Have you had a sales person knock at your door selling encyclopaedias and you shot them down saying no? This is the everyday life of a sales professional.

Sometimes their efforts work out, and sometimes it’s just not their day.

To be your best for the most part, we have created a list of must-have skills a sales person should have. If you’re aspiring to be one, this blog post is for you. You will also learn what the roles & responsibilities are to handle, what your career path can look like, the compensation structure, and what the future of this role looks like. It’s a complete package; don’t miss it. Keep reading!

Who is a sales professional?

A sales professional is an individual who is responsible for selling products and services to clients, driving revenue for the company, and aiming to grow the customer base by building strong relationships and establishing market presence for the business.

They operate at various stages of the customer journey – from generating leads and qualifying prospects to negotiating deals and nurturing long-term relationships. Depending on the business model, they might work in B2B (business-to-business), B2C (business-to-consumer), inside sales (remote), or outside sales (field-based).

The sales roles they work at also span from entry-level positions like sales development representatives (SDRs) who generate leads, to account executives (AEs) who close deals, to sales managers who guide an entire sales team, to key account managers handling the company’s most important clients.

However, in the modern scenario, there is a clear distinction between a generic salesperson and a sales professional. A salesperson is solely focused on benefiting from immediate transactions and goes through the process of mindless calls and meet-ups. A sales professional, on the other hand, is not limited to standalone selling; they are focused on understanding the customer's pain points, offering the right solutions, guiding them throughout their journey, and being a reliable counsel.

Joe Girard, the greatest salesman: his journey & achievements

When we talk about legendary sales professionals, Joe Girard stands tall.

Who was Joe Girard?

Joe Girard was an American car salesman recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s greatest retail salesman. In his career, he sold more than 13,000 cars – averaging six cars per day – without ever using a fleet sale or dealership promotion.

Girard’s philosophy was based on the idea that people buy from those they like and trust. He famously sent out thousands of holiday cards and thank-you notes to stay top of mind. His bestselling book, “How to Sell Anything to Anybody”, remains a classic sales manual even decades later.

Why is Joe Girard an icon?

He proved that sales success isn’t just about aggressive tactics – it’s about understanding people, nurturing relationships, and delivering consistent value.

He treated his service people to dinners and invited them to barbeque parties yearly to tell them how much he appreciates their dedication and honesty.

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What are the roles & responsibilities of a sales professional?

👥 Customer Acquisition & Prospecting

• Identify and qualify potential customers through prospecting activities.
• Maintain an active, healthy sales pipeline via cold calls, emails, networking, social selling, and marketing collaborations.
• Engage in social selling via LinkedIn, Twitter, and other platforms to connect with modern buyers.

💡 Solution Discovery, Presentation & Value Communication

• Conduct needs assessments and discovery conversations to understand customer challenges, priorities, and goals.
• Tailor product/service presentations, demonstrations, and proposals to customer needs.
• Clearly communicate value propositions and business impact through virtual or in-person demos, webinars, and digital proposals.
• Prepare and deliver detailed proposals, quotations, and contracts customized to client requirements.

🤝 Deal Negotiation & Closure

• Handle customer objections professionally and proactively.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and contract details in line with company policies.
• Close deals by securing customer commitment and confirming final agreements.

👔 Relationship Management & Account Growth

• Build, maintain, and nurture long-term, trust-based customer relationships.
• Provide ongoing support and serve as a liaison between clients and internal teams.
• Manage customer renewals, contract expansions, upselling, and cross-selling opportunities to maximise account value and satisfaction.

🎯 Sales Performance & Target Achievement

• Meet or exceed assigned sales quotas, KPIs, and revenue targets.
• Regularly track and analyze performance against monthly, quarterly, and yearly objectives.

📊 Sales Process Management & Operational Excellence

• Consistently document sales activities and customer interactions using CRM systems.
• Leverage CRM tools, AI-based platforms, and sales enablement resources to optimize productivity, pipeline visibility, and sales personalization.
• Provide accurate sales forecasts, pipeline reports, and activity updates to management.
• Adhere to pricing guidelines, discount structures, legal, and compliance requirements.

📚 Market Intelligence & Continuous Improvement

• Research and understand client industries, market trends, decision-making processes, and competitor activities.
• Share actionable customer insights and market intelligence with internal teams.
• Participate in product or service feedback loops for continuous solution enhancement.

♟️ Strategic Sales Planning & Business Development

• Plan and execute territory, account, and segment strategies.
• Identify new market opportunities and emerging customer needs.
• Develop and implement strategies for key accounts and vertical markets.
• Engage in sales planning, goal-setting, and performance reviews to continuously optimize sales efforts.

What are the skills required for a sales role?

Do you have these sales skills?

• Active listening & empathy
• Fluent communication skills
• Smooth negotiation
• Ability to build strong client relationships
• Objection handling
• Data-driven problem solving
• Time management, self-motivation & resilience
• Tech-savviness (CRM, email tools, LinkedIn, sales automation)

Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, a top performing saleswoman, who built a global sales empire based on empathy, relationship building and motivational leadership, famously said,

‍“Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.” 

And that’s what sales professionals essentially do.

How much do professionals in sales roles earn?

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What is the career path for a sales professional?

If you’re planning a career in sales, your growth trajectory will look something like this:

Sales Development Representative (SDR) or Account Executive (AE)

Sales reps focus on generating leads and qualifying prospects, while account executives manage ongoing deals with existing customers.

Account/Sales Manager

Account managers build and maintain strong relationships with designated client profiles, while a sales manager leads the sales team, setting goals, strategising and ensuring that all team members meet their quotas.

Sales Director

Sales directors are senior level professionals who oversee the entire sales of the company. They set targets and put in place sales strategies for the organization to adhere to.

SDs also conduct market research, draft sales reports, monitor sales performance and take crucial decisions like the implementation of CRM, automation tools and other sales enablement platforms for efficient functioning of the sales process.

Vice President of Sales

A VP of sales works closely with sales directors in leading the sales department of the company. They are responsible for driving revenue, analyzing sales data, optimizing the sales methodologies, and representing the company in sales presentations and meetings.

Red Flags to Avoid in sales roles

🌪️ Quota pressure and mental health

The sales world is extremely competitive and fast-paced and you are under constant pressure to meet your quotas. Everyday tasks are mentally taxing, having to face rude clients and many rejections, which leads to anxiety and severe burnout. Hitting quotas is often tied to job security, bonuses, and professional recognition.

If you face any such situation, don’t hesitate to reach out to mental health professionals. (Health comes first and if you are not fit mentally, chances are you could worsen the situation for yourself.)

🧭 Importance of ethical selling: transparency, avoiding manipulation

Amidst all the pressure of meeting targets, you are probably tempted to cut corners by exaggerating product capability, overestimating the outcomes or even pressuring the clients into making a hasty decision. All of these affect the long-term strategy of the company.

Failing to build client relationships leads to higher customer churn, a damaged brand reputation, and negative retention.

It’s important to remember that trust, transparency and honesty are foundations of long-term success.

⚖️ Balancing performance with integrity

It is essential to balance performance with integrity. The first step is to set realistic goals. As a sales rep, you must use fair negotiation tactics like Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement (BATNA), consultative selling techniques, and showcase empathy. Ethical selling helps you close happy clients and you will face less internal conflict or stress.

🌱 Companies fostering healthier sales cultures

Organizations these days are against glorifying the “crushing quotas” culture and turning focus to human-centred selling. This includes offering coaching, celebrating learning (not just wins), building collaborative rather than cutthroat environments, and providing mental health days or therapy resources.

What is the future of sales roles?

With technology evolving rapidly, sales roles have also adapted to quite a few, making their lives much easier. Let’s look at a few:

👩‍💻 Rise of digital & remote sales teams

Covid-19 has impacted the way many organizations work. Compelling situations back then introduced digital selling. Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and CRM-integrated communication apps have become essential.

Sales meetings where million-dollar deals come to a close are held online, virtual onboarding is gaining popularity, and you can now apply for international companies without thinking about geographical constraints. Such flexibility has opened vast opportunities for sales talents.

🤖 AI & automation in prospecting and follow-ups

No more grunt work with the emergence of AI for sales. From auto-generating emails to identifying & scoring leads based on sentiment analysis, AI has reduced manual labour, reduced operational costs, and most importantly, saved so much time, helping sales reps focus on building client relationships. 

Tools making waves:

ChatGPT, Apollo, Lavender (for email writing)

Gong, Chorus (for conversation intelligence)

Superleap (for predictive insights)

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✨ Personalized & value-led selling

Gone are the days you would spam someone's inbox with irrelevant emails. Customers today expect personalization, and true value. Sending a templated sales pitch to everyone won’t work.

As a sales rep, focus on solving problems, providing tailored solutions, personalize conversations, and building a healthy relationship with clients. It will probably take time, but it's totally worth it. Again, you can achieve them by using automation tools like Mailchimp and also have them integrated with your CRMs.

📊 Data fluency & social selling

You can’t guess anymore. No room for assumptions. Your proof of work and source of truth is data. It’s the only way you can prove credibility and gain trust.

Use data for accurate sales forecasting, use it for pipeline analysis, use it for tracking LinkedIn engagements, and everything else. The ability to interpret and act on data is a must-have skill.

Meanwhile, platforms like LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and even Instagram are becoming key parts of a rep’s outbound strategy – from content sharing to direct prospecting. In this digital age, a salesperson’s online presence matters. Build a personal brand on LinkedIn, be active, and provide valuable information.

Top-performing salespeople on LinkedIn Sales Navigator can research prospects, engage with decision-makers, and build credibility by sharing relevant content.

That’s a wrap! Like Spotify says. Soak in and research on insights from this blog while we come up with more such interesting content.