Being new to the competitive world of sales is not easy, and junior sales reps have a lot to learn in order to reach their full potential. Although senior sales reps and managers wish that they could transfer all of their knowledge and experience onto junior sales reps, it is difficult to get all of the information across. For this reason, we have compiled a list of tips for junior sales reps that will help them be successful in the early stages of their sales careers.

1. Honesty Is the Best Policy

Credibility and trust are huge issues for sales reps. Most people believe that the typical persona of sales people is characterized by untrustworthiness, sneakiness, and hidden motivations. Sales people might try to convince their customers to buy their company’s products through omitting certain facts and giving them misleading information. However, senior sales reps see this as a rookie mistake. The way to get customers and to keep them is to be honest. A customer will appreciate your transparency and will likely return to you in the future if you establish a strong foundation of credibility with them.

2. Be Upfront

Being honest with your customer includes not only being upfront about the products that your company is selling, but also about your knowledge of the products. Rather than pretending that you know more information than you actually do or making up the answer and being dishonest, be realistic about your expertise. Try to direct the conversation to what you do know about your company and be as specific and direct as possible. Try to answer your customers’ questions as best as you can, but refer them to more experienced employees or technical specialists if they have any specific questions about the product that you are not sure how to answer.

3. Research as Much as Possible

To avoid the situation in which you have to refer your customer to another more knowledgeable employee, you have to become that employee. As a junior sales rep, you know that you have a lot of catching up to do before you can be as experienced as a senior sales rep. One way to quicken the pace of your experience is through research. The problem with having to rely on another employee for information that you do not know is that you are not fully seizing the opportunity to close the deal. This means that you are potentially wasting your customer’s and your own time. You also have to be confident in your pitch, which is much easier to do when you are equipped with knowledge about your company.

4. Be Confident But Not Pushy

Confidence involves not only having your research done, but also the ability to know when to seize the opportunity and close the sale. But there is a fine line between being confident and being pushy. Make sure that you build trust with your client first and that you give them enough information to get them familiar with the product before you aggressively demand decisions from them.

5. Embrace the Learning Experience

You may be new to the job, but embrace the growth that you are about to experience. As a junior sales rep, you still have a lot to learn, but think of it as an opportunity for expanding your career and broadening your horizons. As long as you keep working hard, gracefully handling rejection, and striving for success, you are on the right track towards being your best you.