Sales Person's Activities: Administration
Administration sounds like a dull and dreary job yet you have to do some in order to create some semblance of discipline in your work and keep it on track.
While involved in office administration, there are some things to look out for.
Catch up on Correspondence
Letters from customers need to be opened, reviewed and replied as necessary.
Samples need to be sent out to customers.
Interoffice memos need to be reviewed and filed as necessary.
File Documents
Any customer contracts, sales reports and receipts need to be properly filed so they may be retrieved when necessary.
Clean up your Desk
Any documents that are on your desk have three places to go:
In a file
To another person or department
In the rubbish bin
Update customer records as well. You should keep records of meeting minutes held with the customer. Any correspondence needs to be filed and records updated in any notes. Any change in contact information for the customer including new personnel and contact persons need to be updated. Any changes in terms of business need to be updated and recorded for easy reference and retrieval.
You are also expected to attend meetings where you will get to know the direction the company is going in through the actions discussed. You are also expected to share your wisdom, knowledge and insights into customer behavior and business climate that you have seen in your dealings. However, beware that the objective of meetings should be to gain solutions to problems and not throwing blame around.
The favorite subject for sales people is travel since it seems a large portion of their business activities is taken up by travel. Make sure you allocate enough time for travel to make it on time for your appointments. If you drive yourself, make sure to follow safety precautions and local laws.
While it may seem boring and unattractive, a little administrative work can make your job a lot easier.