How to find your first job in Packaging Sales

Packaging sales staff requires a combination of technical product knowledge, customer / market knowledge and sales skills. Our Packaging Recruiters provide the best tips to land a job in Packaging Sales. 

Ian Roe from Mercury Search and Selection provides his insight...

• It is generally unusual for an employer to take someone completely green without any of these skills and knowledge into a sales position.  Typically they will have either the sales skills or the product knowledge and which route is favoured often depends on how technically demanding the product or market is.

• For example in sectors where the product / market knowledge is paramount the typical route into sales is usually from an internal role; for example from customer service, estimating or design.  This is quite common in pharmaceutical packaging sales.  People in this situation looking to break into sales shouldn’t wait for their employers to ask.  They can make themselves the obvious choice by seeking more involvement with customers, offering to support existing sales staff on client visits and either asking their employers or putting themselves on a sales course.  Professional sales requires skills and techniques and shouldn't be confused with the “gift of the gab” so if you are serious about it get some training.

• The other route would be for someone with excellent sales skills looking to gain the product and market knowledge on the job.  In this situation you must bear in mind that the easiest option for an employer is a like for like match i.e. someone already selling the same or similar products to the same or similar markets, so you have some catching up to do.  Whilst it is entirely possible to pick up product and market knowledge on the job you give yourself a much better chance by researching the employer and their markets first.  Use this research to tailor your CV, application and hopefully interview responses to demonstrate first your understanding of their business and second how your skills and experience are transferable and why your achievements are relevant.

Ben Robson, Katie Gaitley and Natasha Cranfield from Monocle International provide their insight...

• Look at the similarities in terms of customer knowledge or synergies and target any businesses where there may be a cross over. It is rare that a business will look at an individual in sales with no associated experience, unless the role is at graduate or quite a junior level. 

Tony Moroney from Wallace Hind Selection  provides his insight...

• Seek out recruiters who specialise in packaging as even if the position advertised is not a sales role as it is a foot in the door within a packaging company and there could be opportunities within sales that may arise.