English-Speaking Sales Staff: What Do They Do, How Much Salary?

What is an English-speaking sales staff member?

An English-speaking sales staff member (Sales Executive/Salesperson) is the person responsible for prospecting, approaching, consulting and customer care/after-sales service. Especially foreign customers or working at multinational companies, using English as the main communication language in the work.

Unlike ordinary sales staff, English-speaking sales staff must be proficient in communicating in English to work with international customers, foreign partners, or in a multinational working environment. They not only need sales skills but must also understand international business culture, professional conduct and have the ability to present and negotiate in English.

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Job description of an English-speaking sales staff member

The work of an English-speaking sales staff member is very diverse and dynamic, including:

• Seeking and developing new customers: Researching the market, identifying potential customers (especially international customers), approaching through email, phone, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook), participating in international fairs and exhibitions.
• Advising on products/services: Introducing and advising in detail about products/services to customers in English, answering questions, comparing with competitors, persuading customers about the benefits and value the products/services bring.
• Negotiating and signing contracts: Negotiating price, payment and delivery conditions with foreign customers. Drafting and signing sales contracts in English. Negotiation skills in English and an understanding of international commercial law are very important.
• Customer care: Maintaining a good relationship with customers after sales, resolving complaints, providing technical support, advising on product use. Communicating regularly via email, phone and video call in English to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Reporting and analysis: Making sales reports, analysing the market, proposing business strategies. Many multinational companies require reports in English so that the international management team can monitor.
• Coordinating with departments: Working with marketing, technical, logistics and finance to ensure the sales process goes smoothly. In international companies, this coordination usually takes place in English.
• Participating in events and seminars: Representing the company at international conferences and exhibitions, networking with partners. Presentation and communication skills in English at these events are very important.

The requirements and qualities needed for an English-speaking sales staff member

To succeed in this role, sales staff need to possess many important skills and qualities.

Proficient communication skills

To become a successful English-speaking sales staff member, communication skill is the key factor. Not only speaking fluently, you also need to convey information clearly, persuasively and flexibly in each situation with international customers. Besides, the ability to listen, understand needs and respond quickly will help build a sustainable relationship.

Passion in the work

Business is a field that requires perseverance and a resilient spirit, because you will have to face many rejections before achieving results. Passion is the factor that helps you overcome pressure, maintain motivation and not give up easily. Successful people usually have a desire to achieve sales targets, love challenges and see each customer as an opportunity to learn and develop themselves.

Having knowledge and experience

Besides passion, sales staff need to equip a solid professional-knowledge foundation about products, the market and competitors to advise customers effectively. Understanding modern sales methods such as SPIN Selling, Consultative Selling or clearly grasping the customer journey will help optimise closing efficiency.

In addition, real-world experience – especially when working with international customers is a big advantage, although new candidates still have opportunities if they have good foreign languages and a spirit of learning. In parallel, skills in using technology such as CRM, email marketing, online-meeting tools and data analysis are also necessary factors to enhance work performance.

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What are the responsibilities and roles of an English-speaking sales staff member?

The English-speaking sales staff member plays an important role in the development of the enterprise, with specific responsibilities and roles.

Responsibilities

To ensure work efficiency and build a long-term relationship, sales staff need to perform many different tasks with professionalism and flexibility. So specifically, what are their responsibilities?

• Achieving sales targets: This is the main responsibility and the criterion for evaluating work performance. The employee must achieve or exceed the revenue targets assigned monthly/quarterly/yearly.
• Protecting the company’s interests: Negotiating to get the best conditions for the company (price, payment, delivery), avoiding legal risks, keeping customer and company information confidential.
• Managing customers: Building and maintaining a customer database, updating information, classifying customers by level of potential, ensuring current customers are not lost.
• Complying with the process: Correctly following the company’s sales process, reporting fully, accurately and in a timely manner, updating information into the CRM system.
• Competing in financial matters of business development: Researching competitors, proposing strategies to overcome competition, seeking opportunities to expand into new markets, developing new products/services based on customer needs.

Role

The English-speaking sales staff member plays an important role in connecting the enterprise with the international market. They not only seek customers but also contribute to building a professional and reputable image for the company. So specifically, what is the role of an English-speaking sales staff member?

• Role with customers: Being the bridge between the company and customers, the person who brings solutions to customers’ problems, a trustworthy advisor. A good sales staff member not only sells products but also builds a long-term relationship, turning customers into brand supporters.
• Role with the company: Being the main source of income, the person who brings in sales for the company to survive and develop. At the same time being a valuable source of information from the market (customer feedback, trends, competitor activities) that helps the company adjust its strategy.
• Brand-ambassador role: Each time communicating with customers, the sales staff member represents the company’s image. Their attitude, conduct and expertise directly affect the brand’s reputation.

The salary of the English-speaking sales staff industry

According to data from Indeed Vietnam – a reputable recruitment platform with more than 250 million visits each month globally, the average salary in HCMC is as follows:

• Basic salary: 8-12 million VND/month for new staff (0-1 year experience), 12-18 million VND/month with 1-3 years experience, 18-30 million VND/month for senior sales (3-5 years experience).
• Commission: This is an important part of income, which can be 1-3 times the basic salary depending on performance. Usually ranges from 1-10% of the order value, depending on the industry and product. With B2B sales (selling to enterprises), the order value is large so the commission is very attractive.
• Actual total income: A good English-speaking sales staff member can earn 20-40 million VND/month after 1-2 years, 40-80 million VND/month at the senior level, and 80-150 million VND/month or more in the position of Sales Manager, Business Development Manager.

The recruitment situation of English-speaking sales staff

With the diversity and development of professions, the recruitment demand for sales staff, especially those who know English, is very high. Multinational companies, FDI enterprises, export companies, technology companies and startups are always short of quality sales personnel.

According to statistics from VietnamWorks, each month there are more than 15,000 recruitment posts for the sales staff position, of which 60% require good English. This figure shows that the market really needs this human resource.

In particular, the fields with the highest demand include: information technology (software, cloud services, cybersecurity), high-end real estate, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, logistics and international transport, finance and insurance, international education.

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Where should you study to become an English-speaking sales staff member? What field to study?

To become a professional English-speaking sales staff member, you can study the fields:

• Business Administration: A broad foundation in marketing, sales, management, finance.
• Marketing: Focusing on market research, customer behaviour, marketing and sales strategy.
• International Business: Studying international trade, import-export, negotiation, global business culture.
• English Language (Trade specialisation): In-depth English combined with business knowledge.

At HUFLIT, students not only study English as a subject but are trained to use it as a real working tool in the international business environment. The training programme focuses on developing commercial thinking, communication – negotiation skills and the ability to handle situations with foreign customers, helping students be ready to step into the role of a sales staff member right after graduation.

HUFLIT strongly promotes enterprise connection and organises many internship activities and job fairs, creating conditions for students to approach the labour market early. The rate of students having a job after graduation reaches about 94%, showing that training quality is tied to real needs. With this foundation, HUFLIT students can completely confidently work in the international business field, where English is the key to expanding opportunities and increasing income.

Common questions about English-speaking sales staff

What English vocabulary do sales staff need to know?

To work effectively, you need to firmly grasp:

• Product/service vocabulary: The name, features, benefits and technical specifications of the product you sell.
• Sales vocabulary: prospect (potential customer), lead (lead), conversion (conversion), pipeline (sales process), closing (closing the deal), quota (target), commission (commission), objection (objection).
• Negotiation vocabulary: negotiate, terms and conditions, discount, payment terms, delivery, warranty, after-sales service.
• Communication phrases: “I’d like to introduce…”, “Let me show you…”, “What are your main concerns?”, “We can offer…”, “Would you be interested in…?”, “Let’s schedule a follow-up”.
• Professional email: Subject lines, greeting, body, call-to-action, signature.

Learning vocabulary in real-world context and practising through role-play will help you remember for a long time and use it naturally.

What factors make up the success of a sales staff member?

To achieve success in the business field, each individual needs to converge many important factors from skills to thinking and work attitude. So what factors make up the success of a sales staff member?

• Positive thinking: Seeing each “no” as a step closer to “yes”, not being discouraged by difficulties.
• Listening skills: Understanding customers’ real needs instead of just talking about the product.
• Building relationships: Focusing on long-term value, not just a one-time sale.
• Persistent pursuit: Following up regularly, being patient with large customers, not giving up early.
• Continuous learning: Updating product knowledge, the market and new sales skills.
• Good time management: Prioritising potential customers, not wasting time on low-quality leads.
• Using technology: Taking advantage of CRM, automation and data analytics to increase efficiency.
• A professional attitude: Being on time, well-prepared, respecting commitments – this creates trust with customers without spending too much time and effort.

How is an English-speaking sales staff member different from an ordinary sales staff member?

An English-speaking sales staff member not only takes on the sales task but also works directly with international customers in a multicultural environment. They are open people who understand culture due to contact with many different foreign environments. So how is this employee different from an ordinary sales staff member?

• Target market: English-speaking sales staff serve international customers or work at multinational companies, while ordinary staff mainly serve the domestic market.
• Language requirement: Needs proficient English (TOEIC 700+, IELTS 6.5+) and only needs Vietnamese.
• Business culture: Must understand and adapt to international business culture, ways of negotiating and building relationships that differ by country.
• Salary: Usually 30-60% higher due to higher requirements and international order values usually being larger.
• Development opportunities: More wide-open with the ability to work internationally, faster promotion in multinational corporations.
• Pressure: Higher due to having to work with different time zones, handle more complex situations and fiercer competition.

The English-speaking sales staff member is a profession full of prospects with attractive income, clear promotion opportunities and the ability to develop diverse skills. If you are looking for a place to train that helps you master English, develop business skills and have the opportunity to intern at reputable enterprises, learn about the training programmes at HUFLIT. Contact HUFLIT today for detailed advice and start the journey to conquer this profession!

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