Sales Associate: Tasks, Skills, and Tips for Applying

Key takeaways

• Sales associates maximize sales while ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• They often have specialized product knowledge, which they use to successfully close sales.

• Depending on what they sell, sales associates can earn commissions, which can add to their overall total earning potential.

Learn more about what a sales associate does and how to become one. Afterward, learn how to create solutions to customer problems with the CVS Health Call Center Customer Service Professional Certificate.

What is a sales associate?

Sales associates are well-rounded professionals who engage customers, drive sales, and contribute to the overall success of the business. In this role, it's essential to have a thorough understanding of a company's products or services—knowledge that you'll share with potential customers to close sales and increase revenue.

This role can work both in-person and virtually, depending on the nature of the business and the products or services being sold. Thanks to their specialized product knowledge, sales associates often work in sales-focused environments, such as car dealerships, high-end retail stores, and trade shows.

Sales associate vs. retail associate

As roles, sales associate and retail associate can sometimes be used interchangeably. However, there are key differences important to note: A sales associate typically focuses on providing good customer service, selling products, and achieving quotas. A retail associate, on the other hand, also makes sales but attends to other store-based tasks, such as cleaning, stocking, and organizing.

What does a sales associate do?

As a sales associate, you're responsible for providing excellent customer service, demonstrating products, explaining key features that address customer needs, persuading customers to make a purchase, and upselling where possible.

Your daily sales associate duties might include:

• Greeting and interacting with customers

• Listening to a customer’s needs and suggesting appropriate products

• Upselling or encouraging customers to buy other products that may complement their needs

• Learning as much as you can about a product so you can answer customer questions

• Helping with marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and store promotions

• Creating displays and hanging signs

• Processing customer payments at a cash register

• Wrapping, packaging, or bagging purchased products

• Promoting sales and new products

• Stocking shelves with new inventory

• Processing returns and exchanges 

Sales associate skills

The skills you'll need to develop to succeed as a sales associate include:

• Product knowledge: Comprehensive understanding of the products or services being sold, including features, benefits, and potential applications.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills to effectively explain products, address customer concerns, and build rapport.

• Active listening: The ability to attentively listen to customers' needs and preferences to provide tailored recommendations and solutions.

• Persuasion: Skills in influencing customer decisions through ethical and effective sales techniques, highlighting product benefits, and overcoming objections.

• Time management: Ability to efficiently manage multiple customers, tasks, and sales processes simultaneously while meeting targets and deadlines.

• Adaptability: Flexibility to adjust sales approaches based on different customer personalities, preferences, and changing market trends or product offerings.

Sales associate salary

Sales associates earn a median annual salary of $34,730, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [1]. Some sales associates may also earn more if they receive a commission.

Sales associates may work part-time or full-time, and full-time workers may also get additional benefits, such as health care or paid time off.

5 tips for getting a job as a sales associate

If becoming a sales associate sounds like a career path you’d like to explore, consider these seven strategies to begin your journey.  

1. Apply to places you like.

Stores often try to hire people who fit the image of the product they sell. Apply to places that you actually buy from, such as your favorite clothing stores, bookstores, or electronics stores. Having a genuine appreciation for the products you sell will make you a more effective and authentic salesperson. Hiring managers may also appreciate your familiarity with their products.

2. Prepare your resume. 

Taking some extra time to strengthen your resume can help you stand out above other applicants. In a resume, note previous sales experience, other work experience, volunteer work, involvement in school clubs, and other qualifications that demonstrate your sales associate potential.

Before an interview, brush up on the store's history, research the products they sell, and prepare to talk about why you want to work there. Conduct a practice interview at home before attending the real thing.  

3. Apply during busy seasons.

Many retailers need extra support on the sales floor during their busy seasons and are more willing to hire new workers. Working as a seasonal sales associate can get your foot in the door in the retail industry and provide you with experience to put down on your resume to make you more competitive for other positions in the future.

The winter holiday season is generally the busiest time of the year for many stores, but some tourist destinations may be busier in the summer months.

4. Build technology skills.  

Retail businesses utilize sales technology and software to process transactions, manage inventory, and track customer data. Building skills in Microsoft Office and Excel, favored by employers, as well as customer relationship management tools, like Hubspot and Salesforce, can be worthwhile.

5.  Consider other sales and retail positions. 

Many sales associate jobs are entry-level positions, and if you have the right skills and make a good impression, a store manager may hire you without experience. After you've gained experience in sales, you can advance to become a sales representative.

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