RETAIL SALES

If you spend your free time at the mall, go out of your way to try new products, and enjoy working with others, retail sales could be a natural career for you. Careers in retail include jobs for cashiers, salespeople, department managers, store managers, dealers, retail buyers, and even business owners.

Anyone wanting to succeed in the retail business must have a genuine liking for people. Retail salespeople help customers find what they need and try to interest the customers in buying the products. A salesperson must have the patience to listen to and assist difficult customers.

Salespeople report to retail managers or sales worker supervisors. Supervisors are involved in all the areas of the store. They are familiar with every aspect of the business, including selling, accounting, advertising, inventory control, and purchasing. They deal with customer complaints that salespeople can't handle. Since retail stores employ a lot of salespeople, the supervisor also makes out work schedules, oversees the staff, and solves any employee problems that arise.

Successful retailers keep up with the trends in their field, whether it is clothing or music or sports. Stores buy their merchandise months ahead of time. When the first cold days of winter arrive, the salespeople have to be thinking about what the customers will be wearing in the spring. Car dealers must decide if their customers will want large vans or sports cars.

A big advantage of the retail sales business is that stores are everywhere. Salespeople are needed in cities, suburbs, and small towns. They work in freestanding stores or in malls. A retail store may be part of a national chain, or it may be a small, family-owned enterprise. A salesperson can choose to sell what he or she likes—clothes, music, books, sports equipment, and much more. When the salesperson knows and likes the product, that enthusiasm rubs off on the customer and results in a sale.