General Sales & Distribution

Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postsecondary education.

• Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
• Prepare and submit sales contracts for orders.
• Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.

Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

• Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as financial accounting, principles of marketing, and operations management.
• Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
• Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of sales workers other than retail sales workers. May perform duties such as budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.

• Monitor sales staff performance to ensure that goals are met.
• Provide staff with assistance in performing difficult or complicated duties.
• Direct and supervise employees engaged in sales, inventory-taking, reconciling cash receipts, or performing specific services.

Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold.

• Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
• Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
• Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.

Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.

• Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
• Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
• Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.

Plan and sell transportation and accommodations for customers. Determine destination, modes of transportation, travel dates, costs, and accommodations required. May also describe, plan, and arrange itineraries and sell tour packages. May assist in resolving clients' travel problems.

• Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
• Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
• Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required.