Get a Sales Job With No Sales Experience

Sales jobs involve earning the interest of potential customers and then converting them to customers. Salespeople are needed in almost every trade and industry, and good salespeople often have the opportunity to earn high salaries. Many jobs require you to have a background in sales, but you can't build a background until you land your first job. Luckily, there are plenty of ways for prospective salespeople to break in.

Steps

Learning about Sales

1. Learn as much as you can about sales. You will have to impress your prospective employer with your knowledge and enthusiasm. Whether you're looking to become a telemarketer, a pharmaceutical salesperson, or a sales engineer, you will need some of the same basic know-how. Read books on sales, and read about sales strategies online. You will need to learn the practical psychology of selling, the strategies of getting a customer interested and of closing a deal.
   • If you know anyone in sales, offer to take them out to lunch so they can share their expertise with you.
2. Compare material before you buy it. Check out the business and marketing section of your local bookstore or library, or read best-of lists in sales magazines online. Go for books and videos that deal in facts and data. Look for updated and tried and tested material, such as books that have been reissued and revised, or videos that are widely recommended.
   • Keep track of what you read! You can mention authors you admire in your interview to let your prospective employer know that you have prepared.
3. Narrow your options. Even when you've just entered the job market, it's not too early to specialize. Choose a product you are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about. For example, if your experience is in accounting, it is more practical to apply for a job selling investment plans than it is to apply for a job in pharmaceutical sales. Choose a kind of product that interests you, and research the jobs available in that sector.
   • Don't be afraid to get very specific. If you are interested in selling cars, focus on used cars, environmentally friendly cars, or luxury vehicles.
   • Whether you are selling a product or a service, you must know enough about what you are selling that you could explain the benefits in a sentence or two.
   • Once you have chosen a product, look for resources specific to that field. Subscribe to a magazine for members of the industry, or check out back copies from your local public library.
4. Take a class. Check out the sales courses available at your local community college. Many colleges offer classes in sales and marketing. If you are able to return to school, you could even enroll in a one-year certificate program in sales, or a two-year associates degree.
   • Sales representatives enter the workforce with a huge range of educational backgrounds. Job candidates with an undergraduate degree in business have an advantage, especially if they have a minor in sales. However, candidates without an undergraduate degree also stand a chance of being hired if they can make a sale.
   • Some fields require certification to enter. Learn the requirements for the job you want to have before you apply for jobs.

Looking for Jobs

1. Make a list of companies you would like to work for. Look up companies in the region where you would like to work in online business directories and telephone books. You will want to give them your resume even if they aren't currently hiring. Positions can open up unexpectedly. If they have your information on hand, they might give you a chance.
2. Look for an entry-level position. Search online job boards for entry-level positions in your field of choice. Favor positions that offer training, as these companies will help you build your expertise. Remember, not all open positions are advertised. You will want to deliver your resume to companies that don't appear to be hiring, as well as those that do.
   • Call your local temp agencies and ask about temporary sales positions.
   • Consider starting your sales career in retail. It can sometimes be easier to find entry-level positions in retail than in other fields.
   • Consider being an independent salesperson. Places such as cosmetic companies or travel agencies don't require any previous sales experience, and can help provide you with training and marketing materials.
3. Find out who gets hired where. When you come across companies you would like to work for, try to find the profiles of their employees. You can search for the company on an online networking website and learn about the job experience and educational background of employees. Determine the amount of sales experience their entry-level employees have. A company that hires sales associates with little to no experience might be open to hiring you.
4. Compose your resume. Consider your employment history that is not sales related, but that lends to your qualification for the sales jobs you are interested in. For example, if you are applying for a sales position demonstrating power tools in a home improvement store, then it would be worthwhile to highlight your past construction and public speaking experience.
   • Search your history for hidden sales experience. Have you ever sold your used furniture, or old car? Many jobs include elements of sales, even if they aren't reflected in your title. Highlight this experience on your resume.
   • Make sure your resume looks professional. Look up sample resumes for entry-level sales jobs online.
   • Get help on your resume. It is easy to miss important details when editing a resume or CV. Check out the schedule of your local library or community center for free resume help. If you know any salespeople, ask them to go over your resume with you.
   • Customize your resume for each sales job you apply for. For example, if your headline reads, "Seeking a position in sales," then it should be customized in a way that is specific to the job you are pursuing: "Seeking an entry-level account representative position in the auto parts industry."
5. Write a brief cover letter. You will need distinct cover letters for each application. Customize your letter to reflect the qualities the employee is looking for. For example, if the job description specifies a desire for "honest, organized, and extroverted" salespeople, then you can use real-life examples, sales-related or not, that exemplify your possession of those qualities.
6. Contemplate your personal sales philosophy. You should be able to explain this to prospective employers. Using what you learned about sales, what you know about customers and your reasons for wanting to be a salesperson, formulate a vision of how you would approach a sale. Refer back to the books and articles you have read about sales. Draw up the steps of making a sale as they apply for the position you desire.
   • An example of a sales philosophy could be "When I make a sale, I help customers make their own best decisions," or "Let the customer come to you, and be ready to make them glad they did."
7. Take stock of your personal qualities. When you are interviewed, your prospective employer will be looking for the personality traits of a successful salesperson. Salespeople are not required to be outgoing and debonair. Rather, they should be professional, timely, prepared, and resilient.
   • Think of stories that exemplify these qualities. If you have ever applied for a job or other position multiple times, that shows resilience.
   • Companies are looking for results-oriented salespeople. Think of goals you have achieved, and how you went about achieving them. This will likely come up in your interview.
8. Drop off your resume in person. To show that you are invested in getting the job, do more than email the company. Check online to make sure there is no policy against unsolicited visits from job seekers. Dress in professional attire and be friendly and polite to anyone you meet. Ask the person at the front desk where you should drop off your resume, and be sure to get the name of the hiring manager.
   • Email your resume and cover letter to the hiring manager after you drop them off, to make sure they have your material.
   • Make a follow up call in a week if you haven't heard from the company.
   • There are companies that discourage in-person drop offs. Check ahead to ensure there are no explicit warnings against unsolicited visits. You might be turned away. Be very gracious if you are.
   • If you cannot drop off your resume in person, email it to the hiring manager.

Nailing the Interview

1. Prepare for your interview. Read the company's corporate reports, or any mentions in trade magazines. Spend time on their website, and learn specific information you can repeat during the interview. Good salespeople do research to prepare for their sales. Showing up to your interview well-prepared shows that you have the skills necessary to prepare for a sales call.
2. Arrive dressed for the job you want. Wear professional attire. If entry-level associates in your field of interest tend to dress more casually, try to dress just a little more conservatively for the interview. Neutral colors, clean and polished dress shoes, and tidy clothing that is neither tight nor loose will serve you well.
3. Demonstrate your salesperson qualities. Treat the interview like the first meeting with a prospective customer: be prepared, polite, and persuasive. Show up on time or a minute early. To show your people skills, make eye contact, and smile. Come prepared with information about the company, and answers for how your presence would fit the company's needs.
4. Describe your best-ever sale. Even if you have never held a job in sales, you most likely have, at one time or another, convinced or persuaded someone (or a group of people) in your favor. Your story should include an explanation of how you went about "selling" your audience on your idea, as well as a description of what the gain was, for both sides.
   • Make it evident that you are an achiever by describing some of your life's biggest achievements, whatever they may be. For example, you may have been the quarterback of your college's football team, served as president of your child's PTA, won first prize in a piano competition or had a short story published in a well-known periodical.
5. Follow your interview up with a thank-you note. If you don't hear from the employer within the time expected, put in a follow-up call. When it comes to procuring a job in sales, persistence pays off.

Tips

• Many employees prefer applicants with a college degree for sales positions that require meeting with clients.
• If you are considering getting a degree, consider your choice of major. Majors relevant to sales include marketing, communications, business, advertising, and psychology.

Warnings

• Many sales jobs are commission-based, meaning you only get paid when you sell. As you will be going in to the sales field without any experience and may not know what to expect, you should have a considerable savings to fall back on should the learning curve take longer than you plan for.

Sources and Citations

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