Sales Assistant Job Description: Duties, Skills, & Responsibilities

Sales assistant job description: Duties, skills, and responsibilities

Looking to hire a sales assistant? Understanding the responsibilities of the role you’re hiring for is an important part of the recruitment journey. When crafting a job description for a sales assistant role, the listing should involve a wide range of responsibilities aimed at delivering excellent sales service, providing high levels of customer service, and improving the overall customer experience.

When searching for your ideal hire, you’ll want to ensure they can confidently manage key duties such as engaging with customers, maintaining product displays, handling transactions, and answering customer questions. 

A good sales assistant will also help customers identify suitable products and services, upsell relevant items, support visual merchandising standards, and maintain a neat, organised retail space that contributes to a positive shopping experience.

Sales assistant job duties and responsibilities

In the retail sales industry, a high level of customer service experience is essential. A sales assistant is expected to welcome customers when they enter, answer customer questions, address requests and recommend products while explaining their features or benefits.They’ll also need to operate a point-of-sale (POS) system for purchases and returns. 

Being on the shop floor, it’s expected that sales assistants will maintain product displays and monitor stock levels, assist with administrative tasks like stocktake and data entry, handle product restocking and store cleanliness to deliver excellent sales service to build long-term customer loyalty. The ability to communicate effectively during customer interactions both in-store or over phone calls is also essential.

A successful sales assistant is proactive, helpful, and knowledgeable, ensuring a pleasant sales process from greeting to checkout, while also supporting team goals through administrative duties and customer satisfaction.

What should be included in a sales assistant job description?

A sales assistant job description should clearly outline the required sales assistant skills and daily job responsibilities. These include operating POS systems, maintaining stock levels, addressing customer requests, and delivering excellent customer service practices proficiency.

You should also highlight desirable traits like strong communication skills, including written communication, problem solving skills, and a basic understanding of retail sales. Depending on your store type, product range, and target market, specific knowledge (e.g. fashion, electronics, homewares) may also be valuable.

Employers should also note any formal qualifications such as a high school degree, or minimum age requirements relevant to the position. For example, understanding health and safety regulations or prior POS experience may be necessary.

Example of a sales assistance job description

We are seeking a highly motivated Sales Assistant to join our team. The ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal skills, a positive attitude, and a drive to exceed targets in a competitive retail sales environment.

Responsibilities:

• Greet customers and respond to customer inquiries in a professional, timely manner
• Support the sales team to over achieve sales quota
• Process transactions using POS and handle returns or exchanges
• Recommend products and upsell where appropriate
• Ensure shelves are stocked and the sales floor is clean and organised
• Handle administrative tasks such as inventory updates and sales reports
• Represent the brand at promotional events or trade shows
• Help identify sales trends and contribute to team targets
• Maintain accurate records of customer interactions
• Attend training sessions and assist with scheduling appointments

Qualifications and experience:

• Completion of Year 12 or equivalent
• Previous experience in retail sales or as a related position
• Excellent communication and customer service skills
• Ability to multitask and remain calm under pressure
• Competency with Microsoft Office and POS/CRM systems
• Strong attention to detail and teamwork skills
• Basic knowledge of sales assistant job responsibilities and sales principles
• A passion for retail and professional growth in the industry

What is the best way to screen candidates?

When it comes to hiring, focusing on both hard and soft skills helps you identify a good sales assistant. This could involve reviewing CVs or organising interviews with top candidates to better understand their problem solving, communication, and customer service skills.

Practical assessments like role-plays can reveal how they’d respond to tricky customer requests or maintain professionalism during peak times. For a less manual approach, using platforms like Employment Hero can help find qualified candidates by matching them with your specific job requirements. With our SmartMatch tool to streamline the process of pre-screening candidates for you, you can ensure they have the right experience, food safety training, and are local to your area before jumping into interviews. This way, there’s no need for a lengthy job description, as the system already matches candidates based on their qualifications and experience.

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What skills should a sales assistant have?

A sales assistant needs a wide range of skills to perform effectively in a retail environment. These include proficiency in customer service practices, clear verbal and written communication, and the confidence to answer customer inquiries. 

A solid understanding of the sales process and retail operations is also essential, along with strong organisational and time management abilities. Sales assistants must be capable problem solvers when handling complaints or issues and should demonstrate the ability to upsell and meet performance targets. A friendly and professional attitude is key, as is the ability to communicate effectively with both customers and team members.

What qualifications should a sales assistant have?

While formal qualifications are not always required, most roles list a high school degree or equivalent. Previous retail sales or customer service experience is often preferred. Employers may also provide on-the-job training for systems, procedures, and brand-specific knowledge.

What are sales assistant salary expectations?

Sales assistant salaries vary depending on the employer, location, and experience level. Offering a competitive rate is key to attracting and retaining top talent in a competitive retail space. If you’re looking to determine what you should be paying staff based on your industry, location, and role, jump into our calculator below.

[H2] Should a sales assistant be required to have any specific education or training?

A formal degree isn’t typically needed for a sales assistant role, but employers may prefer those with basic retail training or customer service certificates. Training often covers POS systems, handling stock, workplace safety, and product knowledge, along with best practices for high class customer service.

Should a sales assistant be required to have any specific experience?

While many employers are open to entry-level candidates, prior customer service experience or retail roles can be beneficial. Experience helps new hires adjust quickly and contribute immediately to sales goals, marketing materials tasks, and the team’s success.