Sales Executive
Also known as: Business Development Executive · Sales Associate · Inside Sales Executive
Finds customers and sells a company's products or services to meet sales targets.
What you’d do
Sales executives find customers and sell a company's products or services to meet targets. They work in FMCG, consumer durables, financial services, real estate, software and many other sectors, and the day mixes calls, client visits, demos, follow-ups and reporting on the pipeline.
- Generates and follows up on leads
- Meets or calls prospective customers
- Negotiates and closes deals
- Maintains customer records
How you get in
Most freshers enter through campus drives or walk-in hiring by sales-heavy sectors, which value communication over a specific degree. A two-wheeler and willingness to travel are often expected for field roles.
Salary in India
Fresher salary over the years
middle of the 0–1 yr range, ₹ lakh a year
Fewer than two years of fresher data so far — the trend shows once there are two.
Skills you’ll use
From our guide · a curated list is coming
- Prospecting and cold calling
- Explaining a product and handling objections
- Negotiation and closing
- Tracking leads in a CRM
- Planning a territory or account list
About this field · for freshers
Job openings by year
Is demand growing?
Not added yet.
Competition4
How many graduates enter each year?
BA (all subjects) graduates in 2023-24 at institutions that reported to AISHE — everyone finishing that degree, not only those entering this role.
Who hires
IT firms, banks, government, startups?
Not added yet.
Where the jobs are
Which cities?
Not added yet.
Women in the field4
Is it diverse?
Share of women among BA (all subjects) graduates in 2023-24 — the entry degree, not people already working in this role.
At a glance
- Pay usually includes a variable, target-linked part.
- Common next steps: area sales manager, key account manager, or business development lead.
- Attrition is high in entry-level sales; targets can be demanding.
Stay safe
No legitimate employer ever asks you to pay to get a job.