Focos de atención
International Sales Manager, Global Account Manager, Export Coordinator, International Trade Specialist, International Marketing Manager, Foreign Market Analyst, Export Compliance Officer, International Trade Consultant
Ever heard the term Gross Domestic Product or GDP? GDP is the total value of everything a country produces in a year. Almost 11% of America’s entire GDP comes from exports—goods and services we sell to other countries!
Export Sales Representatives are a vital part of that sales process. They serve as the bridge between manufacturers and overseas buyers, ensuring that products made in America find their way into global markets. It’s a dynamic career that combines the thrill of sales, the fun of travel, and the art of international diplomacy.
If you have a flair for communication, a knack for negotiations, and a curiosity about global markets, this might be the perfect career field for you!
- Exploring new countries and cultures
- Creating relationships with international clients and partners
- Mastering negotiation skills, understanding global markets, and contributing to a company’s international success
Horario de trabajo
- Export Sales Representatives work full-time with frequent travel required, causing them to be away from home some nights, weekends, or holidays.
Tareas típicas
- Conozca todos los detalles de los distintos productos/servicios que se van a vender
- Understand and try to meet sales quotas
- Find prospective customers by using business listings and references
- Attend international trade fairs and conventions to gain exposure
- Participate in membership organizations to network and generate leads
- Connect with clients and prospects to gauge their requirements
- Schedule product or service demonstrations. Explain features and benefits
- Realizar presentaciones técnicas a compradores potenciales y otras partes interesadas
- Share product samples and brochures
- Address inquiries about products, costs, stock, and payment options
- Assist clients in choosing products that align with their needs. Discuss customization of products/services when applicable
- Provide price estimates, contract conditions, information about guarantees, warranties, and discounts or promotions. Negotiate prices, terms, and conditions
- Offer estimated delivery dates and times
- Draft sales agreements and order documents. Finalize contract specifics and payment arrangements
- Gather and review credit data on potential clients
- Prepare and forward sales agreements to applicable departments for further action
- Send orders to production companies, or buy goods from producers or brokers and distribute to wholesale and retail customers
- Coordinate with logistics and shipping teams to ensure timely, compliant deliveries and setup
- Prepare shipping documents (if requested by customs department)
- Engage with clients post-sale to offer follow-up support and address any concerns
- Offer advice to retailers about product placement and marketing ideas
Responsabilidades adicionales
- Responder a los correos electrónicos, a los formularios de contacto del sitio web y a las llamadas telefónicas
- Utilize customer relationship management tools
- Stay in touch with existing customers to promote and market new items or renew orders. Ensure customers have copies of catalogs or samples
- Train other sales reps
- Maintain records of travel and expenses; submit vouchers for reimbursement
- Keep travel documentation updated, such as passport and visas
- Keep up-to-date on market trends, new products, competitor offerings, and pricing. Share and discuss insights with peers regarding sales techniques
- Stay informed about international regulations and restrictions
- Manage records, sales reports, and expense tracking
- Monitor inventory levels and reorder products, if needed
- Help to resolve customs-related issues, and ensure products meet the regulatory standards of the importing country
- Collaborate with finance departments to manage foreign currency transactions
- Assess current challenges and look for new opportunities in overseas markets
Habilidades blandas
- Precisión
- Escucha activa
- Analítica
- Atención al detalle
- Visión empresarial
- Habilidades de comunicación
- Confianza
- Servicio de atención al cliente
- Decisividad
- Orientado al detalle
- Etiqueta del correo electrónico y del teléfono
- Inteligencia emocional
- Empatía
- Flexibilidad
- Independiente
- Integridad
- Habilidades interpersonales
- Motivación
- Paciencia
- Persistencia
- Persuasión
- Habilidades para resolver problemas
- Narración de historias
- Trabajo en equipo
Habilidades técnicas
- Conocimiento de programas informáticos para:
- Contabilidad
- Inteligencia empresarial
- Calendarios
- Cloud-based management
- Gestión de las relaciones con los clientes
- Gestión de bases de datos
- Búsqueda de datos
- Planificación de recursos empresariales
- Análisis financiero
- Presentations
- Gestión de proyectos
- Ventas y marketing
- Hojas de cálculo
- Trade management
- Transaction security
- Travel arrangements
- Videoconferencing
- Experiencia técnica en los productos y servicios que se venden
- Conocimiento de la conformidad de los productos con las normas extranjeras
- Capacidad para analizar las tendencias del mercado internacional
- Familiarity with international trade regulations, tariff codes, and customs procedures
- Conocimientos de documentación de exportación y logística de envíos
- Conocimiento del cambio de divisas y de las prácticas bancarias internacionales
- Dominio de las lenguas del país de destino
- Agricultura y productores de alimentos
- Marcas de ropa y moda
- Comerciantes de materias primas
- Casas exportadoras
- Empresas de fabricación
- Empresas multinacionales
- Empresas farmacéuticas
- Empresas tecnológicas
- Empresas comerciales
- Distribuidores mayoristas
Export Sales Representatives often travel to different countries, where they must know how to properly engage with the local cultures and customs. They must navigate language barriers, manage time zone differences for meetings, and adhere to international regulations, all while hitting sales targets in foreign markets.
Sometimes the financial stakes are high and there can be a lot of pressure from employers for sales reps to close deals. Meanwhile, irregular work hours can cause hardships for workers with families, making it tough to maintain a balanced work-life equilibrium. In addition, the frequent travel routine requires workers to adapt to diverse climates and manage health risks, as well.
Exports are a major part of our economy, with America’s top exports including items such as machinery (including computers), aircraft, vehicles, electrical equipment, medical apparatus, pharmaceuticals, precious metals, cereals, oil seeds, meat, and cotton, among others.
These days companies in virtually every industry are selling to global customers. Even small businesses can tap into worldwide markets, especially thanks to the convenience of online shopping.
Many exporters are striving to ensure that international workers are being treated better, requiring fair standards and practices as part of any trade agreements. Some deals, like the USMCA in North America, make trading simpler and help local economies. However, any international trade comes with its share of supporters and critics.
Salespersons in general often love to talk, share ideas, and collaborate with others to get things done. Export Sales Reps may have been keen to travel and curious about other countries and cultures. They might have also had an independent streak, wanting to find a job where they had some freedom and were entrusted to work without being micromanaged.
- Export Sales Representatives need at least a high school diploma or equivalent
- The majority of reps have a bachelor’s or, in some cases, a master’s degree
- Those selling nontechnical or nonscientific products may not need a degree, but a bachelor’s in business, international business, marketing, accounting, or a related area can enhance prospects
- Representatives selling scientific and technical products usually need a related bachelor’s
- Large multinational corporations may prefer or require candidates to have at least a bachelor’s
- Entre los cursos de licenciatura más comunes se incluyen:
- Cross-cultural communication
- Emerging markets and business strategies
- Foreign exchange
- Global marketing strategies
- Global supply chain management
- International business law and ethics
- International business negotiations
- International economics
- International risk management
- International trade and policy
- Some companies offer formal training programs featuring technical instruction followed by supervised on-the-job training
- Certifications include:
- Certified Exporter
- Certified International Trade Documentation Specialist
- Certified International Trade Manager
- Certified International Trade Marketing Specialist
- Certified International Trade Professional
- Certified U.S. Export Compliance Officer
- Manufacturers’ Representatives Educational Research Foundation - Certified Professional Manufacturers’ Representative and Certified Sales Professional
- Institute of Hazardous Materials Management - Certified Dangerous Goods Professional
- Look for accredited colleges offering majors in business, international business, marketing, or accounting.
- If planning to sell technical products or services, you may need a degree in an applicable field
- Engineering college programs should be accredited by ABET
- Busca programas con prácticas u oportunidades para adquirir experiencia práctica
- Check out their current research and research facilities
- Comparar los costes de matrícula y tasas, teniendo en cuenta los costes para residentes en el estado y para residentes en otros estados.
- Revisar las opciones de becas y ayudas económicas
- Consulte las estadísticas de graduación e inserción laboral de los antiguos alumnos
- In high school, you’ll need to master a lot of subjects, including business, international business, marketing, economics, and social sciences
- Para perfeccionar sus habilidades de venta, tome clases de inglés, escritura, oratoria, debate e idiomas extranjeros.
- Si piensas vender productos técnicos, apúntate a muchos cursos de matemáticas, ciencias, ingeniería y tecnología en el instituto.
- Try to pin down what regions or export products/services you’re interested in!
- Apply for part-time sales-related jobs, especially if they have export departments
- Pulir el protocolo telefónico y la capacidad de persuasión
- Volunteer to serve on school committees. Help with extracurricular activities, with a focus on roles that offer leadership and management experiences
- Take online courses via edX or Udemy to polish up your sales and marketing skills
- Llama a algunos fabricantes para preguntar si puedes seguir a un vendedor durante un día
- Read academic articles and watch documentary videos related to international business and trade
- Familiarize yourself with current global events and trade developments
- Participe en los foros y grupos de debate en línea pertinentes
- Lleva un registro de todos tus logros laborales y académicos para tu currículum y/o solicitudes universitarias
- Únase a organizaciones profesionales para crear redes, aprender y divertirse.
- Busca en portales de empleo como Indeed.com, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, USAJOBS y otros sitios.
- If you don’t have much sales experience, you might want to focus on landing a sales job or an internship first
- Know the sales lingo and best practices for finding leads, negotiating good deals, closing deals, and maintaining strong customer relationships
- Hacer un perfil en LinkedIn y otras plataformas de networking
- Review job ads and look for keywords to list on your resume. Also cite quantifiable results (such as total dollar amounts of products sold), when possible
- Manténgase conectado con su red profesional y pida pistas sobre las próximas ofertas de trabajo
- Manténgase al día de las últimas novedades relacionadas con el tipo de producto o servicio que desea vender
- Pedir a los profesores y supervisores anteriores que escriban cartas de recomendación o solicitar su consentimiento (por adelantado) para incluirlos como referencias
- Investigue sobre los posibles empleadores. Averigua qué tipo de productos y servicios fabrican o venden y quiénes son sus compradores objetivo.
- Durante las entrevistas, demuestre un gran conocimiento de las tendencias del sector
- Review Export Sales Representative resume templates and sample interview questions
- Realiza simulacros de entrevistas con amigos o con el centro de orientación profesional de tu centro de estudios.
- Dress appropriately for job interviews.
- The best way for a sales rep to move up is to make sales! When you’re making money for your employer, they notice!
- Consistently find great leads, negotiate great deals—and close as many high-paying sales as you can. Try to exceed your quotas
- Keep in mind, many sales jobs pay a salary plus commission, i.e. “money a salesperson earns based on the number of sales they have made.”
- Commissions are a major financial incentive used to motivate sales reps and reward them for great jobs. So “climbing up the ladder” doesn’t have to mean “getting a promotion”—it could mean bringing in bigger commissions and getting a chance to sell to larger clients
- Let your supervisor know you are interested in advancement. Offer to take the lead on tough projects or trips that maybe other sales reps don’t want to go on
- Knock out additional education and training to improve your ability to make sales
- Si existe una certificación específica del fabricante para los artículos que vende, consígala.
- If you focus on a particular country, learn the language!
- Watch or listen to demos to stay fresh
- Tratar a todo el mundo con respeto, ser puntual y estar bien preparado para las presentaciones, ofrecer soluciones y centrarse en mantener las relaciones con los clientes a largo plazo.
- Siga haciendo crecer su red profesional y establezca conexiones profundas con los principales compradores
- Mantenerse activo en las organizaciones profesionales de ingeniería, asistir a conferencias y talleres, y ofrecerse para dar conferencias
- Manténgase al día de los cambios normativos para garantizar que su organización cumple siempre la normativa.
Páginas web
- Agricultural Trade Promotion Program
- Consejo de Exportación de Distrito
- Programa de Mercados Emergentes
- EXIM
- Export Credit Guarantee Program
- Foreign Agricultural Service
- Servicio Comercial Exterior
- Programa de Desarrollo de Mercados Exteriores
- Instituto de Gestión de Materiales Peligrosos
- Administración del Comercio Internacional
- Certificación de comercio internacional
- Fundación para la Investigación Educativa de los Representantes de Fabricantes
- Programa de acceso al mercado
- Asociación Nacional de Profesionales de Ventas
- Asociación Nacional de Mujeres Profesionales de Ventas
- National Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association
- Red nacional de ventas
- Asociación Norteamericana de Ingenieros de Ventas
- Oficina de Comercio Internacional
- Ejecutivos de ventas y marketing internacionales
- Asociación de Gestión de Ventas
- Centros de Desarrollo de la Pequeña Empresa
- Programa Estatal de Exportación Comercial
- Asociación de Gestión Estratégica de Cuentas
- Servicio Comercial de EE.UU.
- Centros de asistencia a la exportación de EE.UU.
- Administración de Pequeñas Empresas de EE.UU.
- Agencia de Comercio y Desarrollo de EE.UU.
Libros
- Building an Import/Export Business, by Kenneth Weiss
- Export/Import Procedures and Documentation, by Thomas E. Johnson and Donna L. Bade
- Mastering Import & Export Management, by Thomas Cook and Kelly Raia
The job of an Export Sales Representative can be rewarding in many ways, but it’s also demanding. For some, the travel schedule simply isn’t suited to their lifestyle. If you’re interested in exploring some related occupations, check out the suggestions below!
- Agente de ventas de publicidad
- Representante del Servicio de Atención al Cliente
- Agente de ventas de seguros
- Especialista en relaciones públicas
- Jefes de compras, compradores y agentes de compras
- Agente inmobiliario y agente de ventas
- Trabajador de ventas al por menor
- Ingeniero de ventas
- Director de ventas
- Agente de ventas de valores, materias primas y servicios financieros
- Representante de ventas al por mayor y de fabricación