Sales Representatives

High School

A high school diploma is required for most sales positions, although an increasing number of salespeople are graduates of two- or four-year colleges. In high school, take classes such as business, mathematics, psychology, speech, and economics that will teach you to deal with customers and financial transactions. Learning a foreign language—such as Spanish, Mandarin, or Polish—will help you to communicate with a wider range of potential sales contacts.

Postsecondary Training

Some areas of sales work require specialized college work. Those in engineering sales, for example, usually have a college degree in a relevant engineering field. Other fields that demand specific college degrees include chemical sales (chemistry or chemical engineering), office systems (accounting or business administration), and pharmaceuticals and drugs (biology, chemistry, biotechnology, or pharmacy). Those in less technical sales positions usually benefit from course work in English, speech, psychology, marketing, public relations, economics, advertising, finance, accounting, and business law.

Certification

Certificate programs in sales, professional sales, sales management, and related fields are offered by colleges and universities and online learning platforms. For example, Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, Illinois) offers a certificate in professional selling to students who complete the following classes: Principles of Selling, Business-to-Business Selling, and Advanced Professional Selling Credits. They also must complete one of the following courses: Managerial Negotiations; Professional Selling and Cultural Perspectives; Strategic Selling Perspectives; Professional Selling in the Field; Global Selling Perspectives; Contemporary Leadership in Sales Credits; and Sales Leadership, Metrics, and Application Credits. Programs typically last six months to a year and are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats. Contact schools in your area for information about available programs.

The American Marketing Association offers a sales management certificate program. Visit https://www.amanet.org/sales-management-certificate-program for more information.

Other Education or Training

The Sales Management Association offers webinars, classes and workshops to help sales reps keep their skills up to date. Past offerings included Social Strategies for Sales Leaders and New Product Selling: What Works. The Manufacturers' Agents National Association also offers continuing education opportunities. Contact these organizations for more information.