Sales positions aim to grow sales and market share by rolling out new titles, taking orders from customers and monitoring book placement at customer bookshops. Text book representatives are responsible for promoting titles by text book publishers.
Education and skills:
Bachelor’s degree in business from a business school or university with some work experience. Interest in sales and in the quickly changing cultural sector. An associate’s degree is the absolute minimum requirement. Along with a successful first professional experience. A driver’s license and car are also prerequisites.
Key roles:
- Head of sales
- Key accounts / Key account manager
- Representative
- Text book representative
- Remote salesperson
Behind the scenes: responsibilities of a sales representative
Sales reps promote and sell books to independent bookshops and large retailers. The position requires excellent people skills and business sense. You have to be able to persuade people without becoming overbearing.
- Roll-out of new titles in bookshops
- Roll-out of advertising campaigns
- Stock management
- Negotiation with booksellers
- Regular feedback on all relevant sales information