Building a successful career as a sales agent requires skill, strategy and a healthy dose of perseverance. At the heart of commercial relations, this exciting profession offers incomparable opportunities to experienced salespeople who commit themselves fully to it. In this article, we share 10 practical tips for becoming a successful sales agent and laying the foundations for lasting success.
What is a sales agent?
A sales agent is an independent professional mandated by a company to prospect, negotiate and conclude business on its behalf. They act as intermediaries between the company they represent (the principal) and its customers. They are a key player in the business world. Unlike salaried salespeople, commercial agents carry out their work completely independently. They are bound to the company they represent by an agency contract, not an employment contract.
What is the role of a sales agent?
Sales agents play a major role in a company's commercial strategy and development. They carry out a wide variety of tasks. They include
- Prospecting for potential new customers and presenting their principal's range of products and/or services to them;
- Negotiating deals with prospective customers, in line with the company's interests;
- Closing sales on its own behalf;
- Manage a customer portfolio and ensure high-quality follow-up to build long-term customer loyalty;
- Benchmark the competition and keep the client informed of market developments and competitors' actions.
Key skills for getting started
Before starting out as a sales agent, make sure you have the skills that will be crucial to the success of your project.
- Knowing your market
To succeed in sales, it's essential to have a thorough knowledge of the sector in which you operate. Understanding the issues in the sector, knowing the players involved, identifying customer needs, following market trends so that you can adapt your strategy accordingly... these are all essential skills if you are to position yourself as an expert in your field of activity.
- Mastering sales techniques
It is preferable to have solid experience of sales and customer relations to become a sales agent. Drawing up a prospecting plan, presenting the added value of an offer or negotiating a contract cannot be improvised. While sales techniques improve with experience, dedicated training courses can be particularly useful for mastering the basics of the sales profession when you are starting out.
- Planning and organising your time
On a day-to-day basis, a sales agent takes on many tasks: organising customer meetings, following up prospects or preparing sales presentations. You are the only person in charge of organising your work, so rigorous management of your schedule is essential. Tools such as Google Calendar or Trello can be invaluable allies in prioritising your tasks and helping you not to forget anything.
Our 10 tips for success as a sales agent
Are you clear about the skills you need to become a sales agent?
Here are 10 practical tips to give you every chance of succeeding in this exciting profession:
1. Specialise in a sector
Being a specialist in a specific field positions you as a de facto expert. This immediately establishes your credibility and sets you apart from the competition. This is a key advantage, because companies that ‘recruit’ sales agents primarily target experts in their market. For example, a sales agent specialising in technology solutions will have a clear competitive advantage with tech and IT players.
2. Training throughout your career
Continuous training is a good bet. Training modules on sales techniques, digital tools and project management are available online or in the classroom. They enable you to acquire new skills or improve existing ones. Some lead to certifications that can make you more attractive to companies recruiting sales agents.
3. Developing key skills
Strengthening your skills in negotiation, customer relationship management or problem solving will help you to be better equipped to deal with the many situations you'll be confronted with on a regular basis... including the most difficult or delicate ones.
4. Work on your soft skills
Active listening, empathy, creativity and emotional management are all essential behavioural skills for any successful sales agent. As well as technical skills, they are often essential for success in a profession where human relations are of prime importance.
5. Build a solid network
A good network opens doors. Maintaining quality relationships with your peers, attending trade shows and conferences, using platforms like LinkedIn to enrich your network... it's essential to devote time, alongside your core business, to building strategic relationships for the future.
6. Manage customer relations
Every successful company knows that building customer loyalty is just as important as winning new ones. To succeed as a sales agent, you need to build a long-term relationship of trust with your customers. To this end, maintaining regular communication, anticipating your customers' needs and paying close attention to after-sales service are essential if you are to build up a solid customer portfolio.
7. Coping with irregular income
Sales agents are usually paid in the form of commission. These are directly linked to performance, and can be very high one year and lower the next. That's why you need to learn to manage your finances by anticipating low periods. For example, by building up security savings or diversifying your mandates to balance your income.
8.Managing independence and autonomy
Working completely independently can be a real challenge, especially after having been an employee. When you become a sales agent, you have to establish a new routine, set yourself short- and long-term objectives and regularly monitor the results you achieve. It's a virtuous discipline that will help you maintain balance and keep your motivation at its peak.
9. Strive for progress
A successful sales agent needs new challenges. To grow in your profession, you can aim for more prestigious mandates or negotiate higher commissions with your partners. You can also consider opening your own agency and recruiting a sales team, which opens up new prospects in terms of growth and remuneration.
10. Seize the opportunities offered by technology
The arrival of digital technology has revolutionised the sales agent profession. The use of CRM tools to optimise prospect and customer management, and artificial intelligence platforms to analyse data and better target opportunities, will enable you to strengthen your competitiveness and constantly improve your performance.
Conclusion
A successful career as a sales agent requires method, commitment and the right strategy. Choosing a sector of activity that matches your skills, tastes and experience is an essential prerequisite if you are to position yourself as an expert from the outset and develop successfully in a profession that is exciting, demanding but full of opportunities.
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.