Advertising Sales Agents
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
Sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $26K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $36K
Median Salary: $54K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $82K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $124K
Demand
Core Tasks
Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
Maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts.
Provide clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services.
Locate and contact potential clients to offer advertising services.
Explain to customers how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible.
Obtain and study information about clients' products, needs, problems, advertising history, and business practices to offer effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance.
Draw up contracts for advertising work, and collect payments due.
Prepare promotional plans, sales literature, media kits, and sales contracts, using computer.
Process all correspondence and paperwork related to accounts.
Deliver advertising or illustration proofs to customers for approval.
Inform customers of available options for advertisement artwork, and provide samples.
Recommend appropriate sizes and formats for advertising, depending on medium used.
Write copy as part of layout.
Determine advertising medium to be used, and prepare sample advertisements within the selected medium for presentation to customers.
Gather all relevant material for bid processes, and coordinate bidding and contract approval.
Consult with company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies to develop promotional plans.
Identify new advertising markets, and propose products to serve them.
Arrange for commercial taping sessions, and accompany clients to sessions.
Attend sales meetings, industry trade shows, and training seminars to gather information, promote products, expand network of contacts, and increase knowledge.
Write sales outlines for use by staff.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Sales and Marketing
98%
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.
Customer and Personal Service
91%
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.
English Language
80%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Communications and Media
77%
Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Mathematics
72%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Clerical
67%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Computers and Electronics
66%
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management
63%
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.
Education and Training
54%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Production and Processing
54%
Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Top 10 Skills
Speaking
83%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Persuasion
80%
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Service Orientation
78%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
78%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening
75%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Negotiation
75%
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Reading Comprehension
68%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking
65%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
65%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Coordination
63%
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Expression
83%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
83%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Speech Recognition
80%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
78%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
70%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision
68%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Fluency of Ideas
65%
The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Originality
65%
The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Deductive Reasoning
63%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Top 10 Work Activities
Selling or Influencing Others
99%
Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization
95%
Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
91%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Thinking Creatively
87%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
86%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Getting Information
85%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
84%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Interacting With Computers
83%
Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
82%
Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
80%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Detailed Work Activities
Develop content for sales presentations or other materials.
Deliver promotional presentations to current or prospective customers.
Identify potential customers.
Develop professional relationships or networks.
Estimate costs or terms of sales.
Contact current or potential customers to promote products or services.
Explain technical product or service information to customers.
Gather customer or product information to determine customer needs.
Study product information to acquire professional knowledge.
Prepare sales or other contracts.
Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
Process sales or other transactions.
Present work to clients for approval.
Distribute promotional literature or samples to customers.
Develop marketing plans or strategies.
Develop proposals for current or prospective customers.
Negotiate sales or lease agreements for products or services.
Schedule operational activities.
Accompany patients or clients on outings to provide assistance.
Attend events to develop professional knowledge.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Education
Interests
Enterprising
100%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
67%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Artistic
62%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social
34%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Investigative
29%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Realistic
15%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Top 10 Work Styles
Attention to Detail
91%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Initiative
91%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence
90%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Integrity
89%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Achievement/Effort
88%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Stress Tolerance
88%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Dependability
87%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Independence
84%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Adaptability/Flexibility
82%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Social Orientation
79%
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Work Values
Relationships
91%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
