Sales & Marketing

How to become a Sales Representative

From no experience: every step, how long it takes, and the credential it earns.

Time to get there

0–6 months

Typical pay

$45k–$85k

Starting from

No experience

The steps

1. 1

   Learn a sales method

   Discovery, objection handling and closing. Any structured method beats improvising.

   1–3 months

   Course that covers thisFoundations of SalesUdemy · around $19.99 →
2. 2

   Start in an SDR or inside-sales seat

   Entry sales roles hire on attitude and train the rest.

   immediate

3. 3

   Learn the CRM

   Salesforce or HubSpot. Pipeline hygiene is what managers actually promote on.

   Course that covers thisSalesforce Administrator (Admin-201) Practice Exams : 2026Udemy · around $19.99 →
4. 4

   Hit quota for a year

   A documented number is the only credential this field respects.

   1 year

Course links are Udemy affiliate links — we earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. Licences and exams named above are issued by state boards and certifying bodies we have no relationship with; we list them because they are what the job actually requires.