Do You Need a Degree for Sales?

The subject of whether having a college degree is correlated with success in B2B is a hotly debated topic.  However, there is a distinction between succeeding in sales and securing a job in sales. We do have data that suggests having a degree greatly improves your chances of landing a high-paying sales position. O-Net Online found that 39% of job postings for sales positions require a college education. However, Zippia reveals that 67% of corporate, B2B sales professionals hold a college degree. It appears that there is a distinction between being open to hiring sales professionals without a degree and actually employing them. In the tech sales and healthcare fields, such as medical, dental, and pharmaceutical sales, the percentage of sales professionals with a degree is much higher.

Importance of Education in Sales

While a college education is not always a requirement for sales jobs, it can be highly beneficial in providing a solid understanding of business administration, marketing, and communications. Many hiring managers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree, particularly in fields related to the industry for which they are applying. For example, a degree in health sciences can be advantageous for a career in medical sales. In contrast, a degree in computer science can be beneficial for a career in software sales. Additionally, specialized degrees, such as a Master’s in Business Administration, can provide advanced knowledge and skills, making individuals more competitive in the job market. There are even colleges that offer a degree in sales, and employers seek out candidates from these institutions. Education can equip sales professionals with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to navigate complex sales environments and achieve long-term success.

Sales Job Requirements

Sales jobs typically require strong communication skills, organizational skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. Sales professionals must be able to understand customer needs, answer questions, and provide solutions to potential clients. In medical sales, for instance, sales representatives must have a solid understanding of medical supplies, equipment, and devices, as well as the ability to communicate complex information to healthcare providers. Sales teams often work together to achieve sales goals, making teamwork and collaboration essential skills for success. Whether you’re cold-calling potential customers or closing deals with long-term clients, the ability to adapt and thrive in dynamic situations is key.

Medical Sales Careers

Conversations with sales managers in the medical device sales reveal the logic of requiring a degree. The medical profession highly values education. After all, doctors hold doctorate degrees, and there is more than a bit of elitism at play in this profession. They want to work with sales professionals who are articulate and highly educated.

Medical sales careers offer a unique blend of healthcare and business, providing opportunities for individuals to work with medical professionals, promote medical products, and contribute to improving patient health. Medical sales representatives must have a strong understanding of medical devices, equipment, and supplies, as well as the ability to communicate complex information to healthcare providers.

With the rise of new technologies and innovations in healthcare, medical sales careers are in high demand, offering a lucrative average salary and opportunities for advancement. Medical sales representatives can work in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and pharmaceutical companies, and must be able to build relationships with clients, identify their needs, and provide solutions. This career path not only offers financial rewards but also the satisfaction of making a positive impact on patient care.

Alternative Sales Careers

For those interested in sales but not necessarily in medical sales, there are various alternative sales careers to consider. Tech sales, for example, involves promoting software, hardware, and other technology products to clients, requiring a strong understanding of the latest trends and technologies. B2B insurance sales involve promoting insurance policies to clients, requiring a strong knowledge of the industry and the ability to communicate complex financial information. These alternative sales careers offer a range of opportunities for individuals to work in different industries, build relationships with clients, and promote products or services. Whether you’re helping clients find their dream home, secure the right insurance coverage, or plan the perfect vacation, the possibilities in sales are endless.

Do College Degrees Predict Success in Sales?

I haven’t seen direct data that answers this question. What can be found are opinions, and I’ve heard some great ones on both sides of the topic.  Fortunately, Angela Duckworth of “Grit” fame has some compelling evidence that suggests a degree does matter (her 6-minute TED Talk on Grit can be viewed here).  Allow me to explain Grit and how it correlates back to success in the world of sales.

Angela began her career as a high school math teacher.  While teaching, she consistently saw less gifted students out-learn and out-perform students who were brighter and clearly more talented.  Frustrated with the lack of an explanation, she left teaching and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania to answer this question.  She studied West Point cadets, National Spelling Bee contestants, and yes, top sales performers to answer: “Why do some individuals accomplish more than others of equal intelligence?”  What she found was Grit.  In her words, “we define grit as perseverance and passion for long-term goals.”  This body of work has led her to win the 2013 MacArthur Fellowship (an award comparable to winning the Nobel prize).

If you’re on board that Grit or “perseverance and passion for long-term goals” can help predict who will achieve success in sales, we can use Grit as a measure to examine how education levels correlate with sales success.  From Angela’s work, “more educated adults were higher in Grit than were less educated adults”.  “Participants with an Associate’s degree were significantly higher in Grit than those with less education and, interestingly, also higher in Grit than those with a bachelor’s degree.”  Angela’s explanation for the higher Grit levels shown in Associate’s degree holders makes sense.  The dropout rate at community colleges is much higher than in four-year schools.  In fact, she found that it takes as much Grit to finish an Associate’s degree as it takes to earn a PhD.  Considering the high failure rate in sales, Grit stands out as a solid predictor of success in this field.  Before we leave the topic of education, research shows that “college grades are only modestly correlated with adult success.”

Let’s tie this all together in Angela’s words. “A case could be made that the sum total of our research is to show that past behavior predicts future behavior.”  Additionally, “Grittier individuals made fewer career changes than less Gritty peers of the same age.”  Her studies also showed that talent and/or IQ were negatively correlated with Grit.  This should give hiring managers pause when they are interviewing candidates who seem effortlessly gifted.  Those sales professionals may get by on their talent (vs effort) and get outsold by less talented but Grittier peers.  Please do not interpret this as a blanket statement that sales professionals must have a degree to be successful in sales.  There are far too many successful sales professionals who don’t have a degree.  To be clear, I’m making the case here the Grit matters in sales and correlates with success.  It just so happens that completing your degree takes Grit, and as a population, sales reps with a degree (including Associate’s degrees) have more Grit than sales reps without one. So it’s predictive for sales professionals as a group, but not at an individual level.