What is the role of a sales assistant?
James Williams
Updated on March 24, 2026
Duties and responsibilities of a Sales Assistant One of the main duties is greeting and serving customers from the moment they enter the shop. Sales Assistants are expected to advise customers and answer any queries they may have, from stock availability and details of special offers to a product’s price.
What qualifications do I need to be a sales assistant?
You’ll need:
- customer service skills.
- the ability to work well with others.
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail.
- sensitivity and understanding.
- persuading and negotiating skills.
- the ability to use your initiative.
- excellent verbal communication skills.
What makes a good sale assistant?
Good sales assistants are worth their weight in gold for the retailers lucky enough to employ them. They are motivated, confident, quick to close sales, in love with their job and able to entice customers into returning to your store – time after time.
How much do you earn as a Sales Assistant?
What is the average salary for Sales Assistant jobs in London? The average salary for Sales Assistant jobs in London is £21,000.
What skills do you need in retail?
Hard skills that good retail sales associates possess
- Basic math and money handling skills. Think fast!
- Product knowledge.
- Active listening.
- Industry expertise.
- Communication skills.
- Sales skills.
- Customer service skills.
- Tech literacy.
How much do sales assistants get paid?
What is the average salary for Sales Assistant jobs in London? The average salary for Sales Assistant jobs in London is £21,000. Read on to find out how much Sales Assistant jobs in London pay across various industries and compare against other locations in the UK.
What do store workers do?
Retail sales workers assist customers with purchases by identifying their needs, showing or demonstrating merchandise, receiving payment, recording sales, and wrapping their purchases or arranging for their delivery. They are sometimes called sales clerks, retail clerks, or salespeople.
What are the six qualities of a professional retail sales person?
Let us go through some qualities which a sales professional must have:
- Patience. A sales manager needs to be extremely patient.
- People Oriented. It is essential for a sales manager to be customer centric.
- Aggressive.
- Go-Getter Attitude.
- Value Time.
- Sense of Commitment.
- Reliable.
- Flexible.
What can you do as a sales assistant?
The sales assistant post through several promotions will bring you up as high as floor supervisor or sales manager of the store. This means you’ll earn a lot more than as an assistant, but you need to have the years under your belt. You may specialise in customer services or merchandising depending on your preference.
How much does a retail sales assistant make?
As there are so many part-time roles and staff turnover is relatively high, many companies pay sales assistants an hourly wage as opposed to a salary. According to PayScale, the average wage for a retail sales assistant is €9.45 an hour. However, the rate can vary from €8.36-€12.35 depending on where you work.
How to become a sales assistant in MS?
1 Associate degree required (Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related field preferred) 2 2+ years’ sales support experience 3 Proficiency in Salesforce platform 4 Strong knowledge of MS Office suite 5 Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines in a fast-paced corporate environment