Job prospects will be best for those with a college degree, the appropriate technical expertise, and the personal traits necessary for successful selling. Earnings usually are based on a combination of salary and commission. Employment opportunities and earnings may fluctuate from year to year because sales are affected by changing economic conditions.

Larry Cranford     Forsyth Campus   lcranford@laniertech.edu   Phone: (770) 781-6956   Joseph Thomas     Oakwood Campus   jthomas@laniertech.edu   Phone: (770) 531-6376

Marketing is a planning process where organizations design, price, promote and distribute products in a fashion that results in the highest level of sales to targeted customers. Jobs available in the Marketing discipline are distributed among the four basic strategies that fall under the Marketing umbrella: Design, Pricing, Promotion and Distribution. These jobs make up about 80% of the jobs available in the marketplace. Product Design jobs would include product concept development including the creative and research aspects of selecting the product characteristics, warranties, etc. that the marketing research groups predicts the targeted customers believe will satisfy their needs/solve their problem. The jobs could include product design or application engineering and marketing research. While there are a wide variety of jobs in these areas, there are currently many jobs in computer software (e.g., games) and hardware products areas. From a research perspective, jobs are typically in the area of marketing research (e.g., focus group leadership, mall surveyers, call center operaters, statistical analyzers, mail survey processors, etc.) Product Pricing jobs generally interpret the results of customer marketing research and competitor analysis and propose a price for a product. The price chosen is generally seen to be a value to the target customer and provides a competitive advantage over the products, which might be a substitute for the product. There are specific pricing strategies (e.g., “competitive”, “discount”, “price-skimming”, “penetration”, “cost recovery”, “return-on-investment”, etc.) developed by marketing planners. The planners may have one or more of the following skills: marketing research (statistics), etc. Promotion jobs can be in the areas of public affairs, selling, advertising, etc., as discussed below. Public affairs or public relations jobs could include managing the company/organization reputation perceptions held by the most important stakeholders in the marketplace. For example, customers, communities, government, and special interest groups may all have a stake in the successful sale of a given product. The opinions of these key stake holders must be managed through the design and implementation of specific public affairs plans. This could include the work of event planners, communications materials designers, radio and TV (media) services purchasers, etc. Selling jobs include personal selling, inside selling, telephone banks, internet selling, etc. These jobs make up the greatest number of jobs advertised. Some of the titles include: salesperson, customer service person, account manager, sales manager, customer relations manager, customer relationship manager, development manager, sales executive, advertising sales, collections associate , buyer, cashier, beauty advisor, sales clerk, retail associate, etc. Advertising jobs are the type of jobs that most people identify with as marketing jobs. These jobs deal with print, radio, billboard, and TV advertising. Key jobs include account managers, media specialists, creative content developers, talent, client relations manager, research associate, visual merchandising/display, etc. Distribution jobs represent all the positions in the supply chain used to get the product from the manufacturer into the hands of the consumer. Purchasing, receiving, transportation, logistics, warehousing, inventory, loss prevention, installation, and delivery positions, would all qualify as distribution jobs.

Some sales representatives have large territories and travel considerably. Because a sales region may cover several States, representatives may be away from home for several days or weeks at a time, often traveling by airplane. Others cover a smaller region and travel mostly by car, spending few nights away from home. Sales representatives frequently are on their feet for long periods and may carry heavy sample products, requiring some physical stamina. Workers in this occupation can encounter pressure and stress because their income and job security often depend directly on the amount of merchandise they sell and their companies usually set goals or quotas that they are expected to meet. Sales representatives also deal with many different types of people, which can be stimulating but demanding.

The Lanier Technical College Marketing Program provides a comprehensive program in all aspects of the field of Marketing. It offers an Associate Degree Program (63 credits), a Diploma Program (56 credits), along with the following certificates: Marketing Specialist (12 credits), Visual Merchandising Associate (12 credits), Sales Professional (15 credits), Entrepreneurship (12 credits), Small Business Marketing Manager Associate (15 credits). With a full load, a student can expect to complete about 15 credits per semester. Other qualifications. For sales representative jobs, companies seek individuals who have excellent communication skills and the desire to sell. Those who want to become sales representatives should be goal oriented, persuasive, and able to work well both independently and as part of a team. A pleasant personality and appearance and problem-solving skills are highly valued. Patience and perseverance also are keys to completing a sale, which can take up to several months. Manufacturers' representatives who operate a sales agency also must manage their business. Doing so requires organizational and general business skills, as well as knowledge of accounting, marketing, and administration. Certification and advancement. Certifications are available that provide formal recognition of the skills of sales representatives. Many in this profession have either the Certified Professional Manufacturers' Representative (CPMR) certification or the Certified Sales Professional (CSP) certification, offered by the Manufacturers' Representatives Education Research Foundation. Certification typically involves completing formal training and passing an examination. Frequently, promotion takes the form of an assignment to a larger account or territory, where commissions are likely to be greater. Those who have good sales records and leadership ability may advance to higher level positions such as sales supervisor, district manager, or vice president of sales. Others find opportunities in purchasing, advertising, or marketing research. Advancement opportunities typically depend on whether the sales representatives are working directly for a manufacturer or wholesaler or whether they are working with an independent sales agency. Experienced sales representatives working directly for a manufacturer or wholesaler may move into jobs as sales trainers and instruct new employees on selling techniques and company policies and procedures. Some leave their organization and start their own independent sales company.

Job growth is expected to be about as fast as average. Job prospects will be best for those with a college degree, the appropriate technical expertise, and the personal traits necessary for successful selling. Employment change. Employment of sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, is expected to grow by 7 percent between 2008 and 2018, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Given the size of this occupation, a large number of new jobs, about 143,200, will arise over the projection period. Job growth will result from the continued expansion in the variety and number of goods sold throughout the economy. Because they play an important role in the transfer of goods between organizations, sales representatives will be needed to accommodate this expansion. In addition, as technology continues to progress, sales representatives can help ensure that retailers offer the latest products to their customers and that businesses acquire the tools they need to increase their efficiency in operations. Employment growth will be greatest in independent sales companies as manufacturers continue to outsource sales activities to independent agents rather than using in-house sales workers. Independent sales agents generally are more efficient, reducing the overhead cost to their clients. Also, by using agents who contract their services to more than one company, companies can share costs of the agents with each other.