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Sales assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Frederik Beuk,

Joseph Hancock

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical sales assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for sales assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 35.6% of sales assistant resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a sales assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 sales assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how sales assistants use customer service:

Provided exceptional customer service by practicing great communication skills with consumers and sharing my knowledge of natural food products.
Provided excellent customer service by conducting product research and marketing brand advertising packages to satisfy specific customer needs.

2. PowerPoint

Here's how sales assistants use powerpoint:

Prepared overhead slide presentations utilizing MicroSoft PowerPoint for the Sales Director, Manager, and Sales Representatives.
Provide Sales Support for 3 Territory Representatives including preparing Presentations and Quotations in Excel & PowerPoint formats.

3. Account Executives

Account executives help build good relationships with new and existing clients. They interact with brand teams and clients, making them the point of contact. A sales development representative responsibilities entail facilitating sales, generating potential leads, and referring customers to the best salesperson. To succeed in this job post, you need to have the best customer service, math, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills. A bachelor's degree in business marketing, sales, or a similar field fits this role.

Here's how sales assistants use account executives:

Provided administrative support to three senior regional account executives and the Vice-President, International Sales in this successful IT organization.
Completed Competitive Analysis for Account Executives by scanning competitive publications and entering information into a spreadsheet template.

4. Sales Support

Sales support refers to a variety of functions that help sales reps focus on selling and closing deals. Sales support performs a variety of tasks that result in faster sales cycles, lower costs, and higher revenue. Sales support tasks include interviewing and tracking sales leads, matching offers to sales packages, monitoring sales and sales team performance, collecting sales data, providing training and customer service, and managing customers.

Here's how sales assistants use sales support:

Performed international shipping of sales support literature and customer orders to Daimler-Chrysler Mexico and for other international customers.
Provided sales support for the Regional Manager including general administrative support and management of daily office operations.

5. Sales Floor

The sales floor is the area in a company or a business that is specified for retail activities or is designated as the selling area of the shop. A car showroom can be considered a sales floor, as it has cars in its display which are to be sold. A sales floor is generally crowded with sales assistants who are there to help you out while you can search and check out the products. Generally a sales floor has free access to the public and they can observe, view and get information about the product that is being sold.

Here's how sales assistants use sales floor:

Assessed and addressed the needs of the sales floor to ensure all stock is available and brand display standards were met.
Follow Company merchandise presentation directives and standards while merchandising and back stocking incoming truck freight and replenishing the sales floor.

6. Sales Reports

A sale report also known as the sales analysis report provides an overview of the situation of the sales within a company. It reveals various trends occurring in the sales numbers over a certain period. It also analyses the steps of the sales funnel, projects areas for improvement along with the performance of sales executives.

Here's how sales assistants use sales reports:

Assisted sales staff with drafting sales reports, processing orders/credits/returns, delivery/logistics, calendar administration, customer service.
Interacted with customers in Latin America, prepared sales reports for management and performed general administrative tasks.

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7. POS

POS is an abbreviation of "Point of Sale" which is the time and place where a customer completes a transaction. It can either be a physical shop that consists of POS terminals or a virtual shop. A POS system helps simplify the retail functions and track important sales data.

Here's how sales assistants use pos:

Maintained inventory and distribute POS merchandise.
Completed all POS transactions accurately.

8. Product Knowledge

Product knowledge is the skill of having better information and knowledge about the product you are selling. Product knowledge is essential for the employees of the companies so they can communicate and inform the customers about the product. Having great product knowledge is essential for a better sales pitch and to give the customer a better and complete idea of the product that will influence him to buy the product eventually.

Here's how sales assistants use product knowledge:

Assisted customers with sophisticated equipment purchases by demonstrating a high level of product knowledge.
Participated in customer meetings with account executives, providing product demonstrations and product knowledge.

9. Order Entry

Order Entry is the term used to describe and refer to the process of and steps necessary in order to log a customer's order in a company's or organization's order filing systems.

Here's how sales assistants use order entry:

Account management including running inventory, order verification, locating and selecting inventory to complete orders and order entry.
Close Relationships with Clients*Client Order Entry*Customer Service- answering client questions, status of orders, client satisfaction*Customer Returns

10. Sales Process

Here's how sales assistants use sales process:

Contribute to innovating business systems with key stakeholders and improving sales processes.
Developed and executed new sales process, ensuring account application approval.

11. Telephone Calls

Telephone calls are a communication means through which a caller is connected to the called party. The call is done through a telecommunications device called a telephone. The caller can use a landline, mobile phone, or satellite phone to make the call.

Here's how sales assistants use telephone calls:

Answered telephone calls and conveyed information accurately.
Manage showroom: track samples and handle general office duties: telephone calls, fax process orders and maintenance of accounts.

12. Sales Orders

Sales orders, also called an "SO," refer to a document prepared by the seller and given to the customer. This document clarifies and confirms the product purchased, including specific details about the product like size, quantity, color, and price. Information pertaining to the shipping and payment of the goods is also commonly found on a sales order.

Here's how sales assistants use sales orders:

Reviewed and entered sales orders to ensure accurate and timely delivery.
Performed data entry of sales orders and company performance indicators.

13. Event Planning

Here's how sales assistants use event planning:

Organized and oversaw sales, event planning and customer service functions for personal professional development workshops.
Created and executed monthly marketing initiatives through merchandising, event planning, and inventory management.

14. Facebook

Here's how sales assistants use facebook:

Complete client event coordination and successful social media outlet integration including company Facebook and Website management.
Maintained company Facebook page by updating with project pictures and promotional offers.

15. Purchase Orders

Here's how sales assistants use purchase orders:

Negotiated with suppliers to purchase products, processed customer purchase orders and arranged cargo releasing or delivery with documents accordingly.
Collaborated with various internal departments regularly, ensuring satisfaction and completion of purchase orders, escalations, and opportunities.

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What skills help Sales Assistants find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What sales assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Frederik Beuk

Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Akron

Digital Literacy and AI are obviously on everybody's mind. The benefit for early career professionals is that these are skills they can use to differentiate themselves from more established professionals. Embrace these tools. At the same time, being an authentic storyteller that helps buyers envision the potential of your solutions can be an extremely powerful skill.

What technical skills for a sales assistant stand out to employers?

Joseph Hancock

Research Professor, Program Director, Former Retail Operations Manager, Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Technologically savvy is necessary, so what will set you apart are your soft skills, patience, the ability to think beyond yourself. Again, don't be ethnocentric, be multi-centric. I believe technology only exposes us to a virtual world of acceptance, and really if you are going to be sales, you need to be cultured beyond the computer and social media. Understand others and their needs, be a person who tells the potential employer how you are going to go the extra mile to care for customers and make sure their needs are met through your excellent customers service skills (and give solid examples). Most importantly, know what you are selling and realize that the person you are talking to, might know more than you! There have been so many times I walk into a retail store only to have the store associate or manager talk to me as if I know nothing about the product they are selling. Ask your customers questions do not just talk at them, talk with them.

What soft skills should all sales assistants possess?

Sonya DiPalma Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Chair, Academic Policies Committee, Director of MCOM Internship Program, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Be personable and a person someone wants to talk with and work with on a continuing basis. Listening and note-taking skills will be critical. Great employees listen well and ask good follow up questions. Be versatile and adaptable. If you find some downtime between projects, ask how you may help with another project.

Do you want to know more?

List of sales assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a sales assistant resume and required skills for a sales assistant to have include:

Customer Service
PowerPoint
Account Executives
Sales Support
Sales Floor
Sales Reports
POS
Product Knowledge
Order Entry
Sales Process
Telephone Calls
Sales Orders
Event Planning
Facebook
Purchase Orders
Trade Shows

Office Equipment
Administrative Tasks
Wide Orbit
Stock Room
Scheduling Appointments
Sales Presentations
Sales Associates
Front Desk
Sales Reps
Customer Satisfaction
Travel Arrangements
Expense Reports
Media Sales
Customer Orders
Client Relationships
Computer System

Sales Data
Customer Inquiries
Shop Floor
Customer Complaints
Provide Clerical Support
Sales Proposals
Cold Calls
Inventory Control
Sales Contracts
Customer Accounts
Client Accounts
Customer Database
Customer Relations
Client Database
Market Research
Model Homes

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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