Agricultural Careers

Chemical Sales Representative

By: Dr. Frank Flanders and Asha Wise

Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office

Georgia Department of Education

March 2006

Responsibilities

•Attend trade shows to view new products

•Attend conferences and conventions to meet distributors, other sales representatives and clients

•Participate in company-sponsored meetings to review sales performance, product development, sales’ goals, and profitability

•Visit clients to demonstrate products, show samples and take orders

•Contact and make appointments with potential buyers

•Stay up to date on competitors’ products

•Quote and negotiate prices and credit terms

•Prepare contracts and record orders

•Attend educational conferences on the product line

Qualities and Skills

• Chemical Sales Representatives should be goal-oriented, independent and self-motivated

• It is likely that they will work alone and with a team of representatives

• Good communication skills are required

• One should have a pleasant personality and a well kept appearance

• Should enjoy working with people

Salary

•Median annual earnings plus commission in 2002 was $55,740

•Most employers use a combination of salary and commission or salary plus bonus

•Sales representatives are usually reimbursed for expenses such as transportation costs, meals, hotels, and entertaining

customers

•They often receive benefits such as health and life insurance, pension plan, vacation and sick leave, personal use of a

company car, and frequent flyer mileage

Work Environment

•Extensive travel is required and could cover several states within a sales region

•Travel may require being away from home for several days or weeks at a time

•Usually work 40 hours per week but may occasionally work more

•Long and sometimes irregular hours, but can mostly determine own schedule

•May stand for long periods of time or carry sample products of moderate weight

•Under pressure to maintain and expand current customer base

•Attend trade shows to make contact with new customers and other sales representatives

Education

•A bachelor’s degree is becoming increasingly

important

•In order to be an effective salesperson, it is necessary to have knowledge about product

use and safety

•Courses in business, advertising, chemistry,

agriculture, biochemistry and computers are highly

recommended

Career Resources American Chemical Society1155 Sixteenth St., NWWashington, DC 20036

Internet: http://www.chemistry.org

National Agri-Marketing Association11020 King Street, Suite 205Overland Park, Kansas 66210Internet: http://www.nama.org

The National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD)730 E. Cypress Ave.Monrovia, CA 91016

Internet: http://www.chemindustry.com

Ag Network USAInternet: http://www.agricultural-network-usa.com

ChemIndustry.comInternet: http://www.chemindustry.com/