Being able to work as a team in the Cooperative is important for the job as a sales assistant. There are a number of people working in certain departments and it would help you get on with work if you are efficient in a team. This means helping others out, taking note on what they need and wearing a smile when meeting them.
Negotiation skills are needed as a sale assistant in the Cooperative as when a customer asks for a certain product and it isn’t in stock it is then your job to suggest another product and persuade them into buying that one instead. Negotiation is a process of seeking agreement and if the customer agrees on buying a product they wouldn’t have necessarily bought before then you have been successful in your job as a sales assistant.
Employability skills
A suitable qualification for the role of a sales assistant within the Cooperative is important. Applicants need to be well educated and have a minimum of 5 A*-C grade GCSES. Experience in similar roles in retail jobs is preferred when applying for the job, if the applicant already knows the retail environment and has worked there before then they will pick up the role as sales assistant in the Cooperative quite fast.
Also, having a large knowledge of products within the Cooperative knowing what they sell will appeal more to the human resources section of the Cooperative. Knowing the products will make a good sales assistant as you will be able to assist the customers with personal knowledge and will be confident in your advice.
Effectiveness in meeting personal and team targets is a good skill to have. If you can meet personal targets as a sales assistant and be productive on the work floor then employers will clock on to this and will want to employ you over other applicants. Having this and the ability to observe and raise professional standards of production/service delivery will ensure you can keep improving the processes of the role of a sales assistant.
Communication skills
Both formal and informal communications are needed as a sales assistant within the Cooperative. Formal communication must be used when talking to colleagues, managers and customers. This is so that the brand image of the Cooperative is kept at a high standard. Informal communication is used for talking with colleagues in spare time, on breaks etc, this will help build working relationships within the Cooperative.
Non verbal and verbal communication must be used as a sales assistant in the Cooperative. Non verbal communication involves written script in a text, email or letter. This would be a text to a colleague, a letter to management or an email to a colleague. Verbal communications include telephone calls to management to call in late, video conferencing to add to staff meetings within the Cooperative and interviews with new members of staff.
Listening is a key communication skill as a sales assistant in the Cooperative. As a sales assistant you have to listen effectively to customers who are asking questions. An important tip is to not just listen passively but to question what is being said so that you understand it.
As a sales assistant working for the Cooperative presentation skills are of great importance. You may talk with your mouth however your body displays messages to those around us all the time. Your whole body language must be positive and you must use good eye contact, professional language and facial expressions. You should always base your presence on your audience, so for a sales assistant at the Cooperative you should base how you present your self on the customer your dealing with. This does not mean that you should copy their attitude but you should find something in common and communicate in a way that they will understand. Going back to the body language as a sales assistant, you should look out for customers doing displacement activities, intention movements and self touching postures. These are all signs that the customer may need help and if you as a sales assistant working for the Cooperative can identify this then you can politely ask if they need any assistance.
Part B
Do you have those skills?
Personal Skills
I am definitely a hard working and also patient person. I do my up most best to get the job done properly and also in a time friendly manner. I am patient with people and can wait for them to understand the situation or task on hand. My interpersonal skills are good as I can be trusted, avoid conflicts and get the job done without moaning. I am an excellent team worker as I listen to colleague and can offer effective guidance in the group task. My negotiation skills aren’t as good as my other personal skills and it does need to be improved upon.
Employability skills
My qualification skills for a job as a sales assistant at the Cooperative are more than enough. I feel I have enough education to be able to operate the job correctly. I know a lot of the Cooperative products that they sell and happen to actually know a bit about the company itself. They have a sustainable business ethic, deliver value to stakeholders, offer fair-trade products and animal welfare. Having all of this knowledge about the company will make me more employable to the Cooperative. I am very effective and motivated in meeting team targets and objective deadlines. I work well in a team and can communicate appropriately.
Communication skills
I have excellent communication skills which is vital for a sales assistant. I know when to have formal communication, when talking to customers, and when to have informal communication, for lunch breaks etc. My verbal and non verbal communication is good and I can communicate easily in both ways. I can write emails, letters and text messages with ease and know the formats included for each. I know how to do professional phone calls, video conferences and up front face to face communication. As well as being a good speaker in person, I am also a detailed listener. I question everything that someone says so that I can take the information in effectively. This is very important as a sales assistant with the Cooperative. My presentation skills aren’t as good as my other skills, some days I am well presented but other days, normally Mondays; my personal presentation isn’t up to standards as usual. This is not accepted as a sale assistant with the Cooperative as they need to keep everyone presentable at all times.
What are you doing to do about the skills you’ve got so far?
If there was one thing I was to do with my skills that I’ve obtained so far then it would be to improve on my weaker areas. I would also like to keep expanding my education with lifelong learning. This would be in the future where I get training at work, getting put on certain courses to improve my work efficiency.
This would take a number of years but it depends on how soon I get into a full time job where the management would be willing to invest training in me. If I was just on a part time job then the investment would probably not be put into action as I might leave in the coming year or so.
Unit 4 Effective people communication and information P2
by
sc_shivatsal (student)
