What is a sales consultant and how to become one

Q: How long does it take to become a Sales Consultant?

It takes 5 years of professional experience to become a sales consultant. That is the time it takes to learn specific sales consultant skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 8 to 10 years years to become a sales consultant.

Q: How much does a sales consultant make a year?

A sales consultant makes between $30,000 and $100,000 a year. The average amount a sales consultant makes is $60,000. This amount includes commission and bonuses that the sales consultant makes as well as an hourly wage they might earn. While the amount a sales consultant earns varies by location, it is often in line with the living costs of any particular area.

Q: How much does a sales consultant make an hour?

A sales consultant averages about $30 an hour. However, this is not a true hourly wage, but a wage plus commission or even simply commission. In other words, this is the amount that a sales consultant makes a year divided by the number of hours they worked to get an idea of how much the hourly wage would be if they were paid only hourly wage.

Q: Inside Sales vs Outside Sales

Inside sales involve sales representatives that sell right from their office or home office, while outside sales involve sales representatives that travel and broker deals in person. Inside sales involve making sales via technology, in other words, remotely. Methods of inside sales include phone calls, emails, video conferencing, and other tech-based methods. Inside sales are more common in companies focusing on modern products like technological ones, such as software applications.

Q: Is it hard to be a sales consultant?

It can be hard to be a sales consultant. Working as a sales consultant is a tough job that often requires long hours and a lot of work to be successful. The main challenges of the job are mental stamina and understanding the customer to make a sale. This requires a lot of patience and willingness to sit down and have a conversation with the customer.

Q: What qualifications do you need to be a consultant?

The qualification to be a sales consultant is a bachelor's degree in a business-related degree. Common bachelor's degrees for sales consultants to hold include: Business Administration Business Management Marketing Advertisement Communications

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.,

Joseph Hancock

A sales consultant advises businesses on how to improve their sales performance. They analyze market trends, identify opportunities for growth, and develop strategies to increase revenue. They help businesses develop effective sales processes, train sales representatives, and evaluate sales performance. Successful sales consultants are skilled at building relationships, identifying customer needs, and communicating effectively with clients. They must be knowledgeable about industry trends and have a deep understanding of the products or services they represent.

What general advice would you give to a Sales Consultant?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Central Connecticut State University

I have spent almost two decades in the higher education industry and about a decade in administration. I often advised students, and it is astonishing to see how many of these students do not plan for their future. A good plan is a starting point to lead a good and successful career and life. Hence, by all means, it is worth noting that developing a future-oriented focus is important, so taking time to streamline the plan should be an important exercise for every graduate before they begin to do anything.

ScoreSales ConsultantUS Average

Salary

4.7

Avg. Salary $60,135

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.1

Growth Rate 4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 5.15%

Black or African American 3.84%

Hispanic or Latino 14.23%

Unknown 3.71%

White 72.84%

Gender

female 36.77%

male 63.23%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress Level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

4.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Sales Consultant?

Pros

Potential for high income through commissions
Flexibility in schedule and work location
Constantly learning and adapting to new technologies and trends
Possibility for advancement
Ability to work independently

Cons

High-pressure job with demanding sales quotas
Unpredictable income and commission structure
Long hours and irregular schedules, including weekends and evenings
Constant need to prospect for new clients and maintain existing relationships
Can be highly competitive

Key steps to become a sales consultant

Explore sales consultant education requirements

Most common sales consultant degrees

Bachelor's

56.4 %

Associate

17.6 %

High School Diploma

15.0 %

Start to develop specific sales consultant skills

Skills	Percentages
Sales Process	12.67%
Product Knowledge	11.43%
POS	10.60%
Pre Sales	6.84%
Work Ethic	5.46%

Complete relevant sales consultant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales consultants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sales consultant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales consultant resumes.

Research sales consultant duties and responsibilities

Achieve monthly sales goals through new business and upselling current clients.
Utilize CRM systems to effectively manage accounts; leverage competitor and market intelligence to drive offer posture and capture competitor accounts.
Create print ads design and create ad word campaign for SEO and SEM products.
Deliver effective sales presentations to individuals and groups while cross-selling additional vehicle products and services.

Prepare your sales consultant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales consultant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales consultant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Sales Consultant Resume templates

Build a professional Sales Consultant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Sales Consultant resume.

Apply for sales consultant jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a sales consultant job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do sales consultants rate their job?

4.5/5

Based On 2 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Sales Consultant reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2023

Cons

Meeting sales goals can be difficult based on slow work days. Yet the goal still stays the same 😣 which feels impossible to meet.

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021

Pros

Dealing with other professional engineers and managers that show higher levels of integrity when discussing requirements or a problem to solve.

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2021

Pros

Cultivating relationships with customers and accessing customers needs , I like solving their problems with the product or service that I am pre selling to them before passing the lead to a sales executive.

Cons

I am passionate about my role as a BDR and there is nothing that I don't like. I don't like to be put in a box so to speak I enjoy reaching high and don't like to limited.

What is a sales consultant and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Sales Consultant?

What are the pros and cons of being a Sales Consultant?

Sales Consultant career paths

Key steps to become a sales consultant

Explore sales consultant education requirements

Most common sales consultant degrees

Start to develop specific sales consultant skills

Complete relevant sales consultant training and internships

Research sales consultant duties and responsibilities

Prepare your sales consultant resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Sales Consultant Resume templates

Apply for sales consultant jobs

How Did You Land Your First Sales Consultant Job

Average sales consultant salary

How do sales consultants rate their job?

Sales Consultant reviews

Sales Consultant FAQs

How long does it take to become a Sales Consultant?

How much does a sales consultant make a year?

How much does a sales consultant make an hour?

Inside Sales vs Outside Sales

Is it hard to be a sales consultant?

What qualifications do you need to be a consultant?

Search for sales consultant jobs

Sales Consultant jobs by state