How to Get Into Sales With No Experience
From a restaurant manager who got recruited into sales by the distributor taking his bar order, and later spent years as a salesperson and sales leader.
The fastest way to get into sales with no experience is to show the traits sales managers cannot train, like drive, integrity and the ability to connect with people, in the job you already have, and to tell the people around you that you want a sales role. Many sales careers start with a customer, vendor or manager who watched how someone worked and recruited them.
I did not apply my way into sales. I was managing restaurants, and a manager from a wine, liquor and beer distributor took our weekly bar order. Over time he saw how I worked with my team and with him, and he recruited me to become a sales rep. Later a beverage company recruited me to lead its sales and marketing. After that I spent years in healthcare staffing as a salesperson and then as a sales leader, hiring sales reps of my own.
I share that because I hear the same worry from a lot of people: “I would like to try sales, but I have no experience.” Most of the time they have more experience than they think. They just have not called it sales yet.
An entry-level employee on one of my teams also worked a second job on weekends. When I learned why they worked so hard, I encouraged them to apply for a sales role. They pushed back. They did not feel ready.
After several conversations, and my commitment to mentor them, they took the job. Over the next few years they became one of the top performers on the team.
What they saw were reasons it might not work. What I saw was the work ethic, character and determination to thrive.
Six steps into your first sales job
Name the sales experience you already have
If you have worked behind a bar, waited tables, managed a shift, worked retail or handled customer service, you have already practiced reading people, recommending things, handling objections and staying positive after a rough interaction. Write those moments down in plain words. That list becomes your resume and your interview answers.
Be excellent where you are
My sales career started because someone watched me do a different job well. Before I ever had a chance at corporate work, I decided to become the best I could with the job I had. That is still the most reliable way to get noticed by the people who can open the next door.
Tell people you want to get into sales
Vendors, sales reps who call on your business, regular customers and your own managers all know people who hire salespeople. Most of them will never think of you for it unless you say it out loud. One simple sentence, “I would love to get into sales someday,” can start the conversation.
Target companies that train
Plenty of companies hire for traits and train the rest, especially for entry-level sales, inside sales, account coordinator and recruiting roles. Distributors, staffing firms and companies with structured training programs are good places to look. In the interview, ask directly what training looks like.
Prepare for the questions sales managers ask
When I hire, I care about humility, drive, emotional intelligence and integrity. Expect a question like “What is the hardest thing you have done in your life?” I wrote a full guide on how to answer it.
Commit to the first ninety days
Your first months in sales will include a lot of no. That is normal. Ask your manager for honest feedback every week, learn from the top reps, and judge yourself by your effort and growth before you judge yourself by your numbers.
You may have more sales experience
than you think.
You just have not called it that.
What if you do not have a degree?
Many sales roles care far more about results and traits than about a degree. I stepped away from college to raise my son, and it never stopped me from building a sales career. If that is your worry, read You Do Not Need the Credential.
If you are coming from restaurants specifically, I also wrote Jobs for Former Restaurant Managers, because that is the road I took.
Common questions
Can you get a sales job with no experience?
Yes. Many companies hire entry-level reps for traits like drive, integrity and people skills and then train them. Customer-facing work like serving, bartending, retail and customer service is real preparation.
What is the best entry-level sales job?
Look for roles with structured training, such as inside sales, account coordinator or recruiting roles, and for companies known for developing new reps. Ask about training in the interview.
Do you need a degree for a sales job?
Many sales roles do not require one. Results, work ethic and the ability to build trust usually matter more.
How do I explain no sales experience in an interview?
Translate what you have done into sales language. Talk about recommending products, handling unhappy customers, building regulars and hitting goals, using real examples.
Write down the sales experience you already have, do your current job so well people notice, and tell people you want in. Somebody who hires salespeople is probably closer than you think.
You Are Capable
of More.
Ten principles for becoming the person you know you are capable of being, built from real stories of people who doubted themselves and did it anyway. Winner of the How-To category at the 2026 Paris Book Festival.
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