Uwe Peters

Sales is a profession.
Although there are specific job titles with the word 'sales' in them, Sales Executive, Sales Manager for example, there are many other jobs in a company that do not specifically use the word and yet are in fact 'sales'. It is my belief that any customer-facing role is a SALES ROLE. Working in Marketing, Services, Engineering, Manufacturing or any other function where you face customers you have a sales job.

I have had customer facing roles for my entire career. In certain companies I have also had specific sales roles. In my sale roles the primary task has always been to achieve or hopefully exceed a set of targets usually financially based targets. In order to do so planning, forecasting, administration, maintaining CRM databases, preparing presentations, and of course the preparation of quotes, tenders, etc. are all necessary tasks.

Depending on the sales model implemented in a certain company and the definition of the given sales role, dealing with large multinationals can be a requirement; to work through distribution partners- large or small organisations who provide 'a channel' to a given market or customer, with individuals, or with small or medium enterprises (SME) can also be included.

It does not stop there either. Taking in consideration that currently the growth rates for e-Commerce are massive, sales via the Internet takes a more and more important space in the industry.

I have operated in most of these fields in various positions as a Sales Specialist, Account Manager, Channel Manager, Strategic Alliance Manager, and Sales Manager for national markets in Germany and the UK, and international markets in several European areas. I have also set up a number of e-Commerce businesses for my clients.

Sales Strategy,   Sales Models,   Planning and Forecasting,   Strategic Partnerships,   On-line Sales,   etc.