Job Description for a Sales Rep for a Cellular Provider

Cellular phone company representatives usually work in a brick-and-mortar store or at a kiosk in a mall or other busy traffic location. You also can work in a call center directly for the cell phone company where most of the customer interaction is over the phone. The median income in 2010 for all retail workers was about $20,990, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. You’ll be able to build on that pay, however, by earning commissions on the plans, upgrades, phones and other equipment you sell.

Greeting customers and providing outstanding service by answering their questions, resolving issues and selling services are the primary functions of sales reps at cellular phone companies. Your job description includes keeping a professional attitude while being helpful to customers. A friendly, positive experience is what every cell company wants its customers to have when they visit or call one of the company’s locations.

To find out the needs of the customer, you’ll need to develop effective listening skills. That means carefully hearing what problems the customer is having and not rushing to make a sale. Once you determine the customer’s needs, then you can begin moving toward a solution. The customer may just need some tech support, which you can either provide on the spot or direct the customer to the appropriate support personnel. You’ve got to have a keen understanding of the technology used by your company as well as information about the bugs and updates that are vital to keep customers hooked up and their devices working well.

As with many sales jobs, you may have a quota to reach to keep your job. As such, you may be tempted to rush clients into purchases they really don’t need or want. If you rely on your professionalism, though, you’ll be able to move customers into new plans and new equipment by pointing out the benefits of doing so. When listening to their needs, make note of the products and plans you think will best suit those needs, listening for openings to move them to an upgrade or a new phone. Learn to overcome objections and close more sales. Learn the company's sales pitch and how managers use successful closing techniques to earn customer trust and make more sales.

There’s a slew of paperwork you have to complete when you sign someone up for a new cell phone plan. As part of your customer service duties, you’ll want to double-check all your paperwork before turning it in so that the customers don’t encounter any delays in service or end up with billing problems. Those problems will come back to bite you and could result in lost sales and referrals. Your manager may give you other duties in the store as well that could include taking inventory, opening or closing the facility, developing attractive displays and keeping the store clean and presentable.

Retail sales workers earned a median annual salary of $23,040 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, retail sales workers earned a 25th percentile salary of $19,570, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $30,020, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 4,854,400 people were employed in the U.S. as retail sales workers.