Agricultural Careers

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Agricultural Careers Agricultural Sales
Representative
By Dr. Frank Flanders and Katie Murray Georgia
Agricultural Education Curriculum Office Georgia
Department of Education June 2005
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Job Duties Responsibilities
Compiles lists of prospective customers for use
as sales leads Consults with customers regarding
installation, set-up, or layout of agricultural
equipment and machines Demonstrates use of
agricultural equipment or machines Displays or
shows customers agricultural related
products Informs customers of estimated delivery
schedule, service contracts, warranties, or other
information pertaining to purchased
products Prepares reports of business
transactions Prepares sales contracts for orders
obtained Quotes prices and credit
terms Recommends changes in customer use of
agricultural products to improve
production Solicits orders from customers in
person or by phone
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Qualities and Skills
An agricultural sales representative should
obviously have excellent people skills for
dealing with clients and companies. They must be
able to communicate effectively in oral or
written communication. Sales representatives
should have a familiarity and confidence in
negotiating, but they should also be good
listeners. They should have a great interest in
agriculture and agricultural products. They will
also need at least basic computer and sales
technology skills. Agricultural sales
representatives should be able to work well under
pressure when dealing with deadlines and
fast-paced transactions.
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Education
On the job training is possible in some job
settings. However, a Bachelors Degree in
Agriculture, with a minimum of 2 years in
agricultural sales will help your employment
opportunities. A farming background is not
necessary but would help in understanding the
needs of the buyer.
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Salary
Most sales representatives salary is a
combination of base pay and commission, which
depends on the amount and number of products they
sell. Median annual earnings of sales
representatives in wholesale, manufacturing,
technical, and scientific products were 55,740
in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between
39,480 and 79,380 a year. The lowest 10 percent
earned less than 28,770, and the highest 10
percent earned more than 108,010 a year. In
addition to their earnings, sales representatives
usually are reimbursed for expenses such as
transportation costs, meals, hotels, and
entertaining customers. They often receive
benefits such as health and life insurance,
pension plans, vacation and sick leave, personal
use of a company car, and frequent flyer mileage.
Some companies offer incentives such as free
vacation trips or gifts for outstanding sales
workers.
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