The sales agent profession is attractive because of the many opportunities it offers and the organisational freedom it provides. But to succeed in this profession, it's not enough to have a good product to sell: you need to master a variety of skills, know your market well and know how to organise yourself efficiently. Interested in becoming a sales agent? Here we reveal all the secrets you need to excel in this role and build an exciting, long-lasting and successful career!
What is a sales agent?
A sales agent is an independent professional responsible for marketing the products or services of the company they represent (the principal). Their role is to prospect for new accounts, negotiate on behalf of the company, sign contracts and build customer loyalty.
Unlike salaried sales representatives, sales agents work independently to develop their customer portfolios. They may work for several companies, subject to any non-competition clauses.
Being a sales agent means more than just being a salesperson: they are an entrepreneur, a strategist, a fine negotiator and an expert in their field, capable of adapting to the needs of their customers and the strategic objectives of their commercial partners.
Essential technical skills
To be an excellent sales agent, you need to master a number of technical skills:
1. Knowing your market
To succeed in sales, you need to have a thorough knowledge of the sector in which you operate. In particular, you need to:
- Understand your customers' needs and identify the specific requirements of your prospects in order to offer them appropriate solutions;
- Know market trends and monitor developments in your sector to better anticipate risks and opportunities;
- Analyse your competitors and keep a constant watch to understand their strengths and weaknesses, and adapt accordingly.
2. Mastering digital tools
Digital tools have become essential and are a precious ally for any successful sales agent. The main software tools to master include :
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools: Software such as Salesforce or HubSpot can help you optimise your customer relationship management and organise your tasks more effectively.
- Automation tools: MailChimp and Pipedrive, among others, are useful platforms for monitoring prospecting campaigns.
- Management software: Create quotes, track orders or draw up commission invoices for your principal: there is dedicated management software to make these tasks easier.
Intelligent technologies that allow you to optimise your efficiency and improve your organisation, while personalising customer follow-up!
3. Planning and organisation
As a sales agent, you work as an independent professional. On a day-to-day basis, you have to juggle your customer meetings, follow up your prospects and prepare sales presentations and contracts. Although you have a great deal of freedom in organising your work, rigorous management of your schedule is essential.
If you want to keep on top of your diary, a clear schedule and good management skills are a real asset. Tools such as Google Calendar or Trello can help you prioritise your tasks and make sure you don't forget anything.
Essential human skills
As well as technical know-how, an excellent sales agent must have key human qualities to succeed in this profession. These include
1. Listening skills
Active listening is the cornerstone of a good sales relationship:
- Detect customers' explicit and implicit needs;
- Understand their objections and concerns;
- Adjust your sales pitch accordingly.
Far from just talking, a good sales representative needs to know how to listen carefully to customers in order to meet their (real) expectations.
2. Empathy
Empathy is an essential quality for building a lasting relationship of trust with customers. By being able to put yourself in their shoes, you show that you understand their issues, their objectives and their expectations. It's a stance that encourages more authentic exchanges, and lays the foundations for solid, long-term partnerships.
3. Communication
To convince people of the relevance of your products or services, you need to communicate in a way that is :
- Clear and structured
- Adapted to their level of understanding;
- Focused on the added value you provide.
Communicating well means knowing how to use the right words, simply and precisely. Just as important, asking the right questions will capture your audience's attention and involve them in your approach.
4. Negotiating
Knowing how to negotiate is a major skill for a sales agent. Successful negotiation does not simply mean concluding a deal on your terms, but rather :
- Reaching a win-win compromise for both parties;
- Responding to objections diplomatically;
- Maintaining a good margin while ensuring your customer's satisfaction.
To excel in this art, it is essential to establish an equal relationship with your customers. Careful preparation of your negotiations beforehand, as well as factual argumentation during the sale, are key factors for success.
5. The power of persuasion
The power of persuasion is based on several elements: an excellent analysis of the customer's needs, solid factual arguments and the ability to naturally influence decision-making. To do this, you need to :
- Highlight the concrete benefits of your solution;
- Illustrate your proposal with real-life applications or customer testimonials;
- Adopt a stance that is both confident and respectful.
6. Entrepreneurial spirit
Excelling as a sales agent requires an entrepreneurial mindset. This job requires you to be your own boss, to be able to work independently and to have a taste for a challenge. A good agent is full of new ideas, and knows how to open doors to put them into practice!
Training
Even if you don't need a diploma to work as a sales agent, it's essential to have a sound knowledge base to succeed in this profession. There are several courses that can help you get started:
- BTS/DUT in sales: Various courses in negotiation and the digitalisation of customer relations, or in marketing techniques, offer both a theoretical and practical approach to mastering the basics of sales.
- Business schools: These offer a comprehensive training programme for those who want to explore all the facets of these professions and progress to positions of responsibility.
- Short courses: Numerous modules, either distance learning or face-to-face, enable you to develop your skills in specific areas such as prospecting, negotiation or the use of digital tools.
Whatever their format, these courses are a great way to improve your skills and stay competitive in a constantly changing market.
Legal status
If you want to work as a sales agent, you can choose your legal status with great flexibility. A commercial agent can be a natural person (sole trader) or a legal entity (company). Depending on the European country in which you operate, different options are possible. The choice of status depends on your personal situation, your professional objectives and your need for stability or freedom.
Pro tip: to choose the status best suited to your personal situation, don't hesitate to seek advice from a chartered accountant, an approved association or a professional union of commercial agents.
Commercial agent remuneration
The remuneration of a commercial agent varies widely. It depends on a number of factors: sales performance, sector of activity, the commission rate negotiated with the company and the agent's status. In the vast majority of cases, remuneration is calculated in the form of commission: a percentage of sales or of the margin generated by the sales agent's customer portfolio.
Commissions may be supplemented by a target bonus: this is a one-off payment made when the agent achieves a specific target. For example, achieving or exceeding a certain level of sales, or making a sale to a new strategic customer.
Experienced sales agents operating in dynamic sectors such as finance or IT enjoy particularly attractive flat-rate remuneration packages, commensurate with their performance and commitment.
Career prospects
Feedback from the field shows that most of the time, good sales agents stay... sales agents! The high level of remuneration, combined with the great freedom they enjoy in organising their work, is a powerful incentive to continue along this path.
Some agents choose to specialise in a particular field, strengthening their expertise and their network. Others add to their portfolio of solutions or set up their own sales agency. They can then in turn recruit sales representatives or sales agents to help develop their business.
The skills of a sales agent can also serve as a springboard to other professions, such as marketing, project management or business development. Technological advances, and the uses to which they are put, are opening up new prospects, particularly in the areas of e-commerce and digital transformation.
Conclusion
Becoming an excellent sales agent requires a careful balance of technical know-how, human qualities and organisational skills. For salespeople with the right profile, it's an exciting profession that offers a great opportunity to represent a leading company in their field, to concentrate on selling and to earn a flat-rate income.
Are you up for the challenge?
Are you a successful salesperson in the IT equipment and services or leasing sectors?
Econocom, the European leader in digital business transformation, is recruiting 100 sales agents across Europe.