What does a sales associate do?
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.
Sales associate responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real sales associate resumes:
- Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
- Gain experience with credit cards, mathematics, as well as customer service.
- Utilize forklift, order picker reach truck, electric ladder, or roll ladders to transfer merchandise to the sales floor.
- Create Facebook page for Ohco Import/Export division.
- Increase sales by upselling products and follow up sales calls.
- Assist customers with the purchase of the perfect piece of jewelry
- Act as a sales associate, upselling products and increasing store revenue.
- Handle currency and operate computerize cash register system with the use of mathematics skills.
- Help customers with product information and pricing and run computer for sales and catalog distribution.
- Provide support to clients and partners for Medicare supplemental insurance in a multiple channel contact center.
- Update store blog & Facebook profile and assist in editing the monthly newsletter for artists and customers.
- Certify on, forklifts, reach truck, electric pallet jack, slip truck, and electric ladders and order pickers.
- Lead one-on-one training focuse on Kohl's core values of customer service, credit solicitation, and efficiency for new associates.
- Handle money proficiently and used math regularly.
- Monitor and run a cash wrap.perform inventory.
Sales associate skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Sales Associates are proficient in Customer Service, Sales Floor, and Cash Handling. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Math skills, and Selling skills.
We break down the percentage of Sales Associates that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 15%
Implemented daily activities that provided a level of efficiency needed to ensure excellence in customer service and customer experiences.
- Sales Floor, 13%
Assisted in execution of merchandising and operational functions to company standards within sales floor areas where assigned
- Cash Handling, 9%
Cashier-Received and disbursed money, assisted customers with their purchases, ability to multitask, cash handling experience preferred
- Retail Sales, 9%
Answered questions about merchandise and provided product information to enhance retail sales and ensure ongoing customer satisfaction.
- Loss Prevention, 7%
Cleaned and inspected customers high-value possessions and followed loss prevention and security procedure for customer pieces and store-owned jewelry.
- Basic Math, 5%
Cashier experience; basic math skills, finalizing sales, handling money and credit card transactions.
Common skills that a sales associate uses to do their job include "customer service," "sales floor," and "cash handling." You can find details on the most important sales associate responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for a 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 sales associate resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "developed interpersonal skills and sales techniques. "
Math skills. Many sales associate duties rely on math skills. "retail sales workers must have the ability to calculate price totals, discounts, and change owed to customers.," so a sales associate will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways sales associate responsibilities rely on math skills: "process transactions using proper cash handling and basic math skills. "
Selling skills. sales associates are also known for selling skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to sales associate responsibilities, because "retail sales workers must be persuasive when interacting with customers." A sales associate resume example shows how selling skills is used in the workplace: "demonstrated the ability to generate sales and repeat business delivering an exceptional client experience; continue to develop personal sales techniques. "
Customer-service skills. sales associate responsibilities often require "customer-service skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "retail sales workers must be responsive to the wants and needs of customers." This resume example shows what sales associates do with customer-service skills on a typical day: "directed customer experience and maximized sales opportunities through effective sales techniques, relationship-building, and ensuring customer satisfaction. "
The three companies that hire the most sales associates are:
- Dollar General19,735 sales associates jobs
- AutoZone9,871 sales associates jobs
- Tractor Supply4,008 sales associates jobs
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Compare different sales associates
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.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a sales associate are more likely to require skills like "cash handling," "basic math," "cleanliness," and "ladders." On the other hand, a job as a sales associate and customer service requires skills like "plumbing," "sales associates," "phone calls," and "booking." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Sales associate and customer services really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $30,394. Comparatively, sales associates tend to make the most money in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $31,917.The education levels that sales associate and customer services earn slightly differ from sales associates. In particular, sales associate and customer services are 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a sales associate. Additionally, they're 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Sales associate 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.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real sales associate resumes. While sales associate responsibilities can utilize skills like "cleanliness," "customer satisfaction," "ladders," and "store appearance," retail sales associate/cashiers use skills like "credit card payments," "store sales," "customer sales," and "charge slips."
On average, retail sales associate/cashiers earn a lower salary than sales associates. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, retail sales associate/cashiers earn the most pay in the retail industry with an average salary of $27,103. Whereas sales associates have higher pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $31,917.In general, retail sales associate/cashiers achieve similar levels of education than sales associates. They're 0.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for sales associates in the next 3-5 years?
Travis Kurowski Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Writing Program Lead, York College of Pennsylvania
Sales associate vs. Sales associate sporting goods
Commissioned sales associates are professionals who conduct sale transactions that can generate additional compensation by increasing selling operations. These associates are must collaborate successfully with fellow associates in regard to sales and commission distribution. They must provide excellent customer service so that they can establish long term relationships with customers and ensure high satisfaction. Commissioned sales associates must also assist the department managers with visual merchandising to arrange racks so that they can place and stock new merchandise.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a sales associate is likely to be skilled in "cash handling," "retail sales," "basic math," and "customer satisfaction," while a typical sales associate sporting goods is skilled in "background checks," "pallets," "goods sales," and "ammo."
When it comes to education, sales associates sporting goods tend to earn similar degree levels compared to sales associates. In fact, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Sales associate vs. Commissioned sales associate
Updated January 8, 2025
