Q: Do sales associates get paid well?

No, sales associates do not get paid well. The average hourly pay for a sales associate is $11.19. In fact, over 28% of sales associates in the United States think their salaries are enough for the cost of living in their area.

Q: Is a sales associate a cashier?

No, a sales associate is not a cashier. A sales associate deals more with maintaining products and initializing the sale of an item. Cashiers focus more on finalizing these sales and handling money.

Question 1

How long does it take to become a Sales Associate?

Accepted Answer

It takes 2 years of professional experience to become a sales associate. That is the time it takes to learn specific sales associate skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

Question 2

Do sales associates get paid well?

Accepted Answer

No, sales associates do not get paid well. The average hourly pay for a sales associate is $11.19. In fact, over 28% of sales associates in the United States think their salaries are enough for the cost of living in their area.

Question 3

How to get into sales

Accepted Answer

To get into sales, you need to gain experience in entry-level sales roles, hone your customer service skills, and get an education. For details on each of these steps and others you can take to get into sales, use this guide:

Gain experience in entry-level sales roles. The retail industry has great opportunities to gain experience in sales, and this experience can help prepare you for a career in the field.

Many entry-level sales roles don't require too much education or experience. For many jobs in this field, you only need a high school diploma or equivalent in terms of education.

Also, some sales positions don't even require previous related experience. And in regards to the ones that do, you can try to gain a position underneath the sales role, and work your way up the company's ladder.

There are so many different industries to choose from. Sales jobs in retail clothing, electronics, home goods, and even automobiles, are great entry points to a career in sales where you won't need to meet much in terms of requirements for the positions.

Pick a retail industry you are interested in. Something you won't mind talking about and pitching to customers. It helps to be selling items you are interested in and will improve your work performance.

Hone your customer service skills. Customer service skills are a critical part of sales.

Having success in sales means you have to be able to communicate well with customers and attend to their needs. This means answering questions about products or services your company offers in a polite and engaging manner.

Remember, you can hone your customer service skills in any job that interfaces with customers, so you don't necessarily need to gain this type of experience and skills from sales positions.

Get an education. An education in sales can deepen your understanding of how to best make sales.

Many sales roles don't require a college degree, but gaining one can help you move up the sales ladder faster, depending on what sales industry you are working in.

Many community colleges offer classes on sales, marketing, and sales methods. You can choose to get an associate's degree or just take a few classes that will help improve your sales knowledge and techniques.

You can also educate yourself in this area by reading books and referencing online resources related to sales.

Use your personality traits in sales. There are many inherent personality qualities that can assist you in a career in sales.

Having an outgoing personality and good social skills is highly beneficial for sales roles. You may also have other traits that help performance in sales, such as being approachable and friendly or even just having an upbeat attitude.

A genuine smile also goes a long way in the sales field, it encourages customers to want to interact with you.

If some of these qualities don't come naturally to you, try to develop them. These are very important traits for salespeople to have.

Question 4

Is a sales associate a cashier?

Accepted Answer

No, a sales associate is not a cashier. A sales associate deals more with maintaining products and initializing the sale of an item. Cashiers focus more on finalizing these sales and handling money.

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	14.54%
Sales Floor	13.32%
Cash Handling	9.46%
Retail Sales	9.16%
Loss Prevention	7.16%

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