Types of Sales Positions
Salespeople can be categorized in a variety of ways; your text categorizes salespeople based on their activities.
Four types of salespeople: 1) missionary, 2) trade, 3) prospectors, and 4) account managers.
Missionary Salespeople
A missionary salesperson calls on people who make decisions about products for their companies, but who don't actually buy them. Example: Sales representative may provide a doctor with clinical information about a particular drug in hopes that the doctor will prescribe it for his/her patients. But, it is actually the patient who purchases the drug.
Missionary salespeople may also call on "market influencers" or people who are in positions to recommend products to others.
Trade Salespeople
A trade salesperson is someone who calls on retailers and helps them display, advertise and sell products to consumers.
Prospectors
A prospector is a salesperson whose primary function is to find prospects, or potential customers. This type of salesperson makes a lot of "cold calls," approaching people who may have a need for a product, but who are not actively looking for it yet. Many salespeople who sell to consumers fall into the category of prospectors. Examples: Avon and Mary Kay.
In some companies, the prospector finds the customer, then turns him/her over to another salesperson to close the deal. In other companies, the prospector works with the customer through the closing of the deal.
Account Managers
Account managers are responsible for ongoing business with a customer who uses a product. A new customer may be found by the prospector and then turned over to an account manager. Or, if new accounts are rare, the account manager may also perform prospector functions. Example: Taylor Bergstrom, Texas Ranger baseball team's sales representative. Bergstrom works with season ticket holders to ensure that they have a great experience over the course of a season.
Account managers are particularly responsible for developing relationships with lead users. Recall that lead users are in a good position to help improve a company's offerings and develop new ones.