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What is a sales/marketing and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Bill Thorne,
Felicia Hodges
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"The good salesman combines the tenacity of a bulldog with the manners of a spaniel. If you have any charm, ooze it." These were the immortal words of David Ogilvy, a top salesperson as well as the founder of Ogilvy & Mather, a famous marketing agency. Where marketing is responsible for the market positioning of a product or service, sales were responsible for convincing a customer to buy them.

During Ogilvy's tenure as a door to door salesperson, he/she excelled in the sales craft to the point where his/her boss asked him to write a sales manual for other associates. It was the "Theory and Practice of Selling the AGA Cooker," which he/she wrote, that became a manual worshipped among salespeople. In it, he/she explains the dos and don'ts, the objection handling, and the etiquette in selling an AGA Cooker, which details the universal principles of sales.

In marketing, Ogilvy was famous for his/her ads, written to provide good information to customers.

To land a job in the field of sales and marketing, you need to have at least a business-related degree or practical experience in business development and running marketing campaigns. This role will always be in demand and it proves to be an important driver in business revenue. The salary of a salesperson or marketing executive is averaging between $15 - $24 per hour.

What general advice would you give to a sales/marketing?

Bill ThorneBill Thorne LinkedIn profile

Executive Director of the NRF Foundation and Senior Vice President of Communication and Public Affairs of NRF, National Retail Federation

Retail is the largest private-sector employer in the country, directly employing 32 million people and supporting 52 million jobs overall - roughly one-quarter of the U.S. workforce. While COVID-19 has presented new and unexpected challenges, retailers have continued to showcase the industry's resilience and adaptability time and again. The safety and security of customers and employees remains our greatest priority. It is no doubt that the professional environment has changed this year, but retail continues to offer a plethora of career opportunities for graduates and seasoned veterans alike.
ScoreSales/MarketingUS Average
Salary
3.2

Avg. Salary $41,130

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 45.21%

male 54.79%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Sales/marketing career paths

Key steps to become a sales/marketing

  1. Explore sales/marketing education requirements

    Most common sales/marketing degrees

    Bachelor's

    62.0 %

    Associate

    16.3 %

    High School Diploma

    9.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific sales/marketing skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Relations20.58%
    Customer Service14.90%
    Digital Marketing14.39%
    Product Knowledge12.80%
    Business Development3.92%
  3. Complete relevant sales/marketing training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New sales/marketing learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a sales/marketing based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real sales/marketing resumes.
  4. Research sales/marketing duties and responsibilities

    • Lead small business strategic marketing team to deliver products, services and solutions, ensuring corporate ROI targets achieve.
    • Develop qualified leads and new account opportunities for SAAS cloud management.
    • Develop and maintain social media marketing channels, manage SEM campaign, and conduct online marketing research.
    • Manage shelf standards and conditions, tagging, rotating, and placing POS materials for products on shelf.
  5. Prepare your sales/marketing resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your sales/marketing resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a sales/marketing resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable sales/marketing resume templates

    Build a professional sales/marketing resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your sales/marketing resume.
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    Sales/Marketing Resume
    Sales/Marketing Resume
  6. Apply for sales/marketing jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a sales/marketing job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first sales/marketing job

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Average sales/marketing salary

The average sales/marketing salary in the United States is $41,130 per year or $20 per hour. Sales/marketing salaries range between $23,000 and $70,000 per year.

Average sales/marketing salary
$41,130 Yearly
$19.77 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do sales/marketing rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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Sales/marketing reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Pros

I love to engage the public and meet new faces. I enjoy explaining all of the benefits of the product I am selling, and making the customer feel important and well informed.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2020
Pros

Motivating people and helping to create success in each person's day. Honor God serve people in rich people's lives, pursue excellence in service.

Cons

Not enough time in each day to get everything accomplished.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

Marketing products from a traceable companies to consumers and providing a good service to the clients .


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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