Sales Assistants work within a retail company and liaise with customers to ensure a sale goes through smoothly. This usually involves assisting the customer with the selection of products, processing payments, meeting sales targets and the maintaining stock levels, plus involvement in the day to day running of the service and the maintenance of a high level of customer service
A vital skill in this role is the ability to work with a customer’s needs by having and using good interpersonal and communication skills. An excellent knowledge of the company’s products and services is vital as well as the ability to manage financial interactions. The average salary for this role is £18,000 per year, with successful applicants required to have experience in sales and the delivery of a high standard of customer service. A good knowledge of computer systems and other machines relevant to the job is also important. No official educational qualifications are usually required for this position, although a good standard of written English and maths ability is desirable.

Sales Assistants work in a retail environment with the purpose of assisting customers with their shopping needs. They also do tasks that relate to maintaining the sales floor, arranging stock and doing promotion activities. Assistants may work a 40 hour week and qualify for overtime. Salary and benefit packages are determined by the industry, the company size or the level of responsibility of the Sales Assistant.
A Sales Assistant usually performs many of the following tasks:
• Assisting customers
• Conducting stock taking
• Restocking items
• Meeting sales goals
• Attending training sessions
• Learning about product details

• Being responsible and trustworthy
• Being confident and articulate
• Being able to handle stress
• Communication, both written and oral
• Using computer applications
• Using initiative
• Being a team player
• Amicable, getting along with everyone
• Being professional
• Being persuasive
• Networking, with clients and other sales professionals

When they are working as Sales Assistants, employers will require their employees to have excellent sales skills. They should have retail management or visual merchandising knowledge. To get a Sales position, job seekers can have a variety of qualifications. These may include Bachelors or Masters Degrees, High School Diplomas or Associate Degree, NVQ, ABC Awards, City & Guilds, Edexcel or an OCR.