Most people hear “sales” and picture someone in a cheap suit pressuring you into buying a car you don’t need. Or they think of Jordan Belfort screaming into a phone. The reality of modern B2B sales is nothing like that.
Business-to-Business sales means selling software, services, or tools to other companies, not to random consumers. It’s a career built around research, communication, and problem-solving.
Companies pay well for it, often offer remote work, and actively hire people with no prior sales experience.
If you’re figuring out how to get into sales with no experience, you’re in the right place. This guide focuses on how to start a career in sales via the SDR (Sales Development Representative) path.
Learning how to start a career in sales this way is the most realistic entry point into B2B sales today.
Why Sales Is the Ultimate High-Income Skill
Sales is one of the few career paths where your income isn’t capped by your degree or your years on the job. You get paid based on performance.
Building specific sales skills makes this one of the more accessible high-income skills you can build from scratch. Success in this field also requires adaptability as you learn to navigate different industries and buyer behaviors.
Inside sales, meaning sales done remotely by phone, email, and video rather than in person, has grown significantly. Most SDR and entry-level B2B sales roles today are fully remote or hybrid.
According to research.com’s career data, approximately 2.5 million sales representatives are currently employed across the US, and demand remains strong.
The earning potential is real at every level. Entry-level SDRs typically earn a base salary plus commission. As you move up to Account Executive or Sales Manager roles, total compensation packages can climb well into six figures.
The Difference Between B2B and B2C Sales
B2C (Business-to-Consumer) sales is what most people are familiar with: retail, insurance, car dealerships. The deals are usually smaller, the sales cycle is short, and there’s often pressure to close fast.
B2B sales works differently. You’re selling to a business, not an individual. The deals are larger, the process takes longer, and the job is more about qualifying leads and building relationships than hard-closing strangers.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Factor | B2C Sales | B2B Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Who you sell to | Individual consumers | Businesses and decision-makers |
| Deal size | Smaller | Larger |
| Sales cycle | Short (hours to days) | Longer (weeks to months) |
| Typical role titles | Retail associate, agent | SDR, AE, BDR |
| Income potential | Moderate | Higher, often with strong base |
B2B is where most remote, tech-forward sales careers live. It’s also where the SDR role exists as an entry point.
What Does an SDR Actually Do All Day?
An SDR’s core job is to fill the pipeline. You’re not closing deals. You’re finding potential customers and qualifying whether they’re a good fit before passing them to an Account Executive.
The work involves prospecting, lead generation, cold calling, and setting appointments. You will also spend a lot of time learning various sales tools used to track and automate your outreach.
Cold Calling vs. Warm Inbound Leads
Outbound SDRs do cold outreach. That means calling or emailing people who haven’t asked to hear from you. You’ll research a prospect, find their contact info, and reach out with a relevant message. Most people won’t respond. That’s normal.
Inbound SDRs work with warm leads, meaning people who filled out a form, downloaded something, or requested a demo. These conversations are easier to start, but you still need to qualify them before passing them along.
Most SDR roles involve both. You’ll work outbound lists in the morning and respond to inbound leads when they come in. The goal is always the same: get a qualified prospect onto a call with an AE.
According to Crunchbase’s breakdown of an SDR’s daily workflow, a typical day includes prospecting blocks, email follow-ups, LinkedIn outreach, CRM updates, and internal team check-ins.
The Reality of Quotas and Rejection
Every SDR has a quota. It’s usually measured in meetings booked or qualified opportunities created per month. Missing quota consistently puts your job at risk. Hitting it consistently gets you promoted.
The rejection rate in sales is high. Most cold calls end in a “no” or no answer at all. Handling rejection is a core part of the daily grind. SDR roles are designed around this reality, which is why resilience and consistency matter more than talent or charm.
If you can show up every day, follow a process, and not take rejection personally, you can succeed as an SDR. That’s not a pep talk. That’s the actual job requirement.
How to Get Into Sales With No Experience
You don’t need a sales background to get hired as an SDR. Companies know they’re hiring beginners. What they’re actually screening for is coachability, communication skills, and the work ethic to handle a high-volume role.
The path is straightforward if you know what steps to take.
Step 1: Learn the Basic Lingo (CRM, SDR, AE)
Before you apply anywhere, get comfortable with the terminology. Hiring managers will use these terms in interviews and expect you to understand them.
- SDR (Sales Development Representative): Entry-level role focused on prospecting and booking meetings.
- BDR (Business Development Representative): Similar to SDR; some companies use this title for outbound-focused roles.
- AE (Account Executive): The closer. SDRs hand qualified leads to AEs to run the actual sales process.
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Software used to track leads, calls, and deals. Salesforce and HubSpot are the most common.
- Sales funnel: The stages a prospect moves through, from first contact to closed deal.
- The Challenger Sale: A widely referenced book on B2B selling methodology. Knowing it exists makes you look informed.
- Objection handling: The process of responding to a prospect’s concerns in a way that moves the deal forward. Many beginners study resources like The Sales Evangelist to master this skill.
You don’t need to be an expert. You need to sound like someone who has done their homework.
Many companies also run sales training programs for new SDRs after hiring, so prior knowledge of tools and tactics is a bonus, not a requirement.
Step 2: Build a Resume Focused on “Soft Skills”
You probably have more relevant experience than you think. Any job where you communicated clearly, handled rejection, or worked toward a goal is worth including.
Good examples to highlight:
- Retail sales associate work (you talked to strangers and handled objections daily)
- Customer service roles (active listening, de-escalation, problem-solving)
- Public speaking or debate experience (clarity, confidence, and quick thinking)
- Team sports, tutoring, or volunteer leadership (discipline, communication, resilience)
- Any role where you hit a measurable target or metric
Frame everything around results. Use strong action verbs to describe your accomplishments. Instead of “helped customers,” write “assisted 30+ customers daily and maintained a 95% satisfaction rating.”
Numbers stand out to hiring managers. If you want to boost your resume further, consider earning a certification through LinkedIn Learning to show you are proactive about professional development.
As noted in advice from Monster on landing a sales job without experience, transferable skills and enthusiasm often outweigh a lack of direct sales history when hiring managers evaluate entry-level candidates.
Step 3: Treat the Interview Like a Sales Pitch
Your interview is literally an audition for a sales role. Proper interview prep is essential to showing you can communicate clearly and stay composed under pressure.
Hiring managers want to see if you can handle pushback effectively. This is often where you prove you have the right mindset for how to get a sales job.
A few things that work:
- Research the company before the interview. Know what they sell, who they sell to, and what their SDR team looks like on LinkedIn.
- Come with questions. Ask about quota expectations, training timelines, and what top SDRs do differently. This signals you’re serious.
- Handle objections out loud. If the interviewer says “you have no experience,” treat it like a sales objection. Acknowledge it, then pivot to your transferable skills and your willingness to learn.
- Do a mock cold call. Some interviewers will ask you to do one on the spot. Practice a 30-second opener before you walk in.
Doing informational interviews with current SDRs on LinkedIn before you apply is also a smart move. You’ll learn what the role actually looks like and pick up language that helps you sound credible.
Networking is a powerful tool for getting your foot in the door at top companies. It allows you to gain insights that you can use during your interview prep to stand out from other candidates.
The Pros and Cons of a Career in Sales
A sales career path has genuine advantages, but it’s not for everyone. Before you commit, it helps to see both sides clearly.
Pros:
- High earning potential. Base salary plus commission means strong performers earn well above average. SDRs who promote to AE roles often double their income.
- Fast career advancement. A strong SDR can move into an AE or sales manager role within 12 to 24 months. Few other careers offer that kind of speed.
- Remote work access. Inside sales is among the most remote-friendly fields available. Most B2B SDR roles are fully remote.
- Transferable skills. Communication, negotiation skills, and resilience built in sales carry over to almost any career, as Built In’s look at sales career paths notes.
- No degree required. Most companies hire based on skill and attitude, not credentials.
Cons:
- Rejection is constant. Cold outreach has a low success rate by design. If rejection wears you down quickly, this will be a hard job.
- Quota pressure is real. Your performance is measured every month. Missing quota repeatedly has consequences.
- Inconsistent income. Commission-based pay means a bad month genuinely hurts. Early in your career, the base salary may not be high.
- High turnover. Sales careers can have burnout if you’re in the wrong environment or aren’t supported with proper coaching.
The good news is that most of the downsides are manageable if you pick the right company, get decent onboarding, and go in with realistic expectations.
Next Steps: Where to Find Entry-Level Remote Jobs
Once your resume is ready, the job search process is straightforward. The key is to focus on the right platforms and search terms so you’re finding actual SDR and entry-level B2B sales roles.
Where to search:
- LinkedIn Jobs: Search “SDR no experience,” “entry-level sales,” or “BDR remote.” LinkedIn currently lists dozens of entry-level sales roles with no experience required.
- Built In: Great for tech-focused sales roles at startups and growth-stage companies. Built In’s remote entry-level sales board filters specifically for these positions.
- SimplyHired: Broad reach for remote no-experience sales roles. SimplyHired lists hundreds of options in this category.
- Coursera: If you want to add a credential before applying, Coursera covers how to approach remote sales job searches and which certifications carry weight.
What to target:
Look for job titles like SDR, BDR, Inside Sales Representative, or Sales Associate at SaaS (software) companies. These companies hire entry-level candidates regularly and often have structured training programs.
As you progress, you may want to focus on a specific sales niche, such as FinTech, healthcare, or cybersecurity. Specializing can often lead to higher commissions and more stable career growth.
Avoid roles that are commission-only with no base salary. Early in your career, you need the stability of a guaranteed base while you’re building your skills.
Apply broadly. Treat the job search the same way you’ll treat cold outreach once you’re hired: volume matters, rejection is part of the process, and follow-up makes a difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common entry point is the SDR (Sales Development Representative) or BDR (Business Development Representative) role.
Some companies also hire for titles like Inside Sales Representative or Sales Associate at the entry level. These roles are specifically designed for people new to sales and include training.
Focus on transferable skills from any previous work: communication, hitting targets, customer interaction, and problem-solving. Quantify your results wherever possible, even from non-sales jobs.
As Indeed’s guide to getting a sales job without experience notes, emphasizing soft skills and customizing your resume for each role makes a real difference.
Write a headline that includes the role you’re targeting, such as “Aspiring SDR | B2B Sales | Open to Entry-Level Roles.” Add a summary that explains why you’re interested in sales and what skills you bring.
Connect with SDRs and sales managers at companies you want to work for, and engage with content in the sales space to build visibility.
Coachability is the top trait most sales hiring managers screen for. Beyond that, they look for strong communication, active listening, resilience under rejection, and basic organizational skills for managing outreach volume.
Prior sales experience is rarely required for entry-level roles, as TopResume’s breakdown of how to get into sales confirms.
Role-play cold call scenarios with a friend or record yourself doing a 30-second pitch out loud. Watch YouTube videos of real SDR calls to see how objections are handled.
You can also reach out to SDRs on LinkedIn for brief informational interviews and ask them to walk you through how they handle common objections.
Expect questions like “Why do you want to be in sales?”, “Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone,” and “How do you handle rejection?” Some interviewers will ask you to do a mock cold call on the spot.
Prepare a short, confident answer to “you have no experience” by framing your transferable skills and your coachability as your strengths, and back it up with specific examples from past work or life experience.