Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

What the job really is

Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postsecondary education.

At a glance

• Sector: Sales
• O*NET-SOC code: 41-4011
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
• Prepare and submit sales contracts for orders.
• Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.
• Maintain customer records, using automated systems.
• Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, or credit terms.
• Quote prices, credit terms, or other bid specifications.
• Contact new or existing customers to discuss how specific products or services can meet their needs.
• Emphasize product features, based on analyses of customers' needs and on technical knowledge of product capabilities and limitations.
• Compute customer's installation or production costs and estimate savings from new services, products, or equipment.
• Select or assist customers in selecting products based on customer needs, product specifications, and applicable regulations.
• Prepare sales presentations or proposals to explain product specifications or applications.
• Complete expense reports, sales reports, or other paperwork.

Tools and technology

Amazon Web Services AWS software, Apache Hadoop, Google Analytics, Google Workspace software, HubSpot software, IBM SPSS Statistics, Intuit QuickBooks, Linux, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Azure software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
• Sales Engineers
• Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
• Industrial Production Managers
• Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors
• Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
• First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers
• Sales Managers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.