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Technical Sales Executive

Business

Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, chemistry, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of postsecondary education.

BusinessScience

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Negotiate prices or terms of sales or service agreements.
  2. 2Prepare and submit sales contracts for orders.
  3. 3Visit establishments to evaluate needs or to promote product or service sales.
  4. 4Sell service contracts for technical or scientific products.
  5. 5Maintain customer records, using automated systems.
  6. 6Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, or credit terms.
  7. 7Quote prices, credit terms, or other bid specifications.
  8. 8Contact new or existing customers to discuss how specific products or services can meet their needs.
  9. 9Emphasize product features, based on analyses of customers' needs and on technical knowledge of product capabilities and limitations.
  10. 10Compute customer's installation or production costs and estimate savings from new services, products, or equipment.
  11. 11Demonstrate the operation or use of technical or scientific products.
  12. 12Provide feedback to product design teams so that products can be tailored to clients' needs.
  13. 13Select or assist customers in selecting products based on customer needs, product specifications, and applicable regulations.
  14. 14Prepare sales presentations or proposals to explain product specifications or applications.
  15. 15Complete expense reports, sales reports, or other paperwork.
  16. 16Verify that delivery schedules meet project deadlines.
  17. 17Identify prospective customers, using business directories, leads from existing clients, participation in organizations, or trade show or conference attendance.
  18. 18Arrange for installation and testing of products or machinery.
  19. 19Inform customers of estimated delivery schedules, service contracts, warranties, or other information pertaining to purchased products.
  20. 20Collaborate with colleagues to exchange information, such as selling strategies or marketing information.
  21. 21Initiate sales campaigns to meet sales and production expectations.
  22. 22Provide customers with ongoing technical support.
  23. 23Advise customers on product usage to improve production.
  24. 24Verify accuracy of materials lists.
  25. 25Verify customer credit ratings.
  26. 26Consult with engineers regarding technical problems with products.
  27. 27Sell technical and scientific products that are environmentally sound or designed for environmental remediation.
  28. 28Study documentation or other information for new scientific or technical products.
  29. 29Stock or distribute resources, such as samples or promotional or educational materials.
  30. 30Attend sales or trade meetings or read related publications to obtain information about market conditions, business trends, environmental regulations, or industry developments.
  31. 31Visit establishments, such as pharmacies, to determine product sales.
  32. 32Present information to customers about the energy efficiency or environmental impact of scientific or technical products.
  33. 33Inform customers about issues related to responsible use and disposal of products, such as waste reduction or product or byproduct recycling or disposal.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Sales Engineer
  • Field Sales Rep
  • Route Sales Rep
  • Sales Agronomist
  • Sales Consultant
  • Sales Specialist
  • Wireless Sales Rep
  • Authorized Retailer
  • Retail Merchandiser
  • Territory Sales Rep

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service88%
  • Sales and Marketing86%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language73%

    English

  • Administration and Management63%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Mathematics63%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Production and Processing62%

    Design & Technology (RBT)Mechanical Engineering Studies

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsOften
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never
  • Time spent sittingMost of the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Log client information and sales leads into tracking documents or software.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

39%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.36%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Insurance Agent / Financial Planner

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org