Typical activities for sales executives generally include:

listening to customer requirements and presenting appropriately to make a sale;
maintaining and developing relationships with existing customers in person and via telephone calls and emails;
cold calling to arrange meetings with potential customers to prospect for new business;
responding to incoming email and phone enquiries;
acting as a contact between a company and its existing and potential markets;
negotiating the terms of an agreement and closing sales;
gathering market and customer information;
representing their company at trade exhibitions, events and demonstrations;
negotiating on price, costs, delivery and specifications with buyers and managers;
challenging any objections with a view to getting the customer to buy;
advising on forthcoming product developments and discussing special promotions;
creating detailed proposal documents, often as part of a formal bidding process which is largely dictated by the prospective customer;
liaising with suppliers to check the progress of existing orders;
checking the quantities of goods on display and in stock;
recording sales and order information and sending copies to the sales office, or entering figures into a computer system;
reviewing your own sales performance, aiming to meet or exceed targets;
gaining a clear understanding of customers' businesses and requirements;
making accurate, rapid cost calculations and providing customers with quotations;
feeding future buying trends back to employers;
attending team meeting and sharing best practice with colleagues.