Being employed in the field of advertising sales offers the opportunity to make a very high salary if the employee is extremely good at sales. This is because payment is often based on commissions and bonuses, which means the amount of money an advertising sales professional makes each year depends upon the number of sales he or she is able to close.
The work environment for an advertising sales professional can be very high-energy because the professional feels a great need to meet sales quotas, which can require continual effort. In addition, while advertising sales professionals often work in an office, traveling can also be a part of the job depending on the types of sales that are to be made.
The job of the advertising sales agent is primarily to sell or gain advertising for his or her employer. The employer may be a newspaper, periodical, television station, radio station, website, telephone directory, direct mail company, or any other place of business that advertises or hosts advertising.
The main goal of the advertising sales professional is to gain clients who want advertising for their businesses or organizations. Therefore, the job may require irregular hours in order to gain clients. This can allow the advertising sales agent to set his or her own hours to a certain extent if the employer allows — as long as sales quotas are being met.
Educational Requirements for Advertising Sales Professionals
Advertising sales professionals typically need to have at least an undergraduate degree. This is particularly true for jobs that involve meeting with clients. The most helpful classes to take when pursuing a career as an advertising sales professional include classes in marketing, leadership, business, communication, and advertising.
Most of those employed in the advertising sales field have at least a bachelor’s degree or higher. Those with a high school diploma can also be employed in this kind of work, but these candidates usually must have a history of successful selling for other companies.
Most training for the job takes place while working and can be provided either formally or informally. The informal training is usually done by an experienced sales manager and is primarily one-on-one training where an advertising sales employee is shown how to make sales calls and contact clients. In formal training a consultant may be brought in to provide the training.
The majority of employers look for honest and professional-appearing individuals when looking to hire advertising sales professionals. They also generally prefer to hire those that are good with people and are able to communicate well. Many employers value personal traits and the ability to sell well more than they value education.
In general, smaller companies are more willing to take on new advertising sales employees that do not have as much experience, though this isn’t always the case. In addition, promotions within the field most often occur when advertising sales professionals take on bigger, higher-paying clients or have proven successful sales records.
