in stock conditions.
- Install DirecTV, Internet services, work with cables, satellite dishes, and transfer wires, and dig lines.
Retail sales representative skills and personality traits
We calculated that 30% of Retail Sales Representatives are proficient in Retail Sales, Retail Store, and POS. They’re also known for soft skills such as Math skills, Selling skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Retail Sales Representatives that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Retail Sales, 30%
Retail Sales Representative on dedicated retail team representing major chocolate manufacturer at national grocery and regional independent retailers.
- Retail Store, 17%
Managed merchandising for retail store/inventories/daily reconciliations.
- POS, 12%
Analyzed Store POS data in order to validate merchandising strategy effectiveness.
- Store Management, 7%
Provide excellent customer service and professional relationship with store management, associates and other distributing companies to help meet client objectives.
- Customer Relationships, 4%
Manage customer relationships and keep customers satisfied by providing exceptional customer service while looking for additional sales opportunities and referrals.
- Broadband, 3%
Exceeded monthly sales quotas by selling wireless technology and services including smart phones, tablet computers, and mobile broadband services.
"retail sales," "retail store," and "pos" are among the most common skills that retail sales representatives use at work. You can find even more retail sales representative responsibilities below, including:
Math skills. The most essential soft skill for a retail sales representative to carry out their responsibilities is math skills. This skill is important for the role because "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers." Additionally, a retail sales representative resume shows how their duties depend on math skills: "established division sales objectives and quantitative measures of performance. "
Selling skills. Another essential skill to perform retail sales representative duties is selling skills. Retail sales representatives responsibilities require that "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers." Retail sales representatives also use selling skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "honed professional sales techniques and informed customers about the technology t-mobiles offers. "
Interpersonal skills. retail sales representatives are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to retail sales representative responsibilities, because "a friendly and outgoing personality is important for these workers because the job requires almost constant interaction with people." A retail sales representative resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "provide backup functions for customer service area by providing product knowledge and appropriate interpersonal skills. "
Customer-service skills. For certain retail sales representative responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "customer-service skills." The day-to-day duties of a retail sales representative rely on this skill, as "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what retail sales representatives do: "organized and maintained effective store inventory levels, provided excellent customer service and implemented innovative sales techniques. "
The three companies that hire the most retail sales representatives are:
- Verizon Services Corp.
5,599 retail sales representatives jobs
- Advantage Solutions337 retail sales representatives jobs
- Verizon Communications334 retail sales representatives jobs
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Compare different retail sales representatives
Retail sales representative 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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a retail sales representative are more likely to require skills like "store management," "strong computer," "customer relationships," and "broadband." On the other hand, a job as a sales clerk requires skills like "stock shelves," "sales transactions," "store policies," and "professional selling." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Sales clerks earn the highest salaries when working in the energy industry, with an average yearly salary of $28,784. On the other hand, retail sales representatives are paid more in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $41,295.sales clerks tend to reach similar levels of education than retail sales representatives. In fact, sales clerks are 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Retail sales representative vs. Retail clerk
A retail clerk is responsible for selling goods and services to the customers, recommending products based on their needs, and responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns about the product. Retail clerks assist with the store's marketing strategies, organize product displays, monitor inventories, endorse promotional discounts, and help customers on their checkout payments. A retail clerk must have excellent communication and customer service skills to handle customers' requests and ensure their highest satisfaction.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real retail sales representative resumes. While retail sales representative responsibilities can utilize skills like "store management," "strong computer," "customer relationships," and "broadband," retail clerks use skills like "stock shelves," "groceries," "basic math," and "customer satisfaction."
Retail clerks earn a lower average salary than retail sales representatives. But retail clerks earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $30,316. Additionally, retail sales representatives earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $41,295 annually.retail clerks earn similar levels of education than retail sales representatives in general. They're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Retail sales representative vs. Retail sales associate/cashier
A cashier is responsible for ensuring all the products and goods sold are well recorded and paid for as well as answering customer inquiries and recommending products. They also help the other sales team when needed and process payment for all goods bought. Their duties and responsibilities include processing payments, ensuring all goods bought are accurately scanned and recorded, and bagging purchases.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, retail sales representatives are more likely to have skills like "store management," "strong computer," "customer relationships," and "broadband." But a retail sales associate/cashier is more likely to have skills like "basic math," "math," "cash handling," and "loss prevention."
Retail sales associate/cashiers earn the highest salary when working in the retail industry, where they receive an average salary of $27,103. Comparatively, retail sales representatives have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $41,295.Most retail sales associate/cashiers achieve a similar degree level compared to retail sales representatives. For example, they're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Retail sales representative vs. Retail sales manager
A retail sales manager is responsible for managing the retail sales department's operations, ensuring the highest customer satisfaction with the staff's efficiency and performance. Retail sales managers develop sales strategies and marketing campaigns to boost revenues, increasing the company's profitability. They also conduct training and programs for staff to maximize their productivity and provide the best customer service for their clients. A retail sales manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, respond to the customers' inquiries and concerns, and resolve their complaints.
Types of retail sales representative
Updated January 8, 2025
