salespeople

[seylz-pee-puhl]

plural noun

1. people person engaged in selling.

Word History and Origins

Origin of salespeople¹

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; sales + people

Example Sentences

Some Sotheby’s salespeople are staying put there on floors the house leased back, but it has shifted all its back-office operations to a vast warehouse in Gantry Point on Long Island.

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Bad advice does not always equate to disreputable used-car salespeople.

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The white-collar labor force of office workers and salespeople grew rapidly in America after World War II. These middle-class employees were thought to be more content and comfortable than auto workers or machine operators.

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County supervisors want to bar “predatory” salespeople who they say prey on vulnerable residents seeking benefits from the region’s social services offices.

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That has enabled it to hire more programmers and salespeople, he added.

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Related Words

• clerk 

When To Use

What does salespeople mean?

Salespeople is a plural form of salesperson—a person whose job is to sell products or services.A less commonly used plural of salesperson is salespersons.Another term for salesperson is sales rep (or sales representative). The terms salesman and saleswoman are still commonly used, but salesperson and sales rep are often used in their place.Salespeople are often said to “work in sales”—in which sales refers to the type of occupation or the division or department within a company.Salespeople can sell directly to customers or to other businesses or organizations. Sometimes, salespeople sell things in person, such as at a retail store or dealership. They also commonly sell things over the phone or by communicating with people online. In the past, it was common for some salespeople to travel door-to-door to make sales to people at home.A salesperson who has to travel as part of their job can be called a traveling salesperson. The word salesperson is sometimes used in a somewhat figurative way to refer to someone who’s skilled at persuading people, especially in a business or professional setting, as if they are selling them a product.Example: Salespeople are known for their ability to start a conversation with anyone.