Skills and Competencies Required for Sales Executive in UK Supermarket Industry

This report details the key competencies required to gain and capture job opportunities in the supermarket and retail sector of UK, a personal analysis to highlight strengths and weaknesses in potential employability along with a career action plan to cover the identified gaps and plan future career development accordingly.

Career action plan
and self-reflection

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................3
Personal analysis....................................................................................................................3
Career action plan...................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
The supermarket industry of UK is a complex landscape in recent times as the world has
undergone significant changes in the light of rampant digitization and changing consumer trends
in the post pandemic world. Likewise, there have also been significant changes in the way people
work in supermarkets and the expectations set upon the workforce by their respective employers.
In order to be employable in this industry, individuals need to develop a diverse skill set which
should prioritize the way they communicate with the influx of customers and duly support them
through their questions and queries while they engage in the purchase of their respective product
requirement(Lyu and Liu, 2021). This report will detail the key competencies which are required
to gain and capture job opportunities in the supermarket and retail sector of UK, a personal
analysis to highlight strengths and weaknesses in potential employability along with a career
action plan to cover the identified gaps and plan future career development accordingly. The
current job profile on the basis of which the evaluation in this report will be based on is sales
executive where the skills and competencies required are excellent written and oral
communication, self motivation, teamwork, domain knowledge regarding sales and marketing
along with other soft skills which are focused on customer engagement.
MAIN BODY
Personal analysis
In order to make myself employable as a sales executive in the supermarket sector of UK
where the customer trends and buying behaviour along with external influences of business
operations changes on a frequent basis, a comprehensive personal evaluation is needed which
puts my personal skill-sets and knowledge to the test to highlight potential strengths and
weaknesses (Doo, and et.al., 2020). The job profile of sales executive in retail is quite complex
and there are multiple roles which must be performed which are detailed herein.
 Engaging with the customers which arrive at the supermarket premises and actively
converse and guide them alongside their entire stay during their shopping
 Advise and recommend customers regarding smart purchases, new product lines and
offers which are constantly run in supermarket chains such as ALDI which is a discounter
and Tesco which is the largest supermarket chain in UK.

 Answering and always being available for customers regarding their potential queries
regarding product prices and features
 Properly administering the supermarket work floor and supervise sales activities while
also contributing to strategy formulation regarding product marketing
 Keeping track of customer profiles and their purchase records through rapid updation
without critical errors
 Calculate and manage the sales related data of the supermarket along with cash handling
and payment processing
 Assisting the front office regarding payment and sales related queries along with cash
counter management is also a major part of the excepted duties of sales executive in
supermarket and retail companies
The combination of all these job roles and responsibilities along with massive
expectations from employers such as Tesco, Sainsbury's and ALDI which are looking to increase
the work load at the shop level of their supermarkets to recoup from pandemic related losses
makes the job of sales executive require multiple combination of skill sets (Zoltners, and et.al.,
2021). I have studied the complex job requirements which are expected in the supermarket
industry segment along with analysing the major technological trends and new product lines
being in development and this has led to me gaining a general idea about the skills I need to
apply for this job. The skill-sets which are needed to apply and secure the job profile of sales
executive along with my current progress regarding the competency level associated with the
identified expertise which are detailed herein.
Communication skills
These skills are the bread and butter for the role of sales executive as most of the time
spent in executing this job on a daily basis is centred around conversing with customers in the
most holistic manner possible (Brown, 2018). Supermarkets are large scale establishments full of
hundreds of different product lines which attracts a lot of customers who must be dealt with
respectfully and all their question and doubts should be solved without any conflicts. I possess
great communication skills due to the extensive amount of participation that I have incurred

during my academic learning days and I also have past experience of communicating with all
sorts of client during my time spent as customer service assistant.
Customer engagement
This skill is also very necessary to inculcate to get the job of sales executive in
supermarkets as engaging the customers in a polite and confident demeanour and helping them to
the best possible extent with no inherent bias or major errors is a skill that is appreciated heavily
by modern employers. This is an area where I exceed in as well because of my work experience
as a customer service assistant where I greeted customers, learned to handle their calls regarding
queries and problems and also learned how to sensitively deal with customer complaints and
provide them specialist knowledge about products (van der Vleuten, van den Eertwegh and
Giroldi, 2019).
Numerical proficiency
My past work experience also includes internships as a bookkeeper for small and medium
sized firms along with being an assistant accounts trainee which has helped me build a lot of
competency regarding crunching numbers and performing calculations quickly. I can handle
most of the numerical competencies needed for the job role of sales executive in supermarkets
such as processing of sales invoices and maintaining sales and customer records in both online
and offline manner.
Field knowledge
This skill is also highly valued as without proper knowledge of sales, marketing and
financial processes which are run in retail operations, scoring the job of sales executive can be
difficult for me. My past work experience has resulted in me gaining proper knowledge about
how to engage customers and interning as accounts trainee has also helped me build financial
and numerical knowledge base. However sales promotion and marketing is also important
knowledge for sales executive to possess which I am currently lacking as I struggle to
recommend and promote products.

Teamwork
This is often an overlooked skill whenever any job role is considered but is very needed
for effective employment as teamwork leads to sales personnel engage and satisfy more
customers while sharing information across sales teams in an efficient manner. I have yet to
properly develop these skill-sets as I have a history of not performing well with others and I like
to do my work myself. My resume and past work experience also lacks evidence regarding this
matter which is an area of concern.
The above conducted personal analysis has allowed me to identify my strengths and
weaknesses when it comes to applying for the position of sales executive at leading supermarkets
of UK. My future career plan will be developed on the basis of covering the weaknesses
highlighted here such as lack of marketing skills and competencies involving collaboration and
teamwork.
Career action plan
Career action plan refers to the dynamic planning document which highlights career
growth path going forward along with the general approach towards building better
competencies (Riebe, Whitsed and Girardi, 2021). The actions set forth will be SMART which is
explained below in the context of the identified weaknesses.
 Specific – The goals must be related to the problem at hand. All the activities will be
related to develop my teamwork and marketing skills
 Measurable – The goals must be subject to measurement which will be fulfilled through
establishment of judging criteria
 Achievable – All the actions will be achievable in the proposed time frame
 Realistic – The actions will be dedicated to mitigate identified weakness in skill sets and
is relevant to getting the job of sales executive in a realistic manner
 Time bound – All the actions described in the career development plan will be subject
to a strict timeline as it has to completed in the remaining time left for my graduation
A career action plan has been formed herein for the future betterment of my career and to
help me in getting employed as a sales executive in the future.

Identified
weaknesses
Current
proficiency
Expected
proficiency
Approaches
and activities
Judging
criteria
Time frame
Marketing
skills
Low which is
why I lack
sales
promotion
techniques and
smart ways to
influence
customers by
pitching
products
High as I want
to answer the
basics of sales
and marketing
and become a
major asset for
the sales
department of
the
supermarket I
am employed
in
I will indulge
in extra
lectures by
joining
coaching
classes of
marketing and
I will read and
refer to
multiple books
for the same
My knowledge
will be tested
through both
written and
verbal tests
along with
solving of
intensive sales
promotion
case studies
and dummy
training
2 months
Teamwork Low as I
rarely play
well with
others
High, I want
to collaborate
effectively
with other
sales workers
to achieve
targets in
future
efficiently
I will
undertake
courses
specializing in
team work and
will participate
in many
collaborative
activities in
this time
period
I will be
judged based
on off the job
testing with
virtual
business
simulations
along with my
performance
being
measured
through group
activities
2 months

CONCLUSION
The above concluded report went into detail regarding the various skill-sets which are
required for candidates to secure a well respected job position in the hyper competitive job
market. The position of sales executive was chosen as a selection criteria for the job being
analysed and its roles and responsibilities were duly highlighted. The various skills required by
people to apply for this job option was also stated in the report along with the personal analysis
needed by candidates to analyse their weaknesses which must be rectified. The report was
concluded with a career action plan to cover the identified weaknesses and increase the chances
at grabbing the role of sales executive in supermarket industry of UK.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brown, L.S., 2018. Soft skill development in the higher education curriculum: A case study. IUP
Journal of Soft Skills, 12(4), pp.7-29.
Doo, M.Y., and et.al., 2020. MOOC instructor motivation and career development. Distance
Education, 41(1), pp.26-47.
Lyu, W. and Liu, J., 2021. Soft skills, hard skills: What matters most? Evidence from job
postings. Applied Energy, 300, p.117307.
Riebe, L., Whitsed, C. and Girardi, A., 2021. Exploring the paradoxes and tensions encountered
by business faculty teaching teamwork in a changing academic environment. Higher
Education Research & Development, pp.1-15.
van der Vleuten, C., van den Eertwegh, V. and Giroldi, E., 2019. Assessment of communication
skills. Patient Education and Counseling, 102(11), pp.2110-2113.
Zoltners, A.A., and et.al., 2021. Practical insights for sales force digitalization success. Journal of
Personal Selling & Sales Management, 41(2), pp.87-102.

APPENDIX
Curriculum Vitae
CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONAL INFORMATION Vimalanathan Iyanathan
25 Besant house Raphael Drive Watford.WD244GU
JOB OBJECTIVE
Searching for a challenging career of well-established company in which to put my skills to the
test.
EDUCATION
Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce University of Colombo. Sri Lanka.
SKILLS AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Admirable experience in managing operations, supervising multiple sites and managing smooth
operation of project
Outstanding working knowledge of Microsoft applications
Operational knowledge of employee related laws
Exceptional ability to achieve all goals and objective of company
Ability to maintain good relations with clients and resolved all conflicts
Excellent skills to provide customer services
Skilled to achieve targets regularly
Proficient in preparing presentations
WORK EXPERIENCE

Business manager
Indo restaurant Watford
February-2016-june-2018
 Responsible for leading and managing restaurants.
 They may be responsible for different tasks such as restaurant marketing strategies.
 Recruiting and hiring restaurant staff, training, overseeing food quality, developing
menus as well as greeting and serving restaurant guests.
Area Manager
Shell Hertfordshire.
October 2013 - 2015
 Determined ways to increase customer base and retain existing customer by ensuring
timely renewals of product.
 Developed marketing strategies and achieved monthly goals for sales objective.
Provided demonstrations to prospective clients and provided an estimate of product
cost.
 Assisted in processing customer orders and ensured completion of all necessary
paperwork.
 Coordinated with customers and answered technical queries in a timely manner.
Maintained records of all customer activities on company CRM
 Collaborated with sales teams and developed strategies to increase volume
Ensured customer satisfaction by maintaining direct contacts with top clients.
Team Leader
KFC
Pontypool
Welsh

August 2001 -2013
Supervised working of store
 Trained subordinates and staff in necessary sales techniques.
 Maintained good working relations with customers.
 Reviewed performance of store and recommended any changes if required.
Monitored working of facility and ensured compliance with company procedures and
policies
 managed customer and employee issues and resolved it.
 Making sure all Company rules and process are followed as regards to operations,
customer service, cash managing, advertising, purchasing, human resources, health and
safety, management, training as well as development.
Business Manager Varshaa catering Corporation, May 2007- July 2009
 Assisted in selling products through dealers as well as directly.
 Developed strategies in coordination with customer and dealer requirements
 Coordinated with marketing team and developed and executed business plant for
assigned territory.
 Determined ways to build euphoria for product demand such as participating in trade
shows.
 Managed customer orders and ensured optimal services.
 Organized all sales activity on Seibel at end each day, devised new plans accordingly.

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