| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Sales and Business Development |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Sales Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | Fresher or up to 3 years in sales |
Sales Executive job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Sales Executive
Department: Sales and Business Development
Reports to: Sales Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Sales Executive sells the company's products or services to customers, handling the full cycle from finding prospects to closing and servicing them. They meet customers, understand needs, pitch, negotiate and hit a sales target in an assigned area or segment. A good sales executive builds a steady base of customers, converts leads to sales and represents the company well. The role reports to a sales or area manager and is the core individual contributor selling role across Indian companies.
Key responsibilities
- Find and approach prospects in the assigned area or segment.
- Understand customer needs and recommend the right product or service.
- Pitch and demonstrate the offering and handle questions and objections.
- Prepare quotations, negotiate within limits and close the sale.
- Book orders and complete the required sales documentation accurately.
- Build relationships with customers to earn repeat and referral business.
- Meet daily and monthly activity and sales targets consistently.
- Explain schemes and offers and drive their uptake with customers.
- Record customers, visits and orders accurately in the sales system.
- Report sales, pipeline and market feedback to the reporting manager.
Requirements
- Graduate in business, commerce or any discipline
- Selling aptitude and good communication
- Willingness to meet customers
- Fresher or up to 3 years in sales
KRAs and KPIs for a Sales Executive
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Sales target | Sales meet the assigned monthly target |
| New customers | New customers added as per the monthly plan |
| Conversion | Lead to sale conversion kept above the agreed level |
| Activity | Daily customer visits or calls meet the standard |
| Repeat business | Repeat and referral business grown to the agreed level |
| Data accuracy | Customer and order data recorded accurately |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: CRM or sales app, Smartphone, Product brochures, MS Excel basics.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Sales Executive, Sales Officer, Sales Manager
Interview questions for a Sales Executive
- How do you find new customers in your area?
- How do you understand what a customer really needs?
- How do you handle a customer who says no?
- How do you close a sale and ask for the order?
- How do you keep customers coming back?
- Tell me about your best sale and how you made it.
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What does a sales executive do?
A sales executive sells the company's products or services to customers, handling the full cycle from finding prospects to closing and servicing them. They meet customers, understand needs, pitch, negotiate and book orders in an assigned area or segment. They build a base of customers, convert leads to sales and hit a monthly target, representing the company.
What skills does a sales executive need?
A sales executive needs selling and prospecting skills, the ability to understand customer needs, and negotiation and closing ability. Relationship building earns repeat business, and self motivation matters since much of the work is independent. Good communication, resilience to rejection and accurate record keeping make a sales executive effective in the field or on calls.
Is sales executive a good first job?
Yes. Sales executive is a common entry role open to freshers, and it teaches selling, customer handling and target discipline that are valuable across many careers. Strong performers earn incentives and move up quickly to senior executive, officer and manager roles. It suits people who enjoy meeting people and are driven by targets.