Broker vs. Salesperson

A broker is a person who represents the parties in a transaction and is licensed to own a firm, while a salesperson is a professional who is licensed to sell products while representing a brokerage firm.

How long does it take to become a Sales Person?

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a sales person. That is the time it takes to learn specific sales person skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

How do I become a salesperson with no experience?

To become a salesperson with no experience takes learning the trade, researching sales positions, polishing your resume, and preparing for the interview. The good news is to become a salesperson, you don't need formal education or specific training - to be successful takes cultivating the right type of skills.

What are the characteristics of a salesperson?

The characteristics of a salesperson include attributes such as persistence, people skills, customer-focused attitude, and active listening, to name a few. You might picture someone charismatic, outgoing, and extroverted when you think about a salesperson. While these are important traits to have, other characteristics of a salesperson are arguably equally as important. We've broken down the top ten characteristics of a salesperson.

What counts as sales experience?

Any job where your main objective is to convince a customer to make a purchase counts as sales experience. It may sound funny but even kids running a lemonade stand, or girl scouts selling cookies, gain sales experience from their efforts.

What is a sales person and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Kevin Buckley,

Joseph Hancock

A salesperson is responsible for selling products or services to potential customers. They use their knowledge and skills to understand customers' needs and offer solutions that meet those needs. Salespeople work in various industries, including retail, real estate, and technology. They may generate leads, make cold calls, conduct product demonstrations, negotiate contracts, and close deals. Successful salespeople are skilled communicators who can build customer relationships and effectively convey the value of their products or services.

What general advice would you give to a Sales Person?

Kevin Buckley

Professor of Practice, Sales & Marketing, University of Southern Mississippi

The biggest factor in earning potential is performance - salespeople get paid based on their ability to hit and exceed quotas through revenue generation. With a sales career, you have a lot of control over earnings. My advice is to be metrics-driven and have a plan to intentionally grow your sales skills through training, mentors, and personal development. Build a reputation for consistent over-achievement. It's also important to do research and understand typical compensation benchmarks. Some may offer higher base pay, while others offer more earnings leverage through aggressive commission/bonus structures.

ScoreSales PersonUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,010

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

7.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.58%

Asian 7.31%

Black or African American 10.68%

Hispanic or Latino 19.74%

Unknown 5.50%

White 56.19%

Gender

female 29.55%

male 70.45%

Age - 39

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 - 39

Stress Level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.5

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

8.5

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

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

Pros

Potential for high earnings through commissions
Chance to meet and interact with a variety of people
Opportunity to develop strong communication and negotiation skills
Access to training and professional development resources
Possibility for travel and attending events

Cons

Long and irregular working hours, including evenings and weekends
Requires constant learning of new products, markets, and industry trends
Dealing with difficult or demanding customers can be challenging
May require extensive travel or relocation
Commission-based pay can be unstable or unpredictable

Key steps to become a sales person

Explore sales person education requirements

Most common sales person degrees

Bachelor's

43.2 %

High School Diploma

26.8 %

Associate

17.1 %

Start to develop specific sales person skills

Skills	Percentages
Basic Math	26.88%
Phone Calls	18.14%
POS	17.87%
Cleanliness	15.74%
Math	13.43%

Complete relevant sales person training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales people 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 person based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales person resumes.

Gain additional sales person certifications

Sales person certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific sales person certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for sales people include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Automotive Sales Professional.

More About Certifications

Research sales person duties and responsibilities

Clean CDL and aptitude for relationship building lead to point of sales position.
Manage product deliveries, and maintain overall orderliness and cleanliness of facility to optimize customer experience.
Perform sales responsibilities utilizing mobile POS system while marketing company membership services, ensuring client satisfaction.
Gain in-depth knowledge of Chrysler vehicles and differentiate them to existing and potential customers.

Prepare your sales person resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales person 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 person 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 Person Resume templates

Build a professional Sales Person 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 Person resume.

Apply for sales person jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a sales person 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 people rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Sales Person reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Pros

i enjoy the interaction with people, listen the customer in order to convert him/her into your friend, detect and help customer with his/her needs.

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019