Sales Representative (Building and Plumbing Supplies)
What the work is
Represents their company in selling builders' timber, and building and plumbing hardware and supplies to wholesale and retail establishments.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Identifies potential customers and generates leads for builders' timber, building and plumbing hardware and supplies
- Contacts wholesale and retail establishments to promote and sell builders' timber, building and plumbing supplies
- Demonstrates and explains the features and benefits of products to customers, retailers and wholesalers
- Provides advice and recommendations to customers on the appropriate builders' timber, building and plumbing supplies for their needs
- Prepares and presents quotes and proposals to customers, retailers and wholesalers, negotiating terms and conditions of sale
- Processes orders and ensures timely delivery of builders' timber, building and plumbing supplies to customers, retailers and wholesalers
- Builds and maintains relationships with retailers and wholesalers, providing ongoing support and assistance
- Prepares sales reports and forecasts for management
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a regional sales territory, visiting hardware shops, motor parts counters and small businesses. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A shop owner you have known for years rings you first when they need something
- You solve a customer's problem and they order more because of how you handled it
- A long drive ends with a handshake, a good order and a coffee at a country bakery
Hard days
- Long hours in the car, and a meeting where the buyer has already decided on someone else
- A promise made by your own company that the warehouse cannot keep
- A month where the target is high and the customers are all cutting back
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 621231, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.