Advertising Sales Agents

Sales & Account Management

Level 4453 of 1200 points

Job description

Advertising Sales Agents

Job purpose

To locate advertisers, deliver sales presentations, and sell advertising space, time and media in publications, signage, broadcast, internet and public spaces, drawing up contracts and collecting payments due, so that assigned accounts are retained and grown and advertising is placed in the form and medium that serves the client's product.

Skills

Command of sales and marketing method and customer service principles, with working knowledge of media production and dissemination — the media available, the sizes and formats appropriate to each, and the artwork options offered — supported by copywriting and layout skill, the arithmetic behind cost estimates, and computer preparation of promotional plans, media kits, sales literature and contracts. A bachelor's degree is the most common qualification, with a substantial minority holding a school diploma only, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Prepares and delivers sales presentations to new and existing customers, explaining how a particular form of advertising will promote their products or services, and recommending sizes, formats and artwork. Negotiates terms and resolves complaints and disagreements over accounts; consults company officials, sales departments and advertising agencies on promotional plans; delivers proofs for approval; and attends trade shows and sales meetings.
Studies clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history and business practices and works from them to a proposal — determining the medium, preparing sample advertisements within it, writing copy as part of the layout, and estimating cost. Identifies new advertising markets and proposes products to serve them. The answer is not prescribed: what will work for a given advertiser must be devised, presented and justified.
Maintains an assigned account base while developing new accounts, carrying each sale through presentation, artwork, proof approval and contract. Gathers material for bid processes, coordinates bidding and contract approval, and arranges commercial taping sessions, accompanying clients to them. Determines own tasks, priorities and goals under time pressure.
Desk and screen work preparing presentations, layouts and contracts, with substantial time in an enclosed vehicle travelling to customers to present, deliver proofs and provide samples. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

No line management. Coordinates others in accomplishing work and contributes to a work group, and may write sales outlines for use by staff. Acts as the employer's representative to advertisers on the account base.
Provides clients with estimates of the cost of advertising products or services, draws up contracts for advertising work and collects the payments due. Holds no budget, and bidding and contract approval are coordinated rather than granted at this level; the sales value of the account base and the accuracy of the estimates given bear directly on company results.
Ordinary care of a workstation and computer, of the proofs, artwork samples, media kits and sales literature carried to customers, and of a vehicle used to reach them.
Processes the correspondence and paperwork related to accounts and keeps the account record current. Exactness matters in estimates, copy, formats and contract terms, where an error reaches the published advertisement and the client's bill; the framework for the record is set by the employer's contracting and account procedures.

Effort required

Close attention to the detail of estimates, copy, formats and contract terms combines with the creative demand of devising advertisements and promotional plans that will work for a particular advertiser. Decisions are frequent, taken under time pressure and against a heavy volume of telephone, e-mail and face-to-face contact, and their impact reaches company results.
Selling is contested by competing media and agencies, and the account base must be protected as well as grown. Negotiation, complaints and conflict situations arise in the work, including dealings with people who are unpleasant, angry or discourteous, and composure must be kept while the relationship is preserved.
Part of the working day is seated at a desk, with periods driving between customers. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled offices and customers' premises, with regular travel between them in an enclosed vehicle and attendance at trade shows and taping sessions. Work is in close physical proximity to clients; emotional exposure comes from conflict situations and dealings with angry or discourteous people.
Most incumbents work a regular established schedule, a minority irregular patterns, and around half work more than forty hours a week. Substantial freedom is exercised in determining tasks, priorities and goals across the account base, with frequent decisions taken under time pressure in a competitive market and accountability for the results the accounts deliver.

Skills

40% · 231 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Effective communication and interpersonal relationships. The job holder is required to adapt communication to different audiences and foster trust, cooperation and positive working relationships.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 111 points▾

PeopleLevel 0 of 5
0 of 144 points
Does not apply. The job does not require any responsibility for people.
Goods and equipmentLevel 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Some responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the use and maintenance of equipment or stock, and the job holder is responsible for ensuring resources are used appropriately and safely.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 1 of 5
19 of 96 points
Very limited responsibility for financial resources. The job involves handling small amounts of cash or processing simple transactions, such as recording expenses or maintaining basic financial records.

Effort

15% · 63 points▾

Mental effortLevel 2 of 5
24 of 60 points
Moderate mental effort. The job involves tasks that require focus, such as analysing straightforward information or performing repetitive tasks that require attention to detail.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 2 of 5
29 of 72 points
Occasional psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires occasional involvement in emotionally demanding situations, such as handling minor conflicts or dealing with upset individuals.
Physical effortLevel 1 of 5
10 of 48 points
Minimal physical effort. The job involves light physical tasks, such as occasional lifting or moving light objects.

Working Conditions

10% · 48 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 2 of 5
34 of 84 points
Occasional exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves occasional exposure to mild physical risks (e.g. working with light machinery, occasional noise) or psychosocial risks (e.g. occasional interpersonal conflict or minor repetitive tasks). Exposure occurs two to three times a year.
Organisational environmentLevel 2 of 5
14 of 36 points
Occasional organisational demands. The job may involve occasional irregular hours (e.g. the requirement to work weekends or holidays), minimal travel or limited digital connectivity outside normal working hours.