Technical sales specialists - wholesale trade
Career Overview
Technical sales specialists in wholesale trade sell a range of technical products, services and equipment. These can include electricity, telecommunications and computer services, as well as scientific, agricultural and industrial products. Their customers may include governments, industry and commercial businesses in Canada and around the world.
Technical sales specialists who are supervisors are included in this group.
Job Titles
Duties
Technical sales specialists in wholesale trade:
- Specialize in a particular line of technical goods or services
- Promote sales to existing clients
- Look for new clients
- Assess clients’ needs and recommend appropriate goods or services
- Provide input into product design to help ensure their company’s offerings suit their customers’ needs
- Develop reports and proposals to explain product benefits
- Give sales presentations
- Negotiate prices, terms of sale and service agreements
- Estimate costs of installation and maintenance
- Prepare and manage sales contracts
- Work with clients to solve problems and provide ongoing support
- Troubleshoot technical problems related to equipment
- Develop, implement and report on sales strategies to achieve business goals
- Assess market conditions and competitors' activities and develop an awareness of emerging markets and trends
- May supervise other staff
- May train their clients’ staff to operate and maintain equipment
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
6,805% Employed Full Time
77%Technical sales specialists in wholesale trade work for suppliers of technical goods and services. These include pharmaceutical companies, industrial equipment manufacturers, computer services firms, engineering firms and hydroelectric companies. Some technical sales specialists are self-employed workers who contract out their service.
People in this job often travel to meet with current or prospective customers. Workers who are employed by companies headquartered outside of B.C. often work from home.
Technical sales specialists work closely with people. They meet with clients by phone, by video conference and in person. They may also provide training to customers virtually or in person.
The work can be fast paced, with tight deadlines.
Career Pathways
Technical sales specialists can transfer their sales skills to other technical products or services.
With additional training or experience, they may move into management or supervisory roles, such as technical sales supervisor.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
Employers usually hire workers with a university degree or college diploma in a program related to their product or service. They may also expect employees to have experience in sales or in a technical role related to the product or service.
Technical sales specialists who work for companies that import or export their products may need to be fluent in another language. They may also need to have experience working or travelling abroad.
People in this job must have the technical knowledge needed to understand and explain their products. Some employers offer extensive in-house training programs.
Technical sales supervisors require experience as a technical sales specialist.
A driver's licence and a good driving record may be required.
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Publishing
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
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.
Convincing others to change their mind or behaviour.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
6,805Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 230 | 3.4% |
| Kootenay | 85 | 1.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 4,970 | 73.0% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 0.3% |
| Northeast | 85 | 1.2% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 705 | 10.4% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 705 | 10.4% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
3,450Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 90 | -0.1% |
| Kootenay | 40 | 0.9% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 2,510 | 1.4% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | 40 | 1.3% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 440 | 0.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 330 | 0.2% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Wholesale Trade | 1,730 |
| Construction | 330 |
| Retail Trade | 300 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 280 |
| Manufacturing | 280 |
Insights from Industry
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, employment for technical sales specialists in wholesale trade fell in B.C. Wholesale trade has since rebounded and job opportunities are expected to stay strong going forward.
In-person and online communication with clients is important to this work. So are phone skills, which continue to play a central role.
Technical sales specialists often enjoy the satisfaction that comes from providing a product or service that successfully answers a client’s need.
Resources
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Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA)www.cpsa.com
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National Association of Sales Professionals (NASP)www.nasp.com
Career Videos
Watch the video below to learn what a typical day is like for a technical sales consultant.
Watch the video below to learn what a typical day is like for a technical sales consultant.
