A sales engineer sells technical products to companies. They have unique technical knowledge and specialise in complex and advanced solutions.

An Account Executive is responsible for the entire sales cycle, from lead generation to closing the deal and beyond. They provide after-sales support to continue to meet customer needs and ensure customer satisfaction.

An inside salesperson generally works to a predictable schedule. They can break down their weekly or monthly sales quota into numbers of calls.

A sales development representative is responsible for generating leads and moving them through the sales pipeline. They must have in-depth product knowledge. This knowledge increases their chances of closing the most interesting deals.

Find out more about career opportunities in sales.

Sales training is the process of improving the skills, knowledge and attributes of salespeople. To be most effective, sales training must be viewed, designed and executed as a change management initiative.

Sales training programmes help sales teams and their managers to achieve their objectives more quickly. Investment in sales training is essential to the development of sales teams.

There are essentially four types of sales training: inside sales, field sales, service sales and sales management.

INSEEC’s Business Development Bachelor’s degree is a Bac+3 qualification. It is awarded on completion of a multi-disciplinary course in Commerce, Management and Administration lasting one, two or three years, depending on the student’s academic level. The course involves several periods in companies, either as an initial training period (internship) or on a sandwich course (apprenticeship contract). The holder of this Bachelor’s degree will have the qualities of a Manager capable of adapting to today’s entrepreneurial world. However, they will also be able to specialise in post-bachelor studies.

INSEEC’s MSc Trade Marketing, Distribution & Business Development programme offers a wide range of career opportunities and leads to a diploma after 1 or 2 years’ study. It is a comprehensive course that teaches students about the major areas of business.

Sales operations managers are responsible for managing and simplifying the sales process on behalf of their company. They use best practices in automation and sales enablement. The key skills of a sales operations manager include organisational skills, process management and operational management.

A sales manager is a sales professional responsible for supervising a sales team. They are responsible for strategic planning and launching new products and services. They are responsible for anticipating and avoiding market stagnation and maximising profits. Sales managers set sales targets in line with the company’s goals and objectives.

An account manager is the person responsible for establishing and maintaining long-term relationships with a company’s customers. They are responsible for overseeing a series of customers. They are the main point of contact with the customer. They manage sales and look after relationships with specific customers.

A sales representative sells products or services to businesses and organisations on behalf of manufacturers and wholesalers. They may work directly for the company that manufactures the products or for an independent sales agency.

An Account Executive creates business plans to achieve pre-established targets and quotas. They generally manage the entire sales cycle, from finding customers to concluding contracts.

Discover our FAQ dedicated to the sales professions.

Sales can be as difficult as it is rewarding for your team. Without proper training on the company’s products and services, your team is likely to experience a drop in sales.

In sales, experience trumps education. But completing your studies is more undeniable for those aiming for the top jobs. The relationship with your customers is important, and having a similar background is a major advantage.

Education and experience go hand in hand in sales. There are no criteria for determining which comes first. To succeed, you must always have a thirst for knowledge.