ED 136 114

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PUB DATENOTEAVAILABLE FROM

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Careers Canada, Volume 10: Careers in Sales.Department of Manpower and Immigration, Ottawa(Ontario).7638p.Printing and Publishing, Supply and Services Canada,Ottawa, Canada KlA 0S9 (HC $1.00, Canada, $1.20,other countries, Catalogue No. MP70-20/10-1976).

EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$2.06 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Career Change; Career Choice; *Career Opportunities;

*Employment Opportunities; Guides; *Jobs;Merchandising; *Occupational Information; Retailing;Salesmanship; *Sales Occupations

IDENTIFIERS *Canada

ABSTRACTThis booklet, one of a series on Canadian career

opportunities, irs designed for those who are interested in a careerin sales. The sales occupations described include manufacturers,wholesale, technical and scientific sales representatives, salesmanagers, purchasing agents and buyers, and retail sales persons andmanagers. Special sales careers described include real estate agents,insurance sales, travel agents, auctioneers and security salespersons. Ideal background, education, qualifications, training,working conditions, salary and future outlook of each position areincorporated in profiles of individuals employed in these salespositions. (JTR)

***********************************************************************Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished

* materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort- ** to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal ** reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality ** of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available ** via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). EDRS is not* responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions ** supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. ************************************************************************

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10 CAREERS IN SALES

3

I+ Manpower Main-d'oeuvreand Immigration et Immigration

® Minister of Supply and Services Canada 1976

Available by mail from

Printing and Publishing

Supply and Services Canada

Ottawa, Canada KIA 0S9

or through your bookseller.

Catalogue No. MP70-20/10-1976 Price: Canada : $1.00

ISBN 0-660-00480-1 Other countries: $1.20

Price subject to change without notice.

4

MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER

All Canadians must be given the opportunity to determine their abilities,develop them through education and training, and apply their talents in ameaningful occupation. To achieve this goal, sound information must be madeavailable to every Canadian at a stage in their development where fruitfuldecisions can be made. Careers- Canada is a major effort towards this end.

The benefits of the Careers- Canada series should affect many people: thestudent considering entrance into the world of work; the worker seeking tochange occupations; the prospective immigrant; the manpower or vocationalguidance counsellor, in fact, anyone wishing to match people with jobs.

Many people have been involved in the production of Careers - Canada, I jointhem in wishing you every success in your career search.

.4]Bud Cullen

NOTE TO READERS

The ultimate jodge of any material is the user. It is recognized that improve-ments can be r(lacle in the initial booklets and we ask all readers to forward anysuggestions to us. The consolidation of these comments Will allow us to betterprovide you with the type of information required.

Suggestions arid comments should be addressed to:

Director,Occupational end Career Analysisand Development Branch,DePartment of Manpower and Immigration,305 Rideau Street,OTTAWA, Ontario.K1A 0J9

IS THIS FOR YOU?

THE SALES CHAIN

CONTENTS

1

2

NATURE OF WORK 4Manufacturers' Representatives 4Wholesale Representatives 5Technical and Scientific Sales Representatives 7Sales Managers 9Marketing Managers 11

Purchasing Agents and Buyers 13Retail Salespersons 15Retail Sales Managers 17Business Services Representatives 18Insurance Sales Agents 21

Real Estate Agents 23Securities Salespersons 24Travel Agents 25Auctioneers 26

PREPARATION AND TRAINING 28

ADVANCEMENT 28

FUTURE OUTLOOK 29

WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? 29

RELATED PUBLICATIONS 31

Disponible en frangais sous le titre "Travailleurs specialises dans la vente"

7

The success or failure of a company often dependson the ability of its sales staff. A product may sellby itself; more often it needs a sales presentation.A good salesperson can often turn a product intoa financial success.

The art of selling is to influence the ideas andopinions of people so that they will buy your prod-ucts rather than those of others. It is not easy.You must enjoy talking to people and have tact anddiplomacy if you are to be a success. As well, youmust be able to handle disappointments; forinstance, when you have worked hard to completea sale only to find that the customer has decidednot to buy the product. If you have these qualities,sales can be a satisfying career. The financialrewards can also be good. The combination ofsalary and commission can be quite high and islimited only by the drive and initiative you put intoselling your company's products.

In this booklet you will meet people who work insales. Some work for manufacturing companies andsell products such as machinery or chemicals toother businesses. Others represent companieswhose products they sell directly to a retail storefor public purchase. Other salespersons sell ser-vices such as advertising.

You will also read that the hours of work areirregular. Store clerks, for example, though theyhave fixed hours, often work on Saturdays andsome evenings. Those who sell services, such aslife insurance, work in the evenings, the only timewhen their clients are at home. Company repre-sentatives may spend several nights, a week, oreven longer away from home depending on the sizeof the territory f or which they are responsible.

Why have these people chosen to work in sales?Would you want to? In this booklet, you will readthings like: "There are no set hours, you can workas long as you like" or "I like meeting people" or"Sales work gives you a lot of independence."

The sales industry is open to both women and menwho have personality, intelligence and some educa-tion and training. They are all aware that their con-tact with customers reflects on the entire business;consequently, they are polite and efficient. Theyalso know that this is a business where successdepends on hard work.

IS THIS FOR YOU?

Academic qualifications for careers in this industryvary widely. Some careers, such as technicalsales, require extensive formal education combinedwith considerable study of the company's prod-ucts. Others require sufficient education to be ableto communicate well with the customer.

Every sales situation is different. Some of thesecareers may appeal to you. Others may not. Butreading about them may help you when consider-ing your future career.

1

THE SALES CHAIN

( THE SALES CHAIN )

MARKETING DEPARTMENT(decides how products

will be marketed)

SELL TO

SELL TO

SELL TO

(NHOLESALERS' REPRESENTATIVE)

HPYSELL TO SELL

GENERAL MANAGER

PURCHASING AGENT

FOR USE BY INSTITUTION OR COMPANY

SALES MANAGER

1

(DEPARTMENT MANAGER

CSALES CLEI;(7)111MirSELL TO

29

The goods you buy from retail stores have alreadybeen bought and sold several times before theyreached the store shelves. Manufacturers buy rawmaterials for their products which are then soldeither directly to retail stores or to distributingcompanies who buy products from a large numberof manufacturers for resale to stores, not to thepublic. A wholesale food company, for instance,buys products from many producers such asbakeries, canned food companies, dairies andvegetable growers. A sales representative from awholesale company will frequently approach aretail fooc, store and offer a wide range of nroducts,thereby allowing the food store to buy goodsfrom one source rather than from hund ofproducers.

Manufacturers' representatives deal with othermanufacturing companies, wholesalers and distrib-utors, and large institutions such as commercialfirms. In each case, they sell large quantities of aproduct for use in further manufacturing pro-cesses, for resale or for use by another industry.

Purchasing agents, or buyers, represent companiesthat buy the goods either for resale or company use.They buy materials, business services, suppliesand equipment for use by their companies. Theydecide on their companies' needs and select goodsfrom those offered by sales representatives.

In much the same way, buyers for retail storesselect merchandise from ranges shown by salesrepresentatives. They usually discuss style, typeand quality with the store manager to meet theneeds of store customers.

The final link in the sales chain is the retail store,where products are sold to the public by salesclerks. They display or demonstrate products per-sonally to customers, advise on quality and suita-bility, wrap customers' purchases and takepayments.

Sales clerks report to a department or salesmanager. The managers judge which of the store'sgoods are in most demand and pass this informa-tion along to a buyer.

In this booklet you can read about the sales staff,the links in the chain that stretches from the manu-facturer to the public. You will also meet peoplein other specialized sales areas who sell businessservices, decide how products should be packagedand advertised, or supervise the sales operations.

10

THE SALES CHAIN

3

NATURE OF WORK

Manufacturers Representatives or CommercialTraVellers

Manufacturing companies ernploy sales repre-sentatives to sell products to wholesalers, othermanufacturers, retailers and business establish-ments. They often travel fairly extensively ovei anallotted sales area and, for this reason, may beknown as commercial travellers.

TheY show samples of their products to prospectivebuyers, and often carry catalogues containingdescriptions and price lists. When a new productbeccrnes available, these salespeople notify theirregUiar customers and explain the qualities of thaproduct.

Jean Lascelles works as a representative for apharmaceutical company which sells drugs toph5rrnacies and stores in Quebec. Jean had alwaysbeen interested in Medical science and decided tobecor'ne a pharmaceutical product sales repre-sentative so that he could work closely with themedical field. Jean is both a pharmaceutical and amedical agent, visiting drugstores to sell the corn-parlY's products as well as informing doctors onthe Products available from his company.

As Jean is very interested in the development ofneyv drugs and medicines, he spent some timelooking for a pharMaceutical company that had agood research dePartrrient. In the meantime hetook university courses in science and languages,as the company requires that applicants have a

Selling pharmaceutical Products requires thoroughknowledge of each product. Jean visits the corn-paPYs laboratory for a briefing on a new drug thathe Will soon be showing to doctors and pharmacists.

111/I--

arseolef.?

4

proven learning ability in any field. Jean qualifiedfor a position as a sales trainee because of hisuniversity background. Jean says, "I was given onemonth's training in sales techniques and medicalinformation. I was also required to enrol in univer-sity courses that included the study of bacteriology,neurology, pharmacology and anatomy. At the endof the courses I had five hours of exams.

"When I visit a drugstore I give the pharmacistinformation on the products and describe theireffects on the body," Jean explains. "I leavesamples of new drugs and describe dosages, thencheck what is in stock to see if the customer isrunning low on any of our products."

The procedure is different when visiting a doctor,Jean explains. "I make appointments one week inadvance and always bring complete files on ournew drugs. I listen very.carefully to doctors'questions in order to assess their needs. One ofthe main purposes of my visits to doctors is to letthem know about our products, and the visits areusually spent in discussion."

Jean keeps up to date in his field by readingmedical and pharmaceutical journals. Every twomonths there is a meeting of the company's salesstaff to discuss the company's products and salesprogress.

Jean is improving his knowledge of chemistry,biochemistry and organic chemistry through part-time studies. He advises anyone interested inpharmaceutical sales to study these subjects inhigh school or college, and to get some salesexperience in any field.

"I sold fishing worms during high school vacation::and sold vacuum cleaners as summer work incollege," he says. "It all proved to be valuableexperience later on."

Bob Bradley is a representative for a large BritishColumbia pulp-and-paper company. When he firstleft school he had no career plans and took aposition as mail clerk. He studied part-time tobecome a Registered Industrial Accountant, andtook an office position with his present employer.His plan was to join a large company and gainexperience with the company's business, beforemoving on to a more senior position, He was inhis early twenties when he saw a sales positionposted on the company bulletin board, applied andwas accepted.

11

After a few weeks of training in sales techniques,Bob accompanied experienced staff on sales calls.

"Knowing your own product and those of compet-ing companies can only be learned throughexperience," Bob says. "I sell newsprint, and thatmeans selling both service and quality. My territorycovers the four western provinces. I meet a varietyof people, from editors of small-town weeklynewspapers to executives of large printing corpora-tions."

Bob explains that much of his time is spent ser-vicing accounts, making sure that customers aresatisfied and that their orders are delivered on time.

"If newspaper publishers don't have enough news-print, they can't publish," he says. "I have to makesure that my customers' orders are filled regularly.One of the most satisfying aspects of my work isthat I am helping people in their businesses.Furthermore, I'm now my own boss, and set myown work schedule."

Bob feels that one of his main qualifications for hispresent sales position was his accounting course."The more education you can get, the better,"he says. "It doesn't prove that you can sell, but itdoes prove that you can learn."

Whatever the educational background, new salesstaff are required to have additional training on theproduct they are to sell. A salesperson must keepinformed about the company's products and passthe information along to customers.

Once a sale has been made, the representativeimmediately writes out an order form and sends itto the company's warehouse and dispatch depart-ment. He then checks that the goods are deliveredon schedule. Much of the day is usually spentarranging and making sales calls, with time late inthe day and into the evening for catching up onpaper work.

Promotion to management positions is usuallygiven to people with good sales records and aninterest in the company's products. Part-timecollege or university courses either in businessadministration or in a field closely related to thecompany's products range would also helpchances of promotion.

12

NATURE OF WORK

Wholesale Sales Representatives

Jay Metcalfe is a sales representative for a whole-sale company in Whitehorse. The company buyscamping gear, dry goods, drugstore goods, shoesand clothing from manufacturers and sells them tostores throughout the Yukon, the Northwest Terri-tories ana parts of Alaska. The company is thus alink between manufacturers and retailers.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Commercedegree, Jay worked in sales for a manufacturingcompany in Vancouver. Within a year he waspromoted to a marketing position. But he missedthe travelling and public contact of sales work,and moved back to Whitehorse to take up hispresent post.

Every-four weeks or so Jay visits potential cus-tomers, taking samples of products, price lists andcatalogues.

Representatives of wholesale distributing com-panies sell a variety of products for resale in retailstores. Jay sets up displays of products to showstore representatives selections of goods available.

5

NATURE OF WORK

Like many wholesale representatives, Jay sets upa display in each town he visits, usually in a hotelsuite. Besides finding new customers, Jay keepsregular clients posted on new products and pricechanges, as well as advising clients on how todisplay products in their stores.

Whether at the Whitehorse office or 'on the road,'Jay says there is always paper work to be done.He must organize his time carefully, setting upappointments in the morning and meeting withclients at lunch or in the afternoon. In the eveningsJay often does the paperwork.

"Orders must be written on special forms," hesays. "Some are coded for computer use and youmust fill them in carefully. You must also takecustomers' orders quickly and efficiently to avoidwasting their time and your own."

It is important, Jay adds, to keep sales calls brief,informative and pleasant. As soon as a customerdecides to buy one product, you should quicklyshow other products which might interest thecustomer.

Pay is on a commission basis, so he receives apercentage of the cost of each item sold. "Beingon a commission basis, the sky is the limit, espe-cially here where I have such a large territory tocover," he says. "Successful people in the salesfield are highly motivated to sell. There are no sethours, so you can work as long as you please.After-office hours are often spent entertainingclients. This lets me discuss their needs in a pleas-ant atmosphere. You must be interested in people,willing to talk with them and have the staying powerto keep in touch viith clients regularly.

"A business degree is an asset" he says. "Mybackground in business and marketing is mosthelpful to me when making presentations to storemanagers because I can advise them on how todisplay the products and improve their sales."

Don Harris is a sales representative for a wholesalefood company in New Brunswick. The companybuys fruit, vegetables, candy and tobacco fromproducers and sells them to retail stores through-out the province.

6

"I average 25 calls a day, either in person or bytelephone," Don explains. "I call to check thateach store has enough supplies. Once a week Icollect money from the week's sales. I usuallycheck the store shelves to make sure they are well-stocked with our products."

A good salesperson works for the customers, Donsays. "I enjoy taking care of their needs. That way,everyone'z business improves and everyone ishappy," he adds.

13

Technical and Scientific Sales Representatives

Certain technical industries require that theirrepresentatives have a scientific or technical back-ground so that they can discuss their products orservices with the engineering or scientific staff ofpotential customers. This background is in addition to training at the college or university levelbusiness administration.

Fred Barron sells nat i( al gas for heating and cool-ing systems in buildings. "Although usually I sellnatural gas, I get involved in equipment sales," heexplains.

Fred worked in the service department of thecompany for several years before moving intosales. He had Grade 12 with emphasis on sciencecourses, and learned how to read engineeringdrawings and plans while repairing equipment inthe service department. The ability to read draw-ings is essential in his sales work as he must beable to determine the heating and cooling needsof the buildinr and the most suitable type of equip-ment.

"My training for the sales department consisted ofabout one month of reading and accompanyingexperienced representatives on visits to clients.Several new salespeople were trained at the sametime; we had to learn about various kinds of equip-ment that use natural gas, including boilers, waterheaters, dryers, and process equipment for indus-trial uses. We were also taught to calculate andquote comparative fuel costs and explain to clientsthe advantages of using our product.

"Even though the costs and benefits of a productcan be quite standard, you must be able to explainthem to customers in relation to their needs. Youhave to be honest, as there is often a large elementof trust on the part of the customer when you quotecosts and benefits," Fred explains.

Sales work in technical fields does not stop whenthe sale has been made. The representative mustmake sure that equipment is installed promptlyand works to the customer's satisfaction.

Records must also be kept of all sales calls andprogress with each customer. When a sale is made,an order must be written and copies forwarded tothe installation and service departments for action.The records are kept on file in case the customerwishesto_alter_the service. The rep_resentative alsokeeps customers informed of any new equipmentthat might improve existing installations.

NATURE OF WORK

Hubert Lepine works as a sales representative fora large electrical engineering equipment companyin Quebec Hubert says: "I spend most of my time

.ring representatives from industry,Inical information and discussing our;n relation to their needs."

irt, who has a degree in electrical enginee,worked for the company for two years as anengineer before he decided to move into sales. Afriend who worked in the sales department hadtold him the advantages of the work, saying thatthere was plenty of opportunity to meet people anda real challenge in designing equipment installa-tions to meet each customer's needs. He now sellsa wide range of steam and water turbines, genera-tors, tranSformers and computers, all of whichrequire a high level of technical knowledge.

After taking a part-time course in business adminis-tration and sales, Hubert obtained his sales posi-tion. "There is tremendous variety in the work," hesays. "You don't have to sit at a desk from 9 until5 with a slide rule. Since I am the agent betweenthe customer and the company, I have to checkmany technical details. After assessing the cus-tomer's needs, I advise on the equipment requiredand submit plans to the customer for further discus-sion. If it is accepted and an order placed for theequipment, then I've made a sale."

Hubert keeps customers informed about newequipment and periodically checks that their instal-lations are working efficiently.

"To do my job well," he says, "you need a firmengineering background, you must be a diplomatand able to take the initiative in contacting newcustomers. You must always be available to helpcustomers solve their problems and be willing toput in extra hours to catch up on paper work ifnecessary. I don't enjoy writing reports, but theymust be done."

Jim Robinson, a sales representative for a largecomputer company, agrees that technical expertiseand sales ability are essential ingredients in tech-nical sales. Jim, who is based in New Brunswick,advises anyone interested in this career to studymathematics and computer science. Many com-panies, like the one Jim works for, provide trainingprograms lasting up to six weeks to new salesstaff. University_or college courses in subjectsrelated to sales are always an asset.

14

NATURE OF WORK

"A lot of preparation goes into each sales call,"Jim says. "We judge the needs of each potentialcustomer, and suggest an appropriate computersystem. Much of our equipment is very expensive,and we offer a rental system to prospective buyersso that they can try out the equipment and assessits advantages."

Sales representatives must be well organized,Jim points out, as each working day includes plan-ning sales calls plus writing up reports and orders."You must always be responsive to unexpectedphone calls and give your full attention to everycustomer," he says.

Geoff Ritter represents a petroleum company andsells oil to commercial companies which use oil aspart of the manufacturing processes.

A degree in chemical engineering prepared Geofffor his present work in sales for a petroleumcompany. He must know the properties of thehundreds of different oils he sells.

"I sell over 2,000 kinds of oil, including lubricating,'process and hydraulic oH, which are all basicallysimilar oils refined to varying degrees," Geoffexplains. "I have a degree in chemical engineer-ing and worked in chemical process engineer-ing before I switched to sales. After I was hired forsales work, u id oo ave me training in salestechniques and how deal with people, as wellas product inforn` ^iion. That was a two-week inten-sive training program, and a three-week programwas given six months after I started.

"About every six months or so the sales staff havea meeting with the manager to set sales goals forthe next six months. We are paid by salary and noton a commission basis, so there is no real financialpressure to sell 'x' number of gallons or we don'tget paid. Yet there is certainly pressure to meet thegoals we have set for ourselves," Geoff says.

"I like sales work becaLise it teaches you a man-agement approach to things and because you aregiven a lot of independence," Geoff continues. "Youhave to manage your own time and are given yourown area to cover. You can learn a lot in sales thatwill help for promotion to management posts."

The sales staff in Geoff's company are encouragedto join technical associations in order to meetpeople who use oil. These groups hold seminarswhere producersand consumers can meet todiscuss their needs.

"Selling is a lot more rewarding than I thought itwould be because there is always something tolearn either from the customers or from membersof the company who are trying to improve thequality of our products," Geoff says.

Geoff is undecided on his next career step. "I couldmove into a position as technical advisor, supplyingtechnical help to the sales staff when they need it,"he says. "It's also possible to move into manage-ment or production. My ambitions change, but withan engineering degree it's possible to go furtherand you have a chance to shape your own future."

Sales Managers

Sales managers are responsible for coordinatingand supervising the work of a company's salesteam. Whether they work for a company that pro-duces tractors or toys, their basic responsibilitiesare to organize staff and set sales targets accordingto estimated demands. Sales managers often hirestaff and set up training programs for new em-ployees. As these positions require a thoroughknowledge of sales methods and the cc w'sproducts, promotion to sales manaqP illyafter several years' experience in sa,

Don Massey is now sales manager fo, ,;hem-ical company, though he did not start out to be asalesman. "I was in the second year of a universitychemistry program when I took an aptitude testthat indicated I had a desire to communicate withpeople. Since I was studying chemistry, I felt it wasa logical step for me to join the sales staff of achemical company," Don says.

It was easy for him to make the right moves oncehe had made up his mind. "I decided in my thirdyear of university that a couple of courses in com-merce would be an advantage. And it has workedout well that way.

"When I graduated, I stepped into a sales job for afisheries company. I had worked in the fishingindustry.while attending school, so I knew some-thing of the business. I was given training on howto make sales calls and sent on a company-sponsored sales course.

"I spent several more years working with variousfood products companies before I finally found thisposition with a chemical company. Now my back-ground in chemistry is coming in handy. It didn'ttake me long after I joined this company to move upto sales manager for western Canada.

"Almost all sales are based on long-term contractsfor supplies of chemicals; I give the sales staffguidelines on the calculation of contract offers.If they have difficulty finalizing a deal, I stepin. When the sale is completed, I'm responsible forchecking on delivery of the product. My staff doesmost of the negotiating and checks back withcustomers to make sure they are satisfied. But Ihave to stay on top of everything.

"There are other details to look after. For instance,we employ an engineer who analyzes our custo-me CS Oa-du ctioirtrietho-ds-tof [rid-how they-use-ourproducts. I arrange for the engineer to meet the

NATURE OF WORK

customers. Things like that make the differencebetween success and failure in business.

"What I like best about my work," he says, "is that itdepends on negotiating long-term contracts bene-ficial to both the buyer and the seller. This is agood career for People Who like to help otherswhile helping themselves at the same time.

"When hiring sales managers, most companieslook for university or community college graduatesfrom business administration and marketing pro-grams. Since you need to understand sales fore-casts and market research data, a statistics ortechnical course would be very useful," Don says.For sales Work In scientific or technical industries,a university degree such as engineering or scienceis usually reqU red.

Sales training is generally provided by the company."However," according to Don, "if you already havesome sales training, this would definitely be anasset."

John Burbank became sales manager after workingas a sales clerk in a department store. He-decidedto leave university after two Years in a general artsprogram and took university evening courses inbusiness administration while working at the store.

"I liked arts studies but felt that they weren't goingto lead me into a career," John remembers. "So Iquit after two Y ears and became a salesperson in alarge departrnent store chain. I really had noqualifications beyond that level except that I waseager, and the Company was prepared to promoteworkers on the basis of their performance. Thebusiness management courses also helped."

Even as a sales manager John continues to takepart-time courses. "You can never know too muchabout business and personnel management in thiswork," he coninlents.

John works closely with his staff. "About 30 percent of my tinle is spent training and reviewingtheir work. I spend considerable time explainingour productto the sales team. Selling is halfknowledge and half enthusiasm; it's my job to seethat the sales staff have both.

"I never forget that my main responsibility is toreach realistic sales and profit targets. In the final

-analysis,-everYthingtdois-directed-towards-thisgoal.

169

NATURE OF WORK

"I get a lot of satisfaction from watching a persongrow as a salesperson," John says enthusiastically,"from the time he or she is hired until the time theymove on." But he adds, "on the other hand, I dislikethe amount of red tape and paperwork involved inlarge companies and ours is no different from anyother."

John is still making his own career plans. "Fromhere, I expect to become a branch manager "hosays. "And eventually I hope to mo

--ial position in sales at ou

John has some advice for potential sales personnel."It's initiative and experience that count once youstart. To be a success, you must be outgoing andhave organizational ability."

Peter Irving is a sales manager who continues tosell to customers. Last year, Peter was given theopportunity to transfer to the head office and workas a coordinator for national sales. However, hefelt that there was more challenge working out of adistrict office and dealing personally with thecustomers.

"In this company, sales personnel are regarded asentrepreneurs, the kind of people who get out of theoffice and make their own way in the business worldby making contacts with possible customers. It'san image that I like and I enjoy the challenge ofselling."

Peter has strong ideas about the kind of person whoshould get into sales. "You have to be a self-starter," he says. "The only way to succeed is bybeing self-motivated. You have to have drive be-cause it is too easy to waste your time. Since salespeople work on commission here, and are paidaccording to the number of sales made, poorly-planned time means lower income.

"In this business, you have to call on your clientsonce or twice a week. The evening before, youshould plan your day who you are going to callon and what you'll try to sell. You're expected tocheck shelves to make sure your company productsare well-displayed and stocked. Then, after the callsare finished, a good salesperson makes a report oneach call of what was sold and any other informationthat might be needed for future reference.

"High-school education is not sufficient. However,whether you have a university degree or a collegediploma, the sales training is the same. You usually

10

start on the sales desk, filling the orders from thesales people, until you are familiar with the prod-ucts and prices. Field work with customers is firstdone with another salesperson. After that, makingit to sales manager depends on your ambition."

17

Marketing Managers

What makes you decide to buy a product? The wayit is packaged, a commercial you saw on TV, or aspecial offer of a 25-cent price reduction? Market-ing or sales promotion managers as they are some-times called, try to work out what makes you, thecustomer, buy a product. They decide how prod-ucts should be promoted to boost sales andimprove the company's image.

"Marketing means putting together all the thingsyou need to get an item to the public," explainsKathy Fielding, a product marketing manaori for alarge Ontario-based food products cor "Ourarticles are divided into groups. I'm with the coffeegroup and work on the marketing and promotion oftwo particular brands of coffee."

As a marketing manager, Kathy plans advertisingcampaigns and decides how products will bepromoted to the public. Package design, advertisingand special offers must all be considered.

NATURE OF WORK

Kathy coordinates the total sales approach of herproducts. "We plan advertising campaigns a yearahead," she says, "and decide on consumer pro-grams, such as coupons or contests, to boostsales. At intervals we give special offers to thestores who buy our products for resale; that'sanother way to stimulate consumer purchasing."

To discover public opinions on company products,marketing managers and their staff organize marketresearch programs. These may involve puttingpeople in stores or on street corners to ask thepublic their opinion of certain products. Other ap-proaches involve offering free samples in a storeor shopping mall and then asking for opinions.

"Any research on a product is usually organized bythe marketing department, sometimes in co-operation with others such as the product designdepartment," Kathy explains. "You have to achievea certain level of skill and understanding of thecompany before you can move into a marketingposition because you are so closely linked withother departments, especially sales. We give thesales staff the tools and the plans with which to sellthings."

Kathy's interest in high school had been mathe-matics, which she also studied in university. "AfterI graduated, I knew I didn't want to teach but Iwanted to put my math skills into practice. So Iturned to business administration to use the skillsI'd learned. I now have a Master's degree inbusiness administration. One of the courses I tookin graduate school was market planning whichinterested me in the promotion and sale of packagedgoods."

Kathy joined a large company which offered on-the-job training for new marketing employees by puttingthem to work with an experienced marketing mana-ger to learn about the company and its products."It is a developmental program," Kathy says, "butthe learning process never really stops. Sincemarket and public tastes are always changing, youare always changing, you have to adapt your ideasand keep ahead of the trends. To communicateideas quickly to other people you must also be ableto express yourself well in both speaking andwriting.

"What I find fascinating is that the market is sounpredictable," Kathy says. "From research studiesyou knowIträt thWe is an identified need for acertain product and think you are promoting it in

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NATURE OF WORK

just the right way. Then, when you conduct a re-search program into the results of an advertisingcampaign, you may find that customers are inter-preting it in a totally unexpected way."

Kathy works out pricing and advertising expendi-tures and evaluates the results of marketing andsales campaigns against any improvements insales figures. The effects of future campaigns andtheir costs must also be built into the company'sbudget. "I don't think anyone really likes sittingdown and crunching away through rows of numbers,but it's necessary sometimes," Kathy says. "There'sa lot of pressure in this work, especially when weare setting up a program or evaluating its progress.During an evaluation, I have to see how products areselling, compare those figures with the projectionsof how much I expected would sell and then, if I'mrunning low, work out what promotions are neededto increase sales."

Barry Barnum, a marketing manager with a foodproducts company in British Columbia, points outthat marketing is arranged on an annual pattern."Our yearly plans are drawn up in the summer,which always creates pressure," he says. "We setour strategy for the coming year based on thecompany's sales targets and estimates of how muchof each product can be sold. Sales goals are set bythe sales managers and other executives of the

Marketing a product calls for long-range planningto meet sales goals. As a marketing manager, Barryplans advertising and promotion campaigns whilebearing in mind the cost of such campaigns andthe price of products to be sold.

12

company. Once we have goals, we can plan ouradvertising strategy to meet the sales objectives.The rest of the year is spent putting our plans intopractice."

Barry has a university degree in economics, whichhe now finds useful for seeing an overall'perspec-tive of the market, or what it is that people buy."The most important qualificatiun for this work,"Barry thinks, "is an understanding of the salesfunction: you have to know what sells a product,and how to sell your own ideas to other people inthe company."

An understanding of mathematics and basic ac-counting principles is also necessary, Barry feels,because you are always dealing with accountinginformation; for instance, how much of a producthas been sold, the expenses of a campaign, or costsof a new packaging design.

"This work requires creativity," Barry says. "Youhave to think on your own, come up with originalideas, translate them into useful terms for your ownproducts and then sell the ideas to higher manage-ment before organizing the campaign. You alsohave to pay strict attention to such details as whatsize label to put on a bottle or how large to make apackage."

Although Barry notes that a university education isan advantage, he also points out that marketingstaff must have a basic understanding of sales. Thiscan be gained either by working in sales beforemoving into the marketing department, or by takinga part-time sales position while studying. Thiscombination of education and experience would bean excellent start for a marketing career.

19

Purchasing Agents and Buyers

Every organization, no matter how large or small,must Orchase supplies and services for its day-to-day operations. Industrial plants must have rawmaterials such as steel or chemicals from whichto produce their line of manufactured goods.Commercial enterprises need stationery, type-writers and perhaps computer services whilehospitals need bed linen, pharmaceuticals and foodsupplies.

Purchasing agents, or buyers are responsible forbuying sopplies in larger organizations.

In a buOY, Office you would probably find that thepurchasing agent seems to spend most of the daymaking telephone calls. This is to determine whatthe corflPany needs and find out fron suppliersthe kinds and quality of supplies they can provide.As well, there are contracts and further calls orcorrespondence to ensure that deliveries are madeon time.

Purchasing agents must also spend a considerableamount Of time reading catalogues and tradejournaiS to keep ahead of new developments andprice eanges.

Catherine Legault is a purchasing agent for a largeQuebec *hotel. She had worked as a secretary in apurchosing department before moving into herpresent Position.

"I buy Office suPPlies, kitchen equipment, staffuniforrfis, laundry products and cleaning suppliesfor the Potel," Catherine says. "I must keep within abudget allotted by the general manager, and get thebest q ity products at the lowest possible price."

Before she started in her present work, Catherinetook a College course in business methods. Thispreparotion helps her organize her schedule sothat she has enough time to keep in touch with thehotel sta,ff and the representatives of supplierCompanies.

"On la(ge purchases, ask suppliers to submitprice tentiersfor goods,- Catherine explains. "Youhave tO be very resourceful to find the right goodsat the rIghtzrIce, and Must always be tactful withpeople, -rile work also takes a lot of perseveranceto find exzlt-tly what you want,"

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NATURE OF WORK

If something goes wrong with equipment Catherinehas bought, she must call the supplier for repairservice. So whenever she places an order, shechecks to make sure there is a service warranty.

Catherine also spends a great deal of time readingpromotional literature describing various com-panies' products. She is constantly makingdecisions about which products are best suited tothe hotel's needs and must be a 'comparative shop-per' to keep up to date with what is a, 'tat*,

In very large companies a purchasing agent couldhandle a budget of millions of dollars. For suchpositions a university or college background inbusiness administration and several years' ex-perience are usually required. An accounting back-ground is also an asset.

Whatever their background, purchasing agentsmust keep an open mind about new products thatcome into the market and be aware of alternativesuppliers. They must also listen carefully to re-quests for purchases from other members of thecompany, always asking themselves, "What is thebest product to meet this need?"

Marsha McDougall is the head purchasing agent fora Quebec-based company which manufacturesstereo components. "This is work which requiresboth a good business mind and common sense,"is Marsha's opinion. Every piece of equipment usedto manufacture the company products is bought byMarsha's department.

"Of course, it's up to us to get the best prices,"Marsha says, "but this isn't as simple as it sounds.Sometimes we buy a large quantity of transistors,for example, and we require tenders. This meansthat everyone who wants to sell transistors to ussubmits a bid stating the price of their product. Mydepartment is responsible for notifying suppliers tosubmit tenders. Alternatively, we read suppliers'catalogues and decide which materials would bebest for us, although we can't do this if the itemshave to be manufactured to our specifications.It can get very involved and we deal with millionsof dollars."

Price isn't Marsha's only concern, however. "Wehave to be sure that the supplier can meet ourdelivery dates, or else we'd be ready to start pro-duction without the necessary materials. And wemust be certain that the materials will meet our

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NATURE OF WORK

quality standards. There's no point in having thebest price if the product is not delivered, or if itisn't good enough when it is delivered. For thatreason, we inspect samples before placing largeorders."

In order to know when the supplies will be needed,what the quality of the materials will be and howmuch is required, Marsha spends a lot of time withthe 0 'mpany's enninnors and s- utaff. The engi-neerb explain what useterials are needed to manu-facture the stereo components, and the sales staffpredict how many products they will be able tosell. Finally, production supervisors determinewhen there will be machines and workers availableto start production.

"It's all a matter of communication and knowinghow to deal with suppliers," Marsha claims. "Theonly way to learn the business is to work in it,although a background in business administrationis helpful."

When Marsha was working as a purchasing agent,before being promoted to department supervisor,she visited the company's suppliers to check ontheir manufacturing progress. Because the com-pany imports numerous parts from Japan and theUnited States, she was out of the country forseveral weeks each year. But now she works in thehead office and assistants visit the suppliers.

Buyers select goods from manufacturing andwholesale companies to be sold in retail stores. Asa clothing buyer, Mary uses her knowledge offashion to choose articles that will appeal to thestore's customers.

14

"The surprising thing about this job," Marsha says,"is watching parts that you have bought being puttogether into something like an amplifier. It's fas-cinating. And I like being in a position where I cansee results."

While purchasing agents buy materials for usewithin the comprmy they rn for retailstores buy gooth., II wit manufactui el or whole-salers for resale to the public.

Mary Allison is a women's fashion buyer for a de-partment store in Prince Edward Island. All cus-tomers are very much affected by her decisions.Every piece of clothing sold by the fashion depart-

, ment in that store is selected by Mary from thou-sands of articles manufactured by garment pro-ducers.

"There are now college programs for retail buyers,"Mary points out, "and programs in business admin-istration are also useful. But you must have a flairfor fashion in this work. I'd studied fashion illustra-tion and worked in the advertising department.Then I moved into sales for a couple of years. Whenthe store manager asked me if I would like to trybuying the women's clothes, I jumped at thechance."

Mary not only has to know what will sell, but has toknow at least six months before the season. Marybuys fall stock in the spring and spring stock in thefall. Styles can change in a matter of weeks andMary has to be able to predict what will happen toclothing styles between the time she places ordersand the time the clothes appear on the racks. "Ifind I havo to spend a lot of time of the floor ob-serving customers," Mary says, "and I consult thesales clerks to get their opinions, too. Ultimately,though, I have to use my own judgement and hopethat I'm right."

As sales representatives from the garment manu-facturers bring samples of their garments to Mary'sstore, she spends most of her working day in theoffice. However, she occasionally attends majorfashion shows in Canada and the United States."The shows are the only way to know what is avail-able and what the manufacturers expect the fashiontrends will be," Mary explains.

21_

What does Mary like most about her work? "Thepeople and the variety. You meet all sorts of people,from sales reps to sales clerks, and have to try toplease them all. I never like to say 'no' to I ^.11tirep, because I feel that they try hard, but I must buqpiPctive about what I buy. And stock has to bechanged regularly so that customers don't getbored."

Good clothing buyers are essential because theyhelp build a store's reputation. So Mary could stayon in the same store at a good salary. However, shehopes to move into other areas of buying and theninto general management. "I believe that it's possi-ble to work up to store manager if you are suffi-ciently ambitious and intelligent," she says.

NATURE OF WORK

Retail Salespersons

The last link in the ch'71, -f selling goods is the '-tail store, where pr, are finalI t on dL,

the public to buy.

More than 300,000 people are presently working assales clerks in stores. These are the people youmeet every time you go to a store. The reputationof a store rests partly with its sales staff, for ifcustomers are served in a pleasant manner theyare likely to return to the store.

A position as retail sales clerk is a good start to-ward a selling career for many retail stores oftenpromote promising sales clerks to junior man-agement positions after they have ga;ned experi-ence.

Sales clerks advise customers about style, typeand quality of the merchandise they are trying tosell. Having made a sale, they wrap the goods, ringup sales on a cash register, or make out chargeslips. As well, they may stock shelves, write pricetags, keep records of sales and order replacementstocks from the warehouse. In self-service stores,clerks may have limited dufies such as wrappingparcels and receiving payment. In both instances,however, service must be (liven in a patient andcourteous manner to maintain the reputation of thestore.

A sales clerk is always pleasant and helpful tocustomers. Jim offers advice on style and qualityto a customer inlhe clothing department.

_y

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NATURE OF WORK

Jim Abbott worked as a sales clerk several summersand during weekends while at school, and decidedto make sales work a career. He now sells men'sclothing in a large department store.

"I wanted to work for a large company because Ithought there might be a chance for promotion afterI got some experience," Jim says. "I also liked theidea of working on commission sales because thatgives you an incentive to sell more. I went to thepersonnel department to ask about any work thatwas available, and filled out their application form.

"After I was accepted, was given instructions onmy first day about how to ring up a sale and how tohandle charge accounts, credit card purchases andpersonal cheques," Jim says. "It takes about twomonths of training with the department managerand other sales staff before you know all the goodsoffered in the department. You always have to beaware of the latest items in stock."

Jim explains that he is responsible for a certainarea of the department. He makes sure that it isneat and that the counters and shelves are fullystocked. "If the manager tells me we are running a'special' or certain items have been advertised inthe newspapers, I have to make sure those itemsare well displayed," he says.

"Most of the work involves approaching customersand trying, in a pleasant way, to find out what theyare looking for so that I can show them what thestore has to offer or suggest alternatives. I've foundthat you have to give an honest opinion when it isasked; if you flatter customers into buying some-thing that you know they don't really want, you canbe sure you won't see them again. If you arehonest and say what you think, you might lose asale today, yet customers will come back to thestore because they trust you. I have several regularcustomers who ask for me because they trust myjudgement in selecting suds," Jim says.

"I really like to make a big sale and see a customerwalk away happy," Jim continues, "because thenI've satisfied a customer and made some moneyfor myself as well."

16

J1111 says he is learning about inventory matters. Heinforms the manager which items are selling quicklyso that more can be ordered. He notices when otheritems are sitting on the shelves unsold and suggestseither a price reduction or a promotion 'special' toclear the shelves.

Jim hopes that his next step is to supervisor. Hewould then check on the work of other sales staff,order supplies and be responsible for merchandisereceived from suppliers.

"After that, if you show a real interest in the goodsyou are selling, you might get promoted to depart-mental manager or assistant buyer and help chooseclothes from the manufacturers. The company en-courages its sales staff to take part-time college oruniversity courses in sales or business manage-ment, and pays for the courses. I think that's whatI'd like to do," Jim says. "It's a definite aid to pro-motion and advancement if you are willing to learnand improve yourself.

"Anyone entering retail sales should realize that agood appearance and manner are essential. That'sespecially true when you are selling clothes, butwhatever the department you should make a goodimpression," Jim says. "And if you apply yourself,there will be chances for promotion."

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Retail Sales Managers

rt Duncan is now a department manager for a largeManitoba store. He started in an Alberta branch ofthe store as a sales clerk when he left high schoolwith Grade 12. The manager of the departmentthought Art showed enthusiasm and recommendedthat he take a company-sponsored managementtraining program, taught by senior managers of thestore. Art noticed tnat several of the other peopleon the course had university degrees, and saysthere is now a tendency to hire university grad-uates from business administration or commerceprograms.

He manages the books, toys and records depart-ment. "I think one of my most important duties is tocreate enthusiasm in the other sales staff in thedepartment," Art says. "You must be able to moti-vate people to work well without applying toomuch pressure."

As Art is responsible for all the promotional plan-ning of the department, he decides which goodswill be promoted as specials and displayed inprominent areas. "I meet other managers and thestore buyers to discuss what sort of merchandisewe should sell. I am also given profit objectives,which are goals of profits to be made in a season.We spend a certain amount of money to buy goods,and then resell them for a little more than is paid.All this is worked into the store's budget, but I haveto prepare a budget for my own department," Artsays.

Now manager of the books and records departmentof a large store, Art began as a salesperson andwas given a management training program by thecompany.

, "IA afgAliOW

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NATURE OF WORK

There are three possible promotions for Art. Hesays he could become an assistant divisional man-ager, responsible for several departments in thestore; manager of one of the company's smallerstores; or buyer of goods from wholesalers ormanufacturers for distribution and resale through-out the company's many stores. He wants the firstof these positions, as he enjoys meeting the publicand the satisfaction of making a decision andputting it into practice.

Promotion to management positions in stores isusually given to those with experience in thatstore rather than to a person who has worked inother stores. Dave Betts is department manager ofthe clothing department of a large store, and pointsout he was selected for the position and did notapply.

"You have to understand every aspect of selling,"Dave continues. "One day you are explaining tosenior management how much your department isselling, and the next you are discussing a particularitem with a salesclerk.

"Going out into the department is the only way toassess how the stock is moving," Dave says. "Youhave to get merchandise into the store from thebuyers, show new and fashionable items quicklyand then mark prices down at just the right time tokeep an item selling," he explains.

Dave also explains why it is so important to knowhow quickly goods are being sold. "Each depart-ment manager in this company is responsible for acertain profit. The company buyers spend 'x'amount of dollars buying merchandise, and we haveto produce 'y' amount of dollars as profit. Thatmeans working out pricing systems to sell a lot ofeach item at a good profit."

In such a system there is little direct supervision;department managers try to achieve their set profitgoals and are aware of how well they are doing.An interest in merchandising, or the presen_tationof goods for sale, is essential. Department man-agers usually make their own decisions about thepromotion of goods; the only exception is whenstore-wide or nation-wide 'specials' are organized.

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NATURE OF WORK

Dave sees promotion to either merchandisingmanager with responsibility for a group of depart-ments, or to buyer. Above that level, he points out,many Positions are no longer concerned withdirect sale of goods but with overall Planning andcoordination of the Work of other managers accord-ing to company policy. These positions becomeavailable when an overall knowledge of retailmetnods is gained through several years' expe-rience in sales, management and buying.

18

Business Services Representatives

Not all salespeople are involved in the sale ofproducts. Computers or tinned food are tangibleitems you can see and touch. But just as importantare business services that make it possible tomake and sell products. Two examples of businessservices are transportation and advertising.

When a company needs advice on how to shipanything from cattle to refrigerators, or a familywants to move from New Brunswick to Saskatche-wan, they call a freight service representative.Jack Shuttlesworth sells rail freight services inAlberta. He calculates the amount of work requiredto pack and transport the products in questionand quotes a price.

"I always knew that I was going to do somethingconcerned with raifroads," Jack says. "Almosteveryone in my family has worked with railroadsfor as long as I can remember. So when I finished

To sell advertising space in a magazine, Jack mustconvince clients that using the publication will helpto increase sales of the products which theyadvertise.

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'49

high school, I started as a stenographer with therailroad. Then I became an office manager andfinally moved into sales.

"The company was not so concerned about myacademic background because I had been work-ing for them for several years when I applied forthe job in freight sales. They knew that I couldlearn. So they sent me on a series of sales trainingcourses that covered sales techniques, publicspeaking, and the principles of the freight business.After I had finished the courses, it was assumedthat I could learn the rest from experience. Andthat's the way it has worked out."

Jack's customers consist of two groups. Regularcustomers who use the freight system frequentlyfon ,. the first group. The other consists of peopleor companies who use freight service only occa-sionally. Jack is expected to call on regularaccounts at least once a month more often ifthey need his services to maintain good relations.He also meets occasional customers and solvestheir shipping problems, too. Either case requiresthat he design a sales presentation. "Never try tosell without knowing all about what you are sell-ing," Jack advises. "And you have to know what'shappening in the business community becauseconditions affect the amount of shipping that willbe going on at any particular time. Aside from that,it's just a matter of time and experience until youget to know the costs and methods of freight."

Jack's position did not work out exactly as he hadexpected. "It wasn't as glamorous as I thought itwould be," he admits. "But it is more challenging."

Frank Jameson has found that sales is one fieldwhere a person can go a long way in a short time.Just two years ago, he was graduating from a three-year college marketing program; today he is dis-trict sales representative for a national magazine.

Frank explains what his title means: "From thecompany's point of view, it means a senior adver-tising representative. I have no sales staff workingfor me, though. In other companies, people in myposition are known as everything from space repsto advertising reps." Whatever the title, Frank'sresponsibility is to sell advertising space in themagazine. Advertising sales make profits for thecompany and pay the costs of the magazine.

NATURE OF WORK

Frank found it fairly difficult to get into advertisingsales because he had no experience. "When Iapplied," he remembers, "the company wasn'ttaking anyone without sales experience, althoughthat policy has been relaxed since I've been here.

"The personnel department was only going to giveme a very brief interview as a courtesy. But I pre-sented myself very strongly and was asked to goon for some aptitude tests and more interviews.They decided that if I could sell myself that well, Icould also sell their magazine."

Frank was given supervised on-the-job training bythe magazine's publisher. The company has sincestarted training courses for sales staff. "If you everwant to take a part-time course outside the com-pany, the company backs you completely," Franksays. "Any courses related to publishing or salesare an asset."

Frank organizes his work schedule carefully. "Istart early in the day because it's possible to get alot of paperwork done between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.,before clients get into their offices. By mid-morn-ing, I like to be out making sales calls and sell forthe rest of the day.

"I believe that making appointments to see clientsgives me a better image. I want people to be pre-pared for me when I arrive. I spend as little timeas possible on paperwork because sales are theonly way of establishing a good track record in thisbusiness. Some sales people spend too much timedoing paperwork and never get around to salescalls. You must learn to strike a balance so that youcan be as productive as possible while still gettingall the necessary paperwork done quickly."

A person selling magazine or newspaper advertis-ing space also sells ideas. "On many calls you-notonly try to explain to customers why they shouldadvertise in your magazine, but why they shouldadvertise at all. You explain how your magazinecould be part of a total advertising campaign toimprove their company image."

No salesperson has a 100 per cent success rate."You get a lot of rebuffs in this business and youhave to get used to them," Frank says. "You tellyourself that you did the best you could, and if the

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NATURE OF WORK

customer doesn't do what you think is best, thenthe customer is losing just as much as you are. Outof every 10 calls I make, I get five rebuffs. But youmust still keep a good rapport with customers,because the next time you call they might changetheir minds."

Frank has very definite career plans. "The nextstep up, I hope, is to higher management positionsand the executive level, perhaps with responsibilityfor all financial aspects of the publication. I planto take accounting courses either full- or part-timeto improve my knowledge of business and account-ing procedures."

Judy Adams is an advertising sales representativefor a television station in Newfoundland. Her workis similar to Frank's except that the advertisingwhich she sells is broadcast time rather thanprinted space. Like Frank, Judy gets paperworkout of the way early in the morning and organizessales calls for later in the day. By 10 or 10:30 a.m.she is usually ready to leave the office.

"The most important part of the job for me is to becreative," Judy says. "It's always challenging topersuade a client to adver'ise. And in this market,salespeople often nelp to create the commercials.I work very closely with our creative departmentbecause I know the clients and what they willaccept."

Judy sells radio broadcasting time to companieswishing to advertise their products. She often helpsto create the commercial to the client's satisfaction.

Judy keeps a list of contacts whom she calls regu-larly. "I ask if they have any sales at their storesthey would like to advertise, collect informationfrom those who want to run commercials and getback to the office in the afternoon. I supply theinformation to our technical staff who make upaudition tapes which I then play back to the client.

"You must be energetic, aggressive and enthusias-tic," Judy says. "I work on commission and my paydepends on how many sales I make. It's alsochallenging to know that the station depends onyou to produce revenue from commercials."

Judy's background is in social sciences, Shestudied at university for two years with the idea ofbecoming a social worker, but a position with thestation during the summer vacation decided heron a career in sales.

"I really enjoy public contact," she says. "Andworking with the interesting people at the station.I also get the opportunity to travel, although I don'tlike that during the winter."

Judy says she is treated just the same as the menwho are doing the same work she does, and thatshe is expected to produce on the same basis asthe rest of the sales staff. As she enjoys meetingpeople so much, Judy feels that she would preferto move into the public relations department of thestation rather than to be promoted to a manage-ment position in sales.

Insurance Sales Agents

Before insurance was invented there was no pro-tection against financial loss. If a person's homeburned down, that person might be destroyedfinancially. If a person died, the dependents wereleft without a source of income.

Then someone realized that if all homeowners paida small amount of money into a central fund, thatfund could help a person rebuild a home that hadburned down. Or, if all heads of households paidinto a central fund, the fund could support thedependent:, when the head of a household died.

In other words, insurance operates on the principlethat not all homes are going to be destroyed andnot everyone will die at the same age. So, by payinga small amount of money, a premium, into a pool,individuals could protect themselves and theirfamilies against misfortune.

Insurance agents are the pedple who sell insur-ance. Before collecting premiums, however, theyplan and offer various types of coverage (life,automobile or accident, for example) for sale toclients. They determinethe clients' needs, suggestchanges in coverage, help complete application oraccident forms, and arrange medical examinationsand payments to their clients when something hasgone wrong.

Insurance agents discuss insurance needs andadvise clients on financial matters. Dan found hiscommerce degree a good basis for a sales career.

NATURE OF WORK

There are two major groups of insurance agents.One sells insurance to protect against financiallosses from death or illness. The other offers insur-ance against losses of property. Some companiesinsure against both loss types, while others spe-cialize in either life or property insurance.

Dan Stride became a life insurance agent when hegraduated from a university commerce program."Today, most insurance companies require auniversity degree from their agents," Dan pointsout, "and because this is a financial business, Ifelt that commerce was a good choice. Manyagents take commerce or business administrationprograms."

When he first joined the company, Dan was as-signed to a classroom study program for threeweeks in the head office and several more weeksof travelling with a qualified sales agent. In addi-tion, there was a four-month correspondencecourse run by the Canadian Life UnderwritersAssociation. When the company felt that Dan wasready, he was sponsored to write an examinationset by the Superintendent of Insurance of theprovincial government.

Dan passed the examination and received anOntario certificate which allowed him to work as alife insurance agent. However, he was escorted onhis first sales call by an experienced agent. Andfor almost a year he was closely supervised by thedistrict manager who encouraged Dan and sug-gested how he could improve sales.

Dan points out that life insurance agents need tounderstand not only life insurance but pensionplans, retirement plans, taxation laws, family bud-geting and estate planning (how to plan a person'sfinances so that dependants will be financiallysecure).

"Life insurance is designed to help people," hesays. "Many people think we are trained to sell asmuch insurance as possible. In fact, we are trainedto analyse the customer's financial position andsell only as much insurance as the customerrequires.

"I have established a good sense of trust with mycustomers. They often refer their friends to me forinsurance, so my business has grown quite quickly.

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NATURE OF WORK

"For me, the best part of my work is that I can bemy own boss," Dan says. "All my career expecta-tions have been realized."

Although much of an agent's time is spent discus-sing customers' finances and advising them oninsurance matters, there is a great deal of paper-work to be done at the office. Each time an insur-ance policy is sold to a customer, the agent mustfill in forms and send them to the company's headoffice. The insurance agent must arrange for buyersof life insurance policies to have a medical exami-nation. The agent sees that the results of the medi-cal are also sent to the head office.

After both the policy request and medical resultsare examined, the company decides whether thecompany will insure the customer. You can readmore fully about these procedures in the CareersCanada booklet, "Occupations in Insurance andReal Estate."

Once the decision has been made to go aheadwith the policy, the insurance agent finalizes theagreement with the customer, delivers the policydocument and arranges in detail how premiumsare to be paid. After policies have been sold, agentstry to keep in touch with all their customers sothey can adjust insurance coverage whenever acustomer's financial position changes.

Some insurance agents specialize in selling one ormore types of insurance. A group representative,for instance, only sells insurance to cover groupsof people, usually the employees of a company. Ageneral insurance agent sells many types of insur-ance against loss or damage to property, cars orhomes.

Jacques Laberge is a general insurance agent inQuebec and sells policies to protect personal andcommercial or industrial property against fire,theft or other damage.

"I was studying business administration at univer-sity when one of my friends who was an insuranceagent explained what it was like to work in theinsurance business," Jacques explains. "I admit I

was prejudiced against insurance, but my friendpointed out many advantages I had never thoughtof, and I realised I might be suited to such work.To become an agent I had to pass an exam set bythe province, for which I studied at a Colleged'Enseignement General et Professionel. Once Iwas qualified to act as an insurance agent I decided

to take a further course offered by the Institutd'assurance de l'Est du Québec. I didn't have totake the second course, but it improved my knowl-edge," Jacques says.

Insurance examinations are set by most provincialgovernments, although not always by the samedepartment of the provincial government. Insur-ance companies will inform applicants for salespositions of provincial examination requirements.

"The agent is an intermediary between the cus-tomer and the insurance company," Jacquesexplains. "I gather all necessary information aboutclients depending on whether they need fire, car,machinery, home, furnace or marine insurance. Forinstance, if I want to insure a lumber business, Ibring in an inspector from the company to collectdata on the client's profits, number of employees,the building, equipment, cars, trucks, the cost of apossible interruption of business and so on. Then Ihelp draw up a policy that I think the company willaccept, including details on premiums and bene-fits. We have rate books giving all the figures. Thenthe policy is sent to the company for acceptance."

Much of an insurance agent's time can be spentcontacting new clients. "I meet many of my clientsat business conventions or at social gatherings,"Jacques says. "I have no regular work schedule,and often spend part of the evening with clients ifthey are too busy to see me earlier. To do this workwell you must like meeting people and be able toassess their financial situation and ask for otherinformation politely. There are a lot of forms to befilled in, which is the only thing I sometimes don'tlike. What I do like is to get new clients, and thistakes practice. I would advise anyone interested inthe field to get experience and training with a largecompany, as I did."

Real Estate Agents

Although John Osman has a university degree, hismain qualification for real estate sales was hisinterest in houses. "I taught for a few years, thenstarted to look around for a house," John explains."I realized that this would be a good field to getinto, as you can make money according to theamount of property you sell or rent out; I'm highlymotivated to make money that way."

Some real estate agents specialize in sailing onlyhomes or in renting commercial or industrialspace. John is a general real estate agent, butspends most of his time dealing in houses becausehe enjoys that most.

John was able to enter real estate without anyspecific training, but all real estate agents mustmeet the requirements of the province in whichthey are working. All provincial governments re-quire that real estate agents be licensed beforethey are allowed to practise. As John works inNewfoundland, he had to obtain a licence issuedby the Department of Provincial Affairs. In someprovinces, you must take a specified course oftraining and pass an examination before beingawarded a licence.

A typical day for a real estate agent begins bystudying the company's listings of the property onthe market. When a person wishes to sell a house

While real estate agents spend a great deal of timeviewing property and meeting clients, they alsowork in the office to draw up sales contracts and tocontact new customers. John spends some timeeach day checking the company's property listings.

NATURE OF WORK

through a real estate firm, the house is put on thelist of available property. Then, when people callasking about houses, the agents are able to glancequickly through the listings to find suitable prop-erty.

"You keep independent hours," John says. "Iusually arrange things so that I'm available in themornings if anyone wants to come by to discussproperty or if I have to draw up agreements forsale or rental of property. Then the afternoons arefree to show property or to look at what is available.I often have to show houses during the evening, asthat's the only time when people who work areavailable."

Although many homes are sold through agents likeJohn, new homes may be sold by sales staff whowork for the company that built them. This is espe-cially true of new hou§ing developments. If acustomer is not interested in a home in one de-velopment, the sales staff may try to find a homein another development belonging to the samecompany.

In either case, real estate sales staff usually workon a commission basis; that is, they are paid acertain percentage of the value of property whichthey sell. You can read more about careers in realestate in the Careers Canada booklet, "Occupa-tions in Insurance and Real Estate."

30 23

NATURE OF WORK

Securities Salespersons

Companies frequently require more money thanthey receive as income fror sa!9- To raise thismoney, th le often borrow frc. cs or sell sect;ties in form of stoc,cs anc L. An individua,who buys stock in a cc rnpar ,,74,,mg a part or'share of the ownership of !' .zr.npany. Whilethe individual keeps thesto r she mayreceivemoney in the farm c :-..atwuend from thecompany; the amount =me 7W ,riceived dependsto a large extent on how protr,1-3 the companyhas been and, of course, on .1.-r-t-iumber of sharesthe individual owns. Shares raT- oe sold at anytime, provided that there is a ou.yer. An individualwho buys a bond essentially lends to the companythe amount of money paid for tne bond; the com-pany agrees to repay the amount of the bond on aspecific date and also to pay interest during thelife of the bond.

Stocks and bonds are bought and sold for individ-uals and companies by securities salespersons.Known as stock brokers, these individuals areemployed by brokerage firms. The stock brokeroften advises the firm's customers as to whichsecurities they should buy or sell, and then placesbuy and sell orders on behalf of the customers.The broker receives a commission on each trans-action; the amount of the commission is based onthe total value of shares bought or sold.

The buy and sell orders placed by a broker arecarried out by securities traders employed by thebrokerage firm.

"You've got to be alert and think fast to work as asecurities trader," according to Jason Bloch, a floortrader in Toronto. "On the floor of the stock ex-change there's a lot of shouting and running around.

"I started as an assistant fresh out of university withan economics degree. I learned the way the tradingfloor operates, and have worked my way up sincethen."

Not alf traders work on the stock exchange floor. Infact, many never go near the stock exchange. Blockstock traders operate over the telephone withtraders at other brokerage firms, bankers and majorcorporations. Regardless of where they work, alltraders must be aware of the prices of stocks andbonds and know market conditions.

In recent years, a new type of group investment,mutual funds, has developed. It consists of peoplepooling their money to buy shares of many different

24

comrnies. If these individuEi Th not pool th:..,-frmor ey, they wouv;o.-- ze able to buy

a wide selection of seczmr,es..

f,ev years ago, Gord Shep-z-n-d was an accountantw7r: some money to invest.. :tew talking with aninvestment counsellor for r of the mutual funds,Gcrd decided to apply for E as a salesperson forthe mutual fund company.

The company gave Gord al aptitude testswhen he applied. Once acae ed, he was givencompany-run training couri.- In addition, hestudied a correspondence crse prepared by theCanadian Mutual Funds Association. Finally, hehad to pass a provincial examination as all prov-inces and territories require mutual fund sales-persons to pass examinations set by the provinceor territory where they work.

Gord's accounting background proves useful in hiswork selling mutual funds, advising clients onfinancial matters.

1,G1t

t.

"When you're advising ;. 777-1 '3stments,you have to know the It isn'tjust a matter of knowing=, . for securi-ties; you also have to know H----7-77,e tax lawsand investment procedureE...= nr,,....L.z.--iople cansave on taxes by making c=a7:7-0-_.:e.....,5=ent deci-sions," Gord says.

At first, Gord worked as sirrr,3r,sox 47:1-firstcustomers were investingiv.,- "i3M0 and$100.00 a month. After he -7roughlytrained, Gord worked with who havelarger amounts to invest.

While in the office, Gord forhis customers which explairrttr nts hewill recommend. When a to make apurchase, a sales contract i:L.-mi,tivz=p...At the sametime, Gord makes sure that rner under-stands the range of financiatrvoffered by thecompany he represents. That way the customer maycome back for further business.

"You have to be a self-starter in this field," Gordsays. "The first year, when you're learning, is hard.But if you put extra effort into that year, the secondis really rewarding."

In security sales careers you are responsible for theinvestment of other people's money, a sound uni-versity background in business administration andeconomics combined with work experience is anasset. The booklet "Careers in Banking andFinance" in this series provides further informationon occupations in the fields of finance andinvestment.

NATURE OF WORK

Travel Ageni-,

Margaret Reese Is a travel agent in Nova _cotia. Sheis employed by a company that speciaiii-=s inmaking travel arrangements for people, alhoughtravel agents can also work in the travel sectionof large department stores.

"I believe that travelling is a tremendous learningexperience for everyone, whether it's undertakenfor work or pleasure, " Margaret says. "This is noroutine sort of work; I have to arrange each sale ortrip especially for each customer, whether I amarranging a simple one-way ticket or an around-the-world tour."

A travel agent plans all the connections for thecustomer's trip and makes all hotel reservations.This may involve dealing with several companies -an airline, a hotel and perhaps a car rental agency -to make sure that everything is taken care of. Inother cases, only one company is involved. Thishappens when a customer decides to buy a'package tour' from a company that specializes inarranging complete holidays. Holidays are de-scribed in the company's brochure and customersdecide which they would like and ask Margaret tomake the arrangements. She then contacts the tourcompany and checks that space is available on theholiday, fills out the appropriate forms to make thereservation, and delivers tickets to the customerwhen payment is made.

As a travel agent, Margaret deals with airlines,hotels, travel companies and car rental agencies toarrange trips for customers. Much of her time isspent on the telephone.

3 2

"Mt.14..,...*°4111571fif 41.'7111

25_

NATURE OF WORK

"Most of my work is done oh the phone." Marga7etsays. "I make all the plans and find the best rates forwherever the customer wants to go."

Whenever Margaret plans a trip of any kind for acustomer, she has to inform the customer of alldetails of travel arrangements including baggageallowances, medical and visa requirements anddeparture dates.

"I think that some people don't realize that it coststhem nothing to go to a travel agent, even if it's justfor one plane ticket," Margaret says. "The travelagent's fee is paid for on a commission basis by thetravel company, airline or hotel. You get a certainpercentage of the total fee for making the sales ofof services to the customer."

There are sometimes extra details to attend to, suchas informing customers about rates of foreign ex-change for Canadian dollars or giving them gener-al advice about the country to be visited, shouldthe customer ask. "It's great fun, a learning expe-rience and you meet a real cross-section of the pub-lic," Margaret says. "Sometimes when everyoneseems to want to go to the same place at once andthe phones are ringing non-stop it's an effort to benice to everyone. But you have to be patient, andtake time to read all the travel literature carefully.You really have to know your geography, althoughyou are given a few weeks' training when you join acompany. And it's always nice to know you'vehelped people enjoy their holiday or made abusiness trip for someone."

-26

Auctioneers

Anyone who has been to an auct...-.71 knows ttrat anauctioneer combines a varietyctsAlls. But whetherauctioneers sell antiques or Itv=ck, the basictechnique is the same: to sell 777'7r:ZS or property tothe highest bidder.

Gary Mastersen is a livestockau_cnoneer at anAlberta stockyard. "I was bor=nd raised on afarm, and during high school I strinced part-time asa ring attendant at the auction.1 led cattle roundthe ring. When I finished schoctLizook a two-weekcourse in auctioneering to !emu life history andtheory of auctioneering. The course also givesyoulots of practical experience in czall7ng bids."

The Western Canada School of Auctioneering is theonly institute in Canada offering training to auc-tioneers. Any auctioneer who wishes to work inAlberta must attend the course, although in otherprovinces a business liCence, issued by themunicipal or provincial government, is the onlyrequirement.

"Auctioneers must be able to judge the quality ofthe goods they are selling in order to set reasonableprices," Gary says. "In my case, I need a soundknowledge of the livestock industry. That includesa knowledge of pedigrees, of current price trendsand government pricing policies."

Auctioneers combine a knowledge of the articlesor produce they sell with a sharp eye to spotbidders and a strong, c/ear voice: Gary workedpart-time at the cattle-ring of an Alberta stockyardto gain experience betore training ass livestockauctioneer.

3-3-

One thing all auctioneers must have is a strc g.clear voice. -I D r k 40 minutes or .:1c120 mir JtEsoff," Gary says and up to 60 hou,:z a weeknot all that timE spent calling bi:as."

At the start of each sae, Gary quickly apprais Theanimals to be slc:d and estimates opening bics.Once people start to bid, he must judge the ppini- atwhich people are unwilHng to go further and siell tothe highest bidder.

General auctioneers who travel from place to olaceselling property and goods often arrange an e:atireauction. Before the sale is due to take place, the',group items according to value and usually make alist with estimated starting prices.

Some auctioneers work for companies specialisingin auction sales. For such sales. catalogues areoften prepared in advance, ei--ler by the auctioneeror, as is usuaHy the case, by ompany appraiserwho is trained to assess the v, ue of furniture, artwork or other property. The appraiser would thensuggest starting bids for the auctioneer.

Qualifications for auctioneers depend on the goodswhich they sell. Many auctioneers start as clerks orstore helpers. moving items onto the sales floor asrequired. Auctions of expensive items are usuallyset up several days in advance to allow prospectivebuyers to browse, so it is sometimes possible tostart in this field by helpir g an auctioneer set up asale.

All auctioneers must hav.P stamina to keep up abrisk pace for several hours at a time. Experiencein public speaking is always an asset.

3

NATURE OF WORK

27

PREPARATION AND TRAINI

It is possible ta,prepare forcareer in the retailsales field whhe still at school by working in a storeduring evenirgs, weekendsand vacations. Posi-tions as salez,...-Jerk, shf stocker or packer wouldgive you expenence with tne,:oublic and with mer-chandise. Ya?::: may be giver7Tesponsibility forhandling cas- in these pc=ons..This would allowyou to see the:operation arra organization of thestore to deci ---.:whether you would like to make acareer in retasales.

High school aommerce procrams provide a usefulbackground far those who wrsh to enter the salesfield. A good knowledge is essential, as isthe ability to express yoursf clearly when dealingwith the public.

For those who wish to progrs to managementpositions, a university degree or college diploma incommerce, economics or business administrationis a definite asset. Most companies recruit manage-ment personnel from two sources people withexperience and enthusiasm within the company orpeople with appropriate education and a provenwork record from outside the company.

ADVANCEMENT

For a person with entimsiasm, who is willing tolearn, it is possible imadvance from a position assales clerk to that ctre manager. Advancementand promotion can O.-re-aided by taking evening a-part-time courses ii,u.....lammerce, business adminis-tration or personner,franagement. Supervisorypositions in sates ameusually given tosaiespersonswho have shMIAITt aroamizational abilivf&and canachieve a higfr levet., sates whettierth ey aieselling clottmripm meepar Nitarit store=or planningan overall setoffs-war:mail:1r -Jra.prodiuct.

For a nuladier cr theor --mLoadonsdescribed in tnisbooklet;aaniversitytr::aalie eduLation is anasset ancrm ay be reoetradisome employe's.Extensiorraourses-1=1-poseeecondary instttueesleadingto:a degreeram'joirrze would help.chencesof promotion to moreests.

This isaiield in whttUtie aniiiity and confidence toact on your own initiative wilt increase chances foradvancement.

28 - 3 5

:n 1975 there were well over a million p eopleworking in sales occupations in Canada. Thismcludes people described in this booklet, plusothers such as door-to-door salespeopie, streetiendors, newspaper vendors and people who drive

:rucks on specific routes to deliver and sell goods.

By 1982 it is expected that the number of peopleworking in sales occupations will have vown tonearly 1,200,000, an increase of about 18 oer s.entover the 1975 figure. The Canadian labo lo.-ce, atotal of all people working in all occupat sns, isexpected to grow between 14 and 21 pa cent overthe same period.

Opportunities in the sales field are therefore muchthe same as in most occupations. The Future Out-look chart shows the number of people working inthe main occupational groups discussed in thisbooklet for 1975 and 1982. Most groups of occupa-tions which include sales management occupationsare also expected to increase at an average rate.For instance, there were 15,350 people employed inall sales management occupations in 1975, a num-ber which is expected to increase to 17,700 by 1982.

Choosing a career is a senous businee and shouidbe approached carefully. The best app. :a h isask as many questions as possible to a: -1 anypeople as possible.

Two good sources of informatior Ate a madeManpower Centre rminselloror schuot guidancecounsellor. They could help yocioacidewhetheryour interests and aoilities areuted to the veryspecial demands which are hoffle cif thesesales industry occupations.

Your Canada Manpower Centre has astaff ofcounsellors who will zre able to tell you.more aboutthe employment opportunities available in theseoccupations, either irryour own area or in othertowns and provinces.

Canada Manpower Centres also have a course thatmight help you, called The Creartwe Job SearchTechnique (CJST).-This7ourse alio-tains the basicsof getting work aswell Is; howptopresentyourself-tofutu reemployem You watat&ifilPstiown how to volt ea résumé (a listxtr-your=allationsand experi-ence) and a letter ofititicalbon,- how to fill outapplication formsand-how t conduct yourselfduringinterviews.

FUTURE OUTLOOK

The only groups which compare unfavourably withthe national average growth rates for all occupa-tions are news vendors and route delivery sales-people. Otherwise, a career in sales offersfavourable opportunities for career seekers.

WHAT'S ME NEXT STEP?The most important oecision has to be your own,however. You have to decide what you would liketo do as well as what you are olualified tort!):Remember that youare theone who will I SWETIO-in g your life in the career you select; so ciloo-wisely.

Sales careers are best suitedto people whicrfindsatisfaction from dealing with others; thettesa sales-persons are self-motivated achievers. Onirrouknow whether you fitthis description.

3 6

FUTURE OUTLOOK

376,000

360,1186

330,000

376,000

360,000

330,000

300.000 300,000

270,000 270,000

240,000 240,000

210,000 210,000

180,000 180,000

150,000 150,000

120,000 120,000

90,000 90,000

60,000 60,000

'30,000

24,00018,00012,0006,000

0

Total In 1975

Total In 1982

FUTIMEMITLOIEEmp MEIN Inailiavoccapations(COFORpottedisatio10112)

30,000

24,00018,00012,0006,0000

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

This is one of a series of Careers Canada bookletswhich has been prepared for your information.Even though you may find some of the careersdescribed here exactly what you had in mind foryourself, you may find other equally exciting careersin other booklets. Before you decide on a career, tryto know about as many career possibilities as pos-sible. You will find a list of Careers Canada titleselsewhere in this booklet.

Those interested in management or marketingpositions should consider taking a university orcollege program in business administration. Calen-dars and brochures giving specific informationabout the content, length and cost of such programsare available from universities and colleges onrequest.

Many large companies such as major manufactur-ing companies, insurance companies and nation-wide department store chains have their owntraining programs for sales staff and have literaturewhich they are pleased to send to potential em-ployees. You could call or write to the personneldepartment of companies you are interested in andask for such literature.

For specific information about any career describedin this booklet, check with your local Canada Man-power Centre for the Careers Provinces leafletswhich have been prepared to supplement thisbooklet. These Careers Provinces pamphlets pro-vide detailed information regarding proparationand training, salary scales and working conditionsfor each occupation in each province and territory.

3 8

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