Is a remote sales certification worth it?
A remote sales certification is worth it when it comes with live practice, honest feedback on your calls and real help getting hired. It usually isn’t worth it when it’s a set of videos and a PDF. Most businesses hiring remote closers and appointment setters in Australia and the US hire on what you can show them (call recordings, role plays, how you handle the interview), not on the certificate itself. So judge any program by the skill and support it gives you, then treat the certificate as a bonus.
What do remote sales employers actually look at?
Remote closing and setting is a skills-first job. When a business owner or sales manager is deciding whether to put you on their calendar, the questions in their head are simple: can she hold a conversation, can she ask good questions, can she handle “I need to think about it” without crumbling, and will she turn up?
That’s why hiring for these roles often looks like this:
- A short application or voice note so they can hear how you sound.
- A role play where someone plays a lead and you run part of a call.
- A recording request, if you’ve done real or practice calls before.
- A trial period, where your actual results on live calls do the talking.
A certificate can help you get that first conversation, especially if you have no sales history on your résumé (CV in Australia). But no certificate will carry you through a role play you haven’t practised for. If you want the full picture of the job first, read how to become a remote sales closer.
Certificate of completion vs a formal qualification
This is the part a lot of course sales pages blur, so let’s be really clear about it.
In Australia
Australia has a formal Vocational Education and Training (VET) system. According to the regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, registered training organisations (RTOs) are the only organisations in the VET system authorised to deliver and assess that training and issue its qualifications and statements of attainment, and only providers registered as an RTO and listed on the national register can advertise, offer and deliver VET. You can look up any provider and course on training.gov.au, the national register. If a course claims to be part of the VET system and you can’t find the provider and the qualification code there, ask why.
Everything else, from a weekend workshop to a big-name online academy, issues its own certificate of completion. That isn’t a bad thing. It just means the certificate shows you finished that provider’s program, and its value comes from the provider’s reputation and what you can actually do afterwards.
In the US
There’s no general licence or government certificate you need before you can work in remote sales in the US. Licensing applies to particular regulated products. For example, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners explains that people who sell, solicit or negotiate insurance must be licensed, and state insurance regulators issue those licences. Real estate is similar: each jurisdiction runs its own real estate licence laws, which is what the regulators’ association ARELLO supports. If a role involves selling insurance, real estate or another regulated product, check your state’s rules before you sign anything. For coaching, courses, services and software, which is where most remote closing and setting roles sit, a private sales certificate is optional.
Where the She Sells Cert III fits
Straight talk, because you deserve it. The She Sells “Cert III in Remote Sales” is She Sells’ own certificate of completion. It is not a qualification issued under the Australian VET system. The name follows the familiar “Cert” levels, but it’s a She Sells program certificate, the same way the Cert II in She Launches is. What it is meant to give you is the skill, the practice and (in She Soars) the placement support, and that’s how you should judge it.
| Australia | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Formal system for sales training | VET qualifications, only from RTOs listed on training.gov.au | No federal licence for sales roles in general |
| Licences for specific products | Depends on the product and industry; check before you sell anything regulated | State licences for products like insurance and real estate |
| Private certificates (including She Sells) | Certificates of completion from that provider | Certificates of completion from that provider |
| What remote sales hirers weigh most | Role plays, recordings, interview performance | Role plays, recordings, interview performance |
When a remote sales certification is worth it
Think of it this way: you’re not buying a piece of paper, you’re buying reps, feedback and a bridge to a job. A program earns its keep when it has:
- Live coaching with people who have actually done the job, not just pre-recorded lessons.
- Lots of role play, so your first awkward calls happen in practice and not with a real lead.
- Feedback on real or recorded calls, line by line, so you know exactly what to fix.
- Placement support with clear terms: who does what, how long it takes, and what happens if you’re not placed.
- A community of people at the same stage, because remote work can get lonely fast.
- Ongoing support after you land a role, when the real learning starts.
I started as a primary school teacher in a small town, and my first taste of sales was network marketing in 2014. When I moved into remote sales in 2020, my first month brought in $440. That’s my result, not a typical one, and it’s the honest picture: skill builds through practice, and results take time.
Not sure which kind of training you need? Book a free call with the She Sells team and ask us anything, including the hard questions.
When it isn’t worth it
Save your money if the program is:
- Videos and a PDF only. You can learn theory for free from podcasts and books. What you’re paying for is practice and feedback.
- Selling the certificate as the job ticket. If the pitch is “get certified and the jobs will come”, be sceptical. The certificate opens a door at best.
- Promising income. Any program that promises a set amount of money is a red flag. Many remote sales roles are commission-heavy or commission-only, and early earnings are usually modest.
- Charging you to get hired. The US Federal Trade Commission is blunt about this: honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job, and it warns about scammers selling “so-called training, or certifications that are useless”. Paying for your own training is a separate decision from getting a job; a real employer pays you.
- Vague about refunds. If nobody can tell you the refund or money-back terms in writing, walk away.
Your evaluation checklist
Use this table on any discovery or sales call with a training provider, including ours. Write the answers down.
| What to check | Question to ask | Good sign | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live coaching | How many live sessions a week, and who runs them? | Named coaches who have closed or set themselves | “Lifetime access” to recordings and nothing live |
| Role play | How often will I practise calls with another person? | Regular, structured role play with feedback | Role play is optional or never mentioned |
| Feedback on calls | Will someone review my recorded calls? | Specific notes on what to change | Only a quiz at the end of each module |
| Placement support | What exactly happens after I finish, and what are the written terms? | Clear steps, timeframes and conditions you can read before paying | “We’ll connect you with opportunities” and nothing more specific |
| Refund terms | When and how can I get my money back? | Written terms with clear conditions | Verbal promises only |
| Community | Can I talk to people currently in the program? | An active group and live calls | A silent forum |
| Ongoing support | What help do I get once I’m working? | Continued coaching or call reviews | Support stops the day you finish |
| Income claims | What do new graduates typically experience? | Honest talk about commission and ramp-up time | Screenshots of big pay days or promised figures |
| Hiring fees | Will any employer charge me to start? | No, employers pay you | You pay a fee to access leads or a role |
How She Sells approaches it
She Sells runs two programs, and the difference matters for this question.
She Launches is the foundation: live coaching, role play and the She Sells frameworks. It does not include direct placement. It’s for women new to sales who want the skill and confidence first.
She Soars is the career program. It takes you through the She Sells Cert III in Remote Sales and adds placement facilitation: once you’re certified, our recruitment team works with you to land a role within 90 days, or your money back. Placement applies once you’re certified, so read the exact terms in our terms and conditions and ask about anything that isn’t clear on your call. That’s the same advice I’d give you about any provider.
Alongside the programs, She Sells has a free community, live events, a podcast called “She’s Not Selling”, and a recruitment service that places trained closers and setters with businesses. You can compare both programs on our programs page, and if you want an outside-in look, we wrote is She Sells legit? and a round-up of the best remote sales training for women.
Should you get certified or just start?
If you already have sales experience and can pass a role play today, you may not need a program at all. Apply, show your recordings and learn on the job.
If you’re coming from teaching, nursing, retail or home with the kids, and the idea of a live sales call makes your stomach flip, structured training with practice and feedback can save you months of trial and error. Choose the program for the coaching and the help getting hired, and let the certificate be the receipt for work you’ve actually done. Not sure whether closing or setting suits you? Start with remote closer vs appointment setter.
Want to see if remote sales could work for you? Book a free call with the She Sells team. Bring your checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certification to get a remote sales job?
Usually not. Most remote closing and appointment setting roles are filled on demonstrated skill, such as role plays, call recordings and interview performance. A certificate can help you get noticed when you have no sales history, but the skill behind it is what gets you hired and keeps you there.
Is the She Sells Cert III in Remote Sales a government qualification?
No. It is She Sells’ own certificate of completion, not a qualification issued under the Australian VET system. Its value is the training, practice and placement support that come with it in She Soars.
How can I check whether a sales course is part of the Australian VET system?
Search the provider and the qualification on training.gov.au, the national register. Only registered training organisations can deliver VET and issue its qualifications, so if a provider claims to be part of that system and isn’t listed, ask questions before you pay.
Do you need a licence to do remote sales in the US?
Not for sales roles in general. Licences apply to certain regulated products, such as insurance and real estate, and they are issued by each state. If a role involves those products, check your state’s requirements first.
What are the red flags in a sales certification program?
Watch for promised income, pressure to pay before you’ve seen written refund and placement terms, no live practice or feedback, and anyone charging you a fee to get a job. Honest training sells skill and support, not a pay figure.
Results vary. Nothing here is a promise of income. See our earnings disclaimer.
