Qualities of a good FMCG Sales Representative

An FMCG sales rep’s responsibility is to explain to customers how your company’s products meet their needs and also convince them why they should buy it. To excel at work as a sales rep, one must develop an authentic connection with customers that can lead to repeat orders. A company’s sales depend purely on the capabilities of their sales teams and having a good sales team can be a game changer for any business. Hence, it is very important to have skilled and talented sales reps. 

In this article, we have listed some of the qualities of a good FMCG salesman, which can help you hire and retain the right talent.
 

1. Product knowledge
First and foremost, a sales representative must understand the products that they are trying to sell. The first thing any sales rep should do is attend at least one hour of product training. Details like the product's nature, what value it offers and the utility it has for the company’s ideal customer should be able to be explained by him in lengthy detail. A great sales representative works as hard on their education as they do on their actual work because nothing can replace first-hand knowledge of products.
 

2. Customer service skill 
Once a sales rep has become highly knowledgeable about the product or product line, it’s time to turn their attention toward customer service skills. A successful sales rep must be able to speak in a friendly manner to all customers and potential customers, regardless of their marketplace position or whether they’re actually, financially going to end up becoming clients. They need to be both interested and understanding, so they not only get involved in their positions but also can adapt constantly as market needs change due to changing desires from consumer groups around the world.
 

3. Communication skills 
The way your sales reps speak and the general tone of their voice are very important factors in your company’s sales pitch. Being able to express your business' values effectively will help create more loyalty with customers. The way your reps say things is more important than what they are actually saying, but it's vital that they are true to themselves and authentic so prospects can identify exactly who they're dealing with and feel more inclined to listen to what your reps have got to say.
 

4. Flexibility 
Salespeople who want to join the FMCG industry should be aware that they could be working long hours or weekends in order to make sure that they are being successful with their sales careers. While salespeople have a lot of flexibility when it comes down to setting their schedule and making sure it works with their personal lives, it’s important for these people to try the best that they can at making time for both professional and personal sides of their lives since this is something that needs to be maintained in order for them to reach their success potential as a salesperson.
 

5. Persistence 
Relationships take time, especially when there's a high volume of sales reps pitching to a variety of different buyers. Verbal communication is important in this field of work and being able to pick up the slack if your rep has not made one sale by the end of the day can be challenging. So whether your reps are new to sales or already working in the field, it's important that they further develop these skills so that they can thrive and succeed in today's market.

6. Technically sound
It is also important for sales reps to be able to adapt quickly to new technology. A sales rep must be trained on how to use mobile apps for sales reporting to his manager. Various field sales force automation apps are available for FMCG industries and if your sales reps are unable to utilize these, your company could be way behind your competitors. 

It could be possible that a salesman knows everything regarding products, companies, outlets and maybe he/she has got all the required skills, knowledge and qualities as well but also he/she is still unable to deliver the right products to the right customers at the right time. The reason behind it could be  the mindset of the FMCG salesman. It is important for them to have the right mindset.
 

Right mindset of a FMCG salesman includes:

• Discipline
• Persistence
• Target Oriented
• Ability to learn quickly
   

The job profile for sales representatives in the FMCG industry varies greatly depending on factors such as the size of the company, their target audience and their current business. However, job roles you can expect a sales officer to perform in general are as follows:

1.  Keeping in contact with the company’s wholesalers and retailers.
2.  Maintaining records of  customers.
3. Take appointments and schedule meetings with the potential clients
4. Plan and perform channel distributions
5. Target customers based on location and behavior 
6. Visit more and more potential customers and explain to them about products