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Sales assoc skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Joseph Hancock,

Sonya DiPalma Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical sales assoc skills. We ranked the top skills for sales assocs based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 31.6% of sales assoc resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a sales assoc needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 sales assoc 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 assocs use customer service:

Provided customer service in the electronic department.
Job duties: Customer service/stock/unload merchandise from truck/clean

2. Sales Objectives

Here's how sales assocs use sales objectives:

Contribute strongly to a sales team though product knowledge of vast inventory to continually meet sales objectives.

3. Retail Sales

Retail sales are the method to track consumer demand for finished goods by assessing the purchases of durable and non-durable products over a definite period. Data on retail sales is accumulated monthly by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Here's how sales assocs use retail sales:

Job Description: Retail sales along with running the day to day functions of Electronics retail store.
Retail sales, Maintain integrity of floor and back room stock, Assisted customers in all departments

4. Store Appearance

Here's how sales assocs use store appearance:

Delivered excellent customer service including selling, suggesting additional related merchandise, maintaining merchandise stocks, and store appearance.
Maintained store appearance, assisted in processing and replenishing merchandise and assisted with customer service inquiries.

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 assocs use sales floor:

Gained technical knowledge of various electronics/specialized in GPS sales/Load customer vehicles/Stock and organize sales floor/
Shoe and Home Fashions sales associate responsible for direct sales to the customer, replenishment to sales floor, and display.

6. 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 assocs use product knowledge:

Down stocked merchandise Aided customers with product knowledge Cashed out customer sales at register
Provided excellent customer service while educating customers on product knowledge Utilized creative problem solving skills when adapting corporate directed floor-sets

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7. Strong Customer Service

Here's how sales assocs use strong customer service:

Position requires strong customer service skills, cash handling ability, and strong knowledge of product.
Display high energy level and strong customer service skills.

8. Cleanliness

Here's how sales assocs use cleanliness:

Decorated and maintained cleanliness of the office.
Maintained cleanliness in both bathrooms and kitchen.

9. Phone Calls

Phone calls are a wireless or wired connection made over a telephone or a mobile phone between two people. Two parties are involved in a phone call, the caller and the receiver. A caller dials the number of the one he wants to call, and the recipient hears a bell or a tune to which he picks up the call. The call establishes a connection between them through which they can communicate. The voice is converted into signals and is transmitted through wired or wireless technology.

Here's how sales assocs use phone calls:

Answered incoming telephone calls with professional and knowledgeable responses.
Answered telephone calls and processed daily paperwork.

10. Cash Handling

Here's how sales assocs use cash handling:

Assist customers with purchases Maintain daily sales goals Stock, and facility duties Cash handling
Cashier-Received and disbursed money, assisted customers with their purchases, ability to multitask, cash handling experience preferred

11. 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 assocs use pos:

Process monetary transactions of POS System Assist customers with merchandise and purchases Merchandised items not purchased
Serviced retail customers by processing purchase orders/request and deliveries; displaying specific POS materials for advertisement and product announcement.

12. Sales Transactions

Sales transaction is defined as the completed agreement between two or more parties involved in selling and payment of goods or services in exchange for money. The steps or procedure done is called sales transaction, which may include negotiation or bargaining, settlement of agreement including the agreement on the price, discount, and payment method whether this will be on cash basis or installment. The buyer may inquire about the product or services during the sales transaction and making the necessary adjustment with the seller until they come up with a specific agreement.

Here's how sales assocs use sales transactions:

Balanced providing customer with creating high-quality products - Performed sales transactions and cash management duties - Managed salesroom displays and backroom inventories
Completed sales transactions by accepting payments following established procedures for different types of transactions and calculating discounts when appropriate.

13. Financial Transactions

The type of agreement held between two parties (buyer and seller) regarding an exchange of funds for an asset, is termed as a financial transaction. The financial transaction is the exchange of products, services, cash or credit, information, and other things of value among two separate entities for a common goal.

Here's how sales assocs use financial transactions:

Handle cash, change and conduct financial transactions.
Interacted with customers, greeting and helping them select clothing that fit their needs Handled financial transactions

14. Customer Complaints

Here's how sales assocs use customer complaints:

Assist customers with product selection as well as investigate and resolve customer complaints.
Increase sales and performance Resolved customer complaints to satisfaction of customers consistent with store policy

15. Loss Prevention

The steps taken by a business to prevent theft is called loss prevention. There are multiple methods for loss prevention for example usage of automated cash handling, secure physical location, product security staff buy-in, and attentive customer service.

Here's how sales assocs use loss prevention:

Perform weekly inventory for loss prevention.
Maintain good housekeeping standards Adhere to Loss Prevention and inventory control and compliance procedures Balance drawers and deposits

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What skills help Sales Assocs find jobs?

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

What technical skills for a sales assoc 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 assocs 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 assoc skills to add to your resume

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

Customer Service
Sales Objectives
Retail Sales
Store Appearance
Sales Floor
Product Knowledge
Strong Customer Service
Cleanliness
Phone Calls
Cash Handling
POS
Sales Transactions

Financial Transactions
Customer Complaints
Loss Prevention
Groceries
Unload Trucks
Product Displays
Stock Room
Clean Store
Credit Card
Computer System
Telephone Calls
Jewelry

Cash Drawers
Cash Registers
Store Displays
Customer Inquiries
Inventory Control
Retail Store
Stock Merchandise
Customer Orders
Bank Deposits
Security Practices
Merchandise Selection

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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