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Buying Success: Sales and Marketing Jobs

by Ed Castro
Business Programs Columnist

According to a report by the Media Education Foundation, American companies spent $105.97 billion for advertising in 1980. By 2001 that number had doubled to a whopping $230 billion.

Tapping into an industry that generates these kinds of numbers requires more than a natural ability to market goods and services. The most successful people in sales and marketing jobs have an education backing any natural talent they may have.

Full Sale: Sales and Marketing Training

A good sales and marketing training program teaches you everything you need to know to succeed in various types of sales and marketing jobs. You'll learn business management, with an emphasis on salesmanship, marketing, advertising, and product development. These courses will impart the basic knowledge you'll need in any sales and marketing jobs you might wish to pursue.

The More You Know: Sales and Marketing Management

If you're looking to climb further up the ladder than entry-level sales and marketing jobs, the climb will be easier with more education. Many sales and marketing training programs will teach you the professional selling techniques of successful sales and marketing professionals, but only the best training programs go beyond the basics.

Seek out courses like advertising strategy planning, creative and critical-thinking, marketing plan development, which are necessary if you plan on pursuing a career in sales and marketing management.

Sales and Marketing Jobs: The What and The Where

Sales and marketing training can help you land a number of different job titles, but all are essentially sales positions where your primary objective is to promote the company products or services to as many people as possible.

While not every interaction will yield a sale, all your interactions are opportunities to market yourself and your organization. Like any good advertising, sales and marketing jobs are all about leaving them with a good impression.

Here are some entry-level job titles your sales and marketing training can help you achieve:

Sales Consultant
Retail Sales Associate
Customer Service Representative
Marketing Coordinator
Client Service Representative
Call Center Representative

The Essence of the Job

Sales and marketing jobs vary depending on whether you represent an organization or you're an independent sales and marketing agent representing a number of organizations, services and goods. In most cases, sales and marketing jobs require a great deal of travel to visit clients and prospective buyers.

You'll use your sales and marketing training to explore the client's needs, suggest products or services that help the client meet those needs, and develop relationships that are mutually beneficial.

Final Thoughts

Depending on which area you choose to focus, sales and marketing can be quite lucrative. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sales engineers can earn as much as $80,000 per year. Sales representatives in wholesale and manufacturing can expect salaries in the low to mid $40,000 range. Each area requires specific knowledge, which may require additional sales and marketing training.

Overall sales and marketing jobs can lead to an exciting life if not a comfortable one. Investigate the many sales and marketing training programs available in your area and the next product you sell may be you.

About the Author
Edward Castro has extensive experience as a creative media writer. His client portfolio has included such notables as Hewlett-Packard, Sony Computer Entertainment, Shockwave, AtomFilms, GameBlast and Mervyn’s California. In his current position, Ed is developing the marketing strategy of an Internet start-up company specializing in Japanese trade goods.