What qualifications do you need to be a sales executive?

Roughly 95% of all sales executives have a college degree. Nearly 80% of those hold a bachelor's degree. These are the most common majors for sales executives:

• Business: 31%

• Marketing: 13%

• Communications: 11%

• Psychology: 5%

You will need some sales expertise to be a sales executive. This can be gained through a degree track in an applicable field. If your degree is in something like psychology, you may need to complete a sales internship or gain professional sales experience.

A degree alone is not enough to be a sales executive. You also need impeccable interpersonal skills. Sales executives are client-facing salespeople. They are responsible for building relationships with clients and prospective clients and ensuring those relationships generates sales for their company.

As a sales executive, you need strong written and verbal communication skills, professionalism, and persuasive power. Clients have to like you, trust you and want to do business with you. You are essentially the face of the company when it comes to closing sales.