What Does a Product Promoter Do?

A product promoter has an important role in a sales team, promoting products and their features and benefits to potential customers. They’re very knowledgeable about the products of the company they work for, enthusiastic about capabilities, and able to demonstrate functionality and answer any questions.

Product promoters represent the company they work for, so staying on brand is very important. While promoting products, their goal is for customers or clients to buy them; they must use brand voice and protocols to ensure that they’re promoting the products in line with the company image.

Types of product promoter jobs

Product promoter jobs are available in a variety of industries. As a promoter, you can be responsible for selling directly to customers within retail, such as demonstrating products in a store, on television, or via phone as a telemarketer. You can also work in a business-to-business (B2B) capacity, helping to sell products to a bigger distributor, or demonstrating products at trade fairs. 

Most product promoter jobs are entry-level, but there are some exceptions. Promoter jobs can come with more responsibility, including planning campaigns and managing budgets. These roles tend to be at a higher level and require more experience and education, as they command a higher salary.

Product promoters may work in medical sales, electronics, manufacturing, sport, real estate, luxury goods, food and beverages, cosmetics, and software, to name a few.

Duties and responsibilities of a product promoter 

The duties of a product promoter vary according to job level and whether the promoter is working in a B2B capacity or demonstrating products to a customer base. For an entry-level product promoter, the following are general responsibilities:

• Demonstrating how a product works, its functions, and capabilities

• Working with supervisors to understand goals and sales targets 

• Setting up stalls, displays, and demonstrations

• Using interactive methods such as video, audio, and slideshows

• Learning about a product and its best features to promote it effectively

• Answering questions and giving samples

• Building a rapport with customers and holding an audience 

• Making transactions and keeping a record of sales

• Preparing sales reports and keeping up with sales targets

• Working in line with the company brand and voice 

Read more: What Is a Marketing Plan? And How to Create One

Product promoter skills

To work as a product promoter, you must possess some skills and qualities to perform well. These are primarily transferable skills you can bring from other jobs, education, and other aspects. Being a product promoter is essentially part of a sales team with some crossovers.

Workplace skills

• Excellent communication and presentation skills

• Interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport

• Customer focused approach

• Professional but friendly approach

• Positive and enthusiastic

• Highly organized and efficient

• Target driven 

Read more: 10 Customer Service Skills for Success in Any Job

Technical skills  

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

• Competent in using video and graphics for demonstrations

• Knowledge of the product you’re promoting

• Understanding payment devices

Qualifications and requirements to be a product promoter 

Since product promoter jobs are generally entry-level positions, the educational requirements are not advanced, and training and experience take precedent. You may need higher education and experience to progress to more senior positions.

Educational requirements 

A high school diploma is typically a minimum requirement for an entry-level product promoter job. A bachelor's degree might be necessary for product promoter jobs with more responsibility. Consider majors in business, administration, and marketing that teach company structures and business strategies. With a bachelor’s degree in one of these specialties, you can work towards the position of promotions manager, which comes with more responsibility. 

Training and certifications 

On-the-job training is usually standard. If you apply for a product promoter job and don't have a degree, it’s worth considering additional training to increase your chances of getting the job. You can take classes in business subjects or additional training on the technical side, such as using video and visual presentations. If the products you want to promote are specific, such as kitchen products, having a certification or taking a cooking class can help enhance your resume for the role.  

Experience

Experience in marketing or sales is usually essential for a role as a product promoter. Working in retail will help, or an internship is often a great boost to your resume if you want to get ahead and have the opportunity. For an entry-level role, you'll receive training, but you can still benefit from some experience to verify your skills. Consider temporary roles that typically require less experience and are good for building experience on your resume. For more senior promoter roles, experience is a more important factor in demonstrating your value for more senior promoter roles. 

Read more: How to Get a Job with No Experience: A Job Seeker’s Guide

Salary and job outlook 

The average product promoter salary is $36,170 [1]. The job outlook is good, with a growth rate of 10 percent between 2020 and 2030 [2]. 

Product promoters can work in various industries and choose between working directly with customers or demonstrating products to other commercial buyers. This gives you plenty of choices. 

The biggest employer of promoters is the beverage manufacturing industry, followed by advertising and public relations. The top-paying industry is machinery manufacturing, although fewer positions are typically available than in other industries such as electronic shopping [3]. 

Possible career pathways 

*All annual salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of July 2022

A product promoter can lead to many opportunities in sales and marketing since it has a vast scope. It’s also an excellent entry point for all sorts of careers. 

Most directly related to a product promotor would be a promotions manager. Promotions managers typically need experience in promotions and a bachelor’s degree. Some positions ask for leadership certifications or management training, as the role involves leading a team, interviewing, and implementing sales strategies. Promotions managers earn more than product promoters, with an average salary of $57,230 

Other roles that you can pursue with experience as a product promoter include:

• Marketing manager: $69,213

• Advertising manager: $63,442

• Market research analyst: $61,465

• Public relations manager: $58,574

• Sales manager:$68,070

Next steps

If you’ve gone through the product promoter job description and you think it’s for you, a great starting point is to take a beginner-level sales course. Consider taking The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization offered by Northwestern on Coursera or this one by Sales Training: Building Your Sales Career by HubSpot Academy, which has an overview of what it takes to build a career in sales. 

Related articles

• What Is a Sales Representative?

• Marketing vs. Sales: What's the Difference?

• 8 Common Marketing Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

• What Is a Social Media Marketer? And How to Become One

Article sources

1. Glassdoor. “Product Promoter Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/us-product-promoter-salary-SRCH_IL.0,2_IN1_KO3,19.htm.” Accessed June 25, 2022. 

2. Bureau of Labor Statistics.“ Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Managers Occupational Profile, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm#tab-6.” Accessed June 25, 2022. 

3. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Demonstrators and Product Promoters, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes419011.htm#top.” Accessed June 25, 2022.