Retail Salespersons

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Estimate cost of repair or alteration of merchandise.
• Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
• Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
• Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and know how to prevent or handle these situations.
• Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items.
• Maintain records related to sales.
• Help customers try on or fit merchandise.
• Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
• Estimate and quote trade-in allowances.
• Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise.
• Estimate quantity and cost of merchandise required, such as paint or floor covering.
• Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
• Demonstrate use or operation of merchandise.
• Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
• Clean shelves, counters, and tables.
• Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
• Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
• Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
• Bag or package purchases and wrap gifts.
• Rent merchandise to customers.
• Exchange merchandise for customers and accept returns.
• Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales.
• Prepare merchandise for purchase or rental.
• Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
• Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
• Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
• Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise.
• Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.
• Compute sales prices, total purchases, and receive and process cash or credit payment.

Skills

• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

Abilities

• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

Knowledge

• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Education

Education

No formal educational credential

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

Less than 1 month on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

38350/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

18.44/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

118,630

Yearly Projected Openings

18330

Personality

Enterprising: People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Cooperation
• Integrity
• Self Control
• Adaptability/Flexibility

Tools

• Adjustable widemouth pliers
• Adjustable wrenches
• Bar code reader equipment
• Cash registers
• Desktop computers
• Domestic clothing irons
• Domestic sewing machines
• Electronic funds transfer point of sale equipment
• Fluid regulators
• Garment steamer
• Hammers
• Label dispensers
• Ladders
• Magnetic stripe readers and encoders
• Personal computers
• Pocket calculator
• Point of sale POS terminal
• Point of sale payment terminal
• Screwdrivers
• Tape measures
• Ticket dispensing machines

Technology

• Accounting software
• Cloud-based data access and sharing software
• Computer aided design CAD software
• Customer relationship management CRM software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Desktop publishing software
• Development environment software
• Document management software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Graphics or photo imaging software
• Human resources software
• Instant messaging software
• Internet browser software
• Inventory management software
• Office suite software
• Operating system software
• Point of sale POS software
• Presentation software
• Spreadsheet software
• Video conferencing software
• Video creation and editing software
• Web page creation and editing software
• Word processing software