what is a sales consultant?
As a sales consultant, you participate in improving a company's sales and product promotion. Since you have experience in the sales industry and a well-developed network, you can facilitate negotiations and persuade your network to purchase your client's products. You also close deals effortlessly using a structured and proven process.
You will work with sales and marketing teams to analyse opportunities and develop a marketing strategy. As a sales consultant, you offer advice and assist sales representatives in developing marketing strategies to meet targets and goals. Since you are responsible for nurturing a company's relationship with clients, you have to train the sales representatives to drive sales and close deals.
As a sales consultant, you can work for a consulting firm and help different companies that need to improve their sales strategies. Alternatively, you can focus on a specific organisation and use your skills to analyse market statistics and develop ways to improve brand awareness and beat competitors. You don't have to meet with prospects when you work for a specific company, as you have sales representatives to close deals. Your role will involve supervising and advising the company on areas of improvement in sales.
Would working in sales as a sales consultant suit your analytical and negotiation skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a sales consultant role.
sales consultant salary
According to ONS, the average salary of a sales consultant in the UK is £31,846 per year. That means sales consultants earn an hourly rate of approximately £16.33. New sales consultants receive £25,000 at the beginning of their careers, while experienced sales consultants earn over £55,000 annually. Apart from basic pay, you will receive various allowances and benefits, including paid holidays and medical insurance.
Since the sales industry relies on rewards to motivate staff to achieve their goals, sales consultants receive commissions for closing deals. Some companies have annual bonuses for bringing in top clients. You can also boost your income through overtime pay and other incentives provided to the sales team.
factors that determine the salary of a sales consultant
A sales consultant's compensation package relies on their experience and networking skills. Your experience lands you more clients and increases your commissions and other perks. Your qualifications and skills also influence your earnings. As you increase your academic qualifications, the compensation package scales upwards. That's because education improves your transferable skills.
Sometimes, the company size and location also affect your earnings. You earn higher commissions and bonuses for successful deals if you work in a large company. Small start-ups have minimal commissions since the deals they close don't bring huge revenue to the business. Urban centres also pay more due to the high demand for sales consultants.
types of sales consultant
Some of the types of sales consultants include:
- independent sales consultant: an independent sales consultant is an external expert in sales who can help client companies achieve their goals. Your role is to assess your client's current sales and marketing strategies and study market statistics. You recommend the best promotional strategies for various company products and train sales representatives on ways to close deals.
- automotive sales consultant: you are an expert in selling vehicles and automobiles. Your job is to study demographics and identify groups likely to buy a specific type of vehicle. You also design sales strategies for specific target groups.
- home sales consultant: you assist estate agents with closing deals and selling properties by devising a sales and marketing strategy that targets different buyers.
- sales and marketing consultant: a sales consultant can harmonise the functions of sales and marketing teams and ensure they work towards the same goals. For instance, you help companies develop marketing strategies that complement sales techniques to ensure the customer receives the same message from the company.
working as a sales consultant
Working as a sales consultant involves developing creative ways to sell products and services to different customers. You need persuasiveness and creativity to meet your targets and accomplish your goals.
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sales consultant job description
In every industry, a sales consultant performs unique roles. However, some of the typical roles of a sales consultant include:
- identifying prospects: as a sales consultant, you look out for potential customers in various marketing channels. You can find prospects from the company's phone directory, social media pages and other sales and marketing sources.
- contacting prospective and existing customers: when you have a list of prospects, you can initiate contact and create mutually beneficial relationships. You also maintain contact with existing clients to ensure they are happy with your services.
- scheduling appointments with potential customers: after initial contact with prospects, you can schedule a meeting to explain the company products and their benefits to the potential client. After the meeting, you follow up with them until they make a purchase.
- emphasising product features: as a sales consultant, you improve product knowledge and understanding of the market among sales teams. You find the best ways to emphasise the product features through sales strategies.
- negotiating service agreements: when a customer agrees to purchase a product, you need to close the deal and negotiate service agreements. You discuss the prices and terms of sale and any service agreements. You can open a customer account for the new buyer when the deal is closed.
- working with the marketing team to improve brand awareness: as a sales consultant, you need to find creative ways to keep the company's products attractive. You also need to improve brand awareness and the company's online presence. You develop new marketing strategies to improve sales efforts.
- training sales representatives: as a sales consultant, you need to train sales representatives on how to close deals and attract more customers with unique sales techniques.
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work environment
A sales consultant typically works in an office environment. Your job involves working from your desks and cold-calling leads. You spend most of the day using computers to find leads and calling prospective customers. Sometimes you manage customers through sales and customer relationship software.
As a sales consultant, you can work for any industry or employer with a sales department. For instance, building suppliers need sales consultants to work with estate agents to close deals. High-end department stores and IT companies also need sales consultants to identify the best ways to sell a product.
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who are your colleagues?
As a sales consultant, you work with colleagues across various industries, including content writers, sales representatives, inside sales representative position, marketing executives and sales directors. You may also work alongside estate agents and recruitment consultants, and other specialists like product managers, brand manager position, marketing managers and advertisers.
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work schedule
The typical work schedule of a sales consultant is 40 hours a week. Overtime work is occasionally necessary to work with clients' schedules or meet deadlines. You can meet your clients during office hours if you work in business-to-business (b2b) sales. However, selling directly to consumers often involves working weekends and evenings. Since your job relies on networking, you will attend events to meet new sales leads or nurture existing relationships with clients. Sales consultants' roles have flexible work hours, as long as you meet targets. You can work full-time or part-time schedules. Working from home and remote work is viable; sometimes, you will have to meet clients for product demonstrations.
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job outlook
When you are a sales consultant, you have multiple opportunities for growth since you can transfer into various industries or move upwards in the company. For instance, you can aim for sales director or marketing director positions. It will be the first step into management roles, and you can progress gradually to executive levels. Some sales consultants move to other industries like insurance, medical or property and specialise in specific niche marketing.
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advantages of finding a sales consultant job through randstad
Finding your sales consultant job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a sales consultant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
You can become a sales consultant with the following steps:
- university degree: you need at least a bachelor's degree to become a sales consultant. You can pursue any business-related course like business management, administration, advertising or marketing. While an MBA isn't necessary, a master's degree will boost your qualifications.
- gaining work experience: you need industry experience in sales and as a business development representative. You can start by working as a sales representative to build your network and portfolio.
skills and competencies
Some of the skills and competencies of a sales consultant include:
- persuasion: as a sales consultant, you need to persuade potential customers to purchase your client's products or services. You emphasise the product features and highlight the benefits to consumers. To improve your persuasiveness, you need to communicate clearly, listen actively and answer your prospective customers' questions.
- positivity: as a sales consultant, you need to project genuine enthusiasm and a positive outlook and use optimistic language in your conversations. People are drawn to someone with positive energy and enthusiasm about a product. Your language should resonate with your clients.
- outgoing personality: you need an outgoing personality to strike up conversations with strangers and sell your products subtly. You will appear friendly and draw people into conversations easily.
- detail-oriented: as a sales consultant, the product features, prices and inventory should be at your fingertips. When the figures change, you need to keep up with the details to avoid misinformation to prospective customers.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a sales consultant
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how do I become a sales consultant?
You can become a sales consultant through a degree course or previous work experience in sales.
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how much does a sales consultant make an hour?
A sales consultant makes approximately £16.33 per hour based on the average salary. However, the hourly rates increase with experience.
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do consultants get paid well?
Working as a consultant involves advising a company based on an initial evaluation of its performance. The complexity of the role attracts high pay.
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what skills do sales consultants need?
A sales consultant needs to be a great communicator, as well as detail-oriented, diligent and organised to keep on top of multiple complex tasks.
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how do I apply for a sales consultant vacancy?
Applying for a sales consultant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
