How to Get a High Paying Sales Job

The range of salaries for sales jobs is wide, so you want to check out an industry before taking steps to land a position. For example, according to Forbes, some of the best paying sales jobs are in financial sales of securities and commodities, while retail sales clerks earn some of the lowest pay in the profession. However, both utilize many of the same skills. It may just take a little more work to land those higher-paying sales jobs, but if you’ve got the talent, you should put it to work for you and sell yourself first.


Develop expertise in an industry, because high paying jobs require a deeper base of knowledge than the lower paying sales positions. Salespeople earning six figures act in a consultative position and educate customers about their options. Low-paying sales people, on the other hand, are more likely to be selling products that need little explanation.


Turn existing experience and knowledge into a sales career. For example, if you’ve been a low-paid school teacher for years, you may do well selling educational software to schools or selling tutoring services to wealthy parents. Nursing is an effective jumping-off point for pharmaceutical or medical supply sales that can prove to be very lucrative career options.


Attend professional networking events for professionals in the industry you want to break into. Hand out business cards with your contact information. Introduce yourself and prepare a 30- to 60-second speech about your interests, talents and job hunting. Ask for advice about landing a lucrative sales position instead of asking for a job.


Send your resume to companies where you want to work. Tailor your resume to the industry and to the specific company to highlight how you will be a good match. Some of the most lucrative sales positions are not advertised, but when recruiters see a well-qualified salesperson interested in their company, they may call you in even if they don’t have an opening. They may even create one for you if you’re the right fit.


Practice before you head in for an interview. You need to have prepared examples of your work history that show how you effectively increased profits at your last job or how you won the salesperson of the year award for three years in a row. Practice being enthusiastic in your talk about yourself, the company and the product or service you’ll be selling. Your actions need to match your words.