What is a sales trainer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted Expert
Frederik Beuk
introduction image

A sales trainer is an individual who specializes in teaching sales techniques and strategies to sales teams or individuals. They work with companies to develop training programs that improve the performance and productivity of salespeople. A sales trainer provides guidance on how to prospect, handle objections, close deals, and build relationships with customers.Their goal is to help sales teams reach their targets and achieve success by providing them with the necessary skills and knowledge.

What general advice would you give to a Sales Trainer?

F

Frederik Beuk

Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Akron

The key consideration is whether you really want to maximize your initial salary. For instance, envision two job opportunities: one offering a salary of $50,000 per year, where you'd be the most junior team member, and the other providing $75,000 per year, with the caveat that you would be the sole sales representative for the firm. The optimal choice is to prioritize learning opportunities. In this context, being the lone salesperson for a company that compensates its highest-earning sales professional $75,000 might not be your superior option. Instead, seek a position that offers the greatest potential for learning. Subsequently, demonstrate your negotiating prowess, a critical sales skill, by securing a slightly higher salary. However, it's essential not to fixate on maximizing your starting salary. Your career requires a long-term strategy, and you have several decades ahead of you to maximize income.
ScoreSales TrainerUS Average
Salary
5.8

Avg. Salary $74,457

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 5.18%

Black or African American 3.86%

Hispanic or Latino 14.40%

Unknown 3.72%

White 72.61%

Gender

female 38.75%

male 61.25%

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 Trainer?

Pros

  • Opportunity to help others improve their skills and reach their goals

  • Possibility of earning a high income through commissions or bonuses

  • Chance to work with a diverse group of people

  • Flexibility in terms of schedule and location

  • Potential for career advancement within the company

Cons

  • Need to constantly adapt to changing market conditions and sales techniques

  • Pressure to meet sales targets and quotas

  • Dealing with difficult clients or employees who may not be receptive to training

  • High stress levels due to the competitive nature of sales training

  • Limited job security due to the reliance on commission-based compensation

Sales Trainer career paths

Key steps to become a sales trainer

  1. Explore sales trainer education requirements

    Most common sales trainer degrees

    Bachelor's

    68.6 %

    Associate

    12.9 %

    Master's

    7.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific sales trainer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Customer Service19.81%
    Lead Generation4.01%
    Sales Professionals3.88%
    Product Knowledge3.65%
    Training Content3.38%
  3. Complete relevant sales trainer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales trainers 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 trainer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales trainer resumes.
  4. Research sales trainer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage LMS system content uploads, expiration of materials, permission access to learners for internal and external channels.
    • Design and facilitate sales training programs, including corresponding manuals, PowerPoint, and training implementation.
    • Top KPI performer Q4 2013 & Q2 2014 by exceeding metrics in sales, traffic, & guest service.
    • Administer an LMS for entire sales team.
  5. Prepare your sales trainer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales trainer 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 trainer 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 Trainer Resume templates

    Build a professional Sales Trainer 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 Trainer resume.
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  6. Apply for sales trainer jobs

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

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

How Did You Land Your First Sales Trainer Job

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Average sales trainer salary

The average Sales Trainer salary in the United States is $74,457 per year or $36 per hour. Sales trainer salaries range between $56,000 and $97,000 per year.

Average Sales Trainer Salary
$74,457 Yearly
$35.80 hourly

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How do sales trainers rate their job?

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Sales Trainer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Pros

Communicating and helping my clients.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

I love to engage the public and meet new faces. I enjoy explaining all of the benefits of the product I am selling, and making the customer feel important and well informed.

Cons

I don't like feeling like I haven't did a great at job at making customers feel comfortable and confident about where and who they are purchasing from.


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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.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.