Field Sales Executive
Career information and advice on being a Field Sales Executive

In general, the function of a Sales Executive is to maximise the sales of a company's goods or services.  Their role is key to ensuring the commercial success of the company in local, national, and overseas markets.

Specifically, the Field Sales Executive will spend the bulk of the work week outside the office attending prospective and existing customers at their own premises.  Attendance at Trade Fairs and other relevant business events is often required.

In the larger organisation, splitting the role of Field Sales Executive between New Sales and Development Sales is a common practice.  

In New Sales, the Field Sales Executive identifies customers new to the company, develops a business relationship with them, and generates sales orders.  In Development Sales, the Field Sales Executive works closely with existing customers to identify and develop new sales opportunities and to generate new sales orders.

In both cases, the Field Sales Executive will be required to identify, investigate and develop sales opportunities, and prepare and make business presentations and product demonstrations.  Preparation and submission of written quotations, proposals, and responses to formal Tender Requests can be a key part of the role.

Clearly, the goods or services to be sold will be dependent on the business activities of their employer, but the Field Sales Executive will be expected to have a thorough knowledge of the goods or services to be sold, their price structure and if appropriate, a technical understanding of the product.

The Field Sales Executive can work alone, or as part of a sales team in larger or more technical sales campaigns.

Administrative duties will include submission of regular sales reports, the development and management of sales plans, sales campaigns, and the preparation of quotations, proposals and tender responses. 

Dependent on the location of customers and the employer, the Field Sales Executive can work locally, or spend extended periods away from home.

Closely related careers include Internal Sales Executives, Sales Managers, and Branch Managers. 

Working under a Sales Manager, a Field Sales Executive could work closely with Technical Specialists, Procurement, Sales Administration, Finance Specialists, Bid Managers, and the client.  The exact team will depend on the technical area of the job.

Your Functions May include

• maintaining and developing relationships with existing customers
• visiting potential customers to prospect for new business
• negotiating the terms of an agreement and closing sales
• gathering market and customer information so as to better understand their requirements and how you can improve sales performance 
• gathering product/ service pricing, profitability and avaliability to maximise return in effort expended
• representing your employer at trade exhibitions, events and demonstrations
• negotiating with client on details of sale including product/ service price, volume order and terms of delivery
• keeping track of new products and fortcoming developments - making clients aware of these
• checking suppliers or internal departments delivery pipeline is good, ensuring client satisfaction
• Administration: recording sales and order information, comminucating progress and requirements to the departments
• reviewing personal sales performance, aiming to meet or exceed targets set by sales manager 
• work with marketing department, feeding back on sales performance and customer feed-back