The College Degree Debate: Does It Impact Sales Performance?

Over the years, the question of whether a college degree truly matters for sales performance has sparked much debate. As someone who has hired thousands of salespeople, I once faced this very question without concrete data to guide me.

My hunch was that a college degree might not be as relevant as one would think for success in sales, but without data, it remained an enigma.

So, does having a college degree make a difference when it comes to hiring salespeople? Does formal education play a role in their ability to excel in their roles?

I eventually joined a company with both the analytical capabilities and a substantial number of hires to definitively answer this question. After evaluating thousands of hires over many years, here's the bottom line: There is no correlation between hitting or exceeding sales quotas and holding a college degree.

What's even more satisfying is that we could put this age-old debate to rest with solid data, moving beyond mere opinions.

So, if you're wondering whether to hire a salesperson based on their educational background, the data suggests that a college degree might not be the deciding factor. What truly matters are the skills, mindset, and determination of the individual.

If you liked this blog post, you might like some of my other free sales leadership guides to download here.