What is a remote closer? The job explained
A remote closer is a salesperson who runs sales calls from home, usually over Zoom or the phone, with people who have already shown interest in a business’s offer. Your job is to understand what that person wants, work out honestly whether the offer fits, and help them make a decision on the call. Most closers work with businesses selling higher-priced (high-ticket) programs or services, and many roles are paid mostly or entirely in commission.
What does a remote closer actually do all day?
In most remote closing roles, you aren’t finding the leads. The business runs ads, content or outreach, and an appointment setter (or a booking page) gets interested people onto your calendar. You show up and run the conversation.
A typical day might look like this:
- Prep (15–30 minutes): read the notes or form answers for each booked call so you know who you’re talking to and why they booked.
- Sales calls (most of your working time): usually 45–60 minutes each. You ask questions, listen properly, explain the offer if it’s a fit, handle concerns, and ask for the decision.
- Follow-ups: messages or short calls with people who said “let me think about it” or need to check with a partner.
- Admin: updating the CRM (the system that tracks every lead), logging call outcomes, and sending payment links or onboarding details.
- Team time: call reviews, role play and feedback with a sales manager or the business owner.
Because calls are booked into set windows, plenty of closers block their availability around school drop-off, pick-up and bedtime. That flexibility is real, but it cuts both ways: if a business’s buyers are in another time zone, some of your best call slots may be early mornings or evenings. AU closers working with US businesses know this one well.
What is a “high-ticket” offer?
High-ticket simply means the thing being sold costs enough that most people want a real conversation before buying: coaching and mentoring programs, online courses with live support, consulting or done-for-you services, business software, and some health and fitness programs.
What a good closing call looks like
Good closing is not pressure. A solid call builds rapport, asks where the person is now and where they want to be, finds what’s in the way, checks whether the offer genuinely solves that, then presents it and asks for a decision. If it isn’t a fit, a good closer says so.
How do remote closers get paid?
This is the bit most “become a closer” ads gloss over, so let’s be straight. Pay structures vary a lot, and many remote closing roles are commission-heavy or commission-only. Results also take time: your first weeks are usually about learning the offer and the business’s process, not big pay days.
| Pay structure | How it works | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Commission-only | You earn a percentage of each sale you close (often of the cash actually collected), and nothing if you don’t close. | Common in online coaching and course businesses. Ask how many calls you’ll get each week and how leads are shared before you say yes. |
| Base plus commission | A smaller fixed wage or retainer, with commission on top. | More stable while you’re learning. Check how the base changes if you miss targets. |
| Salaried sales role (remote) | A regular wage with bonuses or commission, often in larger companies or software sales. | Usually more structured hiring and higher expectations of experience. |
| Per-call or per-sale contractor fee | A fixed amount per completed call or per closed deal, invoiced as a contractor. | You’ll handle your own tax (and super in Australia) as a contractor. |
If you’re in Australia and hired as an employee, the rules are tighter. The Fair Work Ombudsman says an employee can only be paid commission-only when an award or enterprise agreement allows it, and employees who aren’t covered by an award or agreement must still be paid at least the National Minimum Wage. Many closer roles are set up as contractor arrangements instead, so read your agreement carefully and ask which one you’re signing.
What does the public pay data say?
There isn’t great official data for “remote closer” as its own job title, because so many roles are contract or commission-only and never show up in salary surveys. The closest salaried comparison is inside sales (selling by phone and video rather than face to face). On Payscale, total pay for an Inside Sales Representative in the US runs from roughly US$38,000 to US$76,000 a year (10th to 90th percentile, updated July 2026), and for an Inside Sales Representative in Australia from roughly AU$52,000 to AU$92,000 (based on a much smaller sample of 110 profiles). These are salaried roles, so they’re a reference point, not a prediction. Commission-only closing can land well below or above that range depending on the offer, the lead flow and your skill. We break the numbers down further in how much remote closers make.
For what it’s worth, my own first month in remote sales back in 2020 brought in $440. That’s my result, not a typical one, and it’s a good reminder that most people build up slowly.
Want to see if remote sales could work for you? Book a free call with the She Sells team and talk it through.
What tools does a remote closer use?
Most businesses give you access to their systems; you bring a reliable setup:
- A laptop and stable internet.
- A decent headset or wired earphones with a mic, and a quiet room you can close the door on.
- Video and phone software: usually Zoom, Google Meet or a dialler built into the CRM.
- A CRM: tools like GoHighLevel, HubSpot or Close, where leads, notes and call outcomes live.
- A calendar booking tool such as Calendly, so leads can book straight into your available slots.
Closer vs appointment setter: what’s the difference?
An appointment setter starts conversations, usually by message or a short call, and books qualified people in. The closer takes the longer sales call and asks for the decision. Setting is often the gentler entry point because the conversations are shorter and the pressure to close sits with someone else. If you’re torn, our guide to remote closer vs appointment setter walks through which suits which personality.
Who does remote closing suit (and who doesn’t it suit)?
I started out as a primary school teacher in a small town, not in sales. You don’t need a sales background either, because skills like explaining things clearly, reading a room and staying calm when someone pushes back transfer from lots of jobs. Some traits help a lot.
It tends to suit you if you:
- Genuinely like talking to people and are curious about their situation.
- Can hear “no” without taking it personally.
- Are organised enough to manage a calendar, follow-ups and notes on your own.
- Have done people-heavy work before: teaching, nursing, hospitality, retail, fitness, admin, customer service.
It probably isn’t for you right now if you:
- Need a reliable, fixed income from week one. Commission takes time to build.
- Strongly dislike asking people for money or making a direct request.
- Can’t find a quiet spot for hour-long calls right now (and that’s okay).
- Would be uncomfortable selling something you don’t believe in. Only take roles where you’d recommend the offer to a friend.
Legit closing roles vs scammy offers
Remote closing is a real job, but the space attracts some dodgy operators too. My own first taste of sales was in network marketing back in 2014, so I know these models from the inside. The US Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on multi-level marketing and pyramid schemes is a useful filter: it warns that when income depends mostly on how many people you recruit rather than what’s sold to real customers, you’re looking at a pyramid scheme, and it flags extravagant promises about earnings as a warning sign.
| Green flags | Red flags |
|---|---|
| A real business with a real product or service and actual customers you can look up. | You have to pay the “employer” a fee to start working for them or to access leads. |
| Clear written agreement: pay structure, commission timing, who supplies leads. | Your earnings depend on recruiting other people rather than selling to customers. |
| Honest answers about how many calls you’ll get and what new closers typically experience. | Promises of a set income, screenshots of huge pay days, or “anyone can do this in a week”. |
| Commission paid on schedule, including how refunds and payment plans are handled. | Vague answers about when (or whether) you get paid. |
One distinction worth making: paying for your own training is a separate decision from getting a job. A genuine employer or client pays you to do the work; they don’t charge you to take the role.
How people get started
Most people come in by teaching themselves, starting as an appointment setter and moving up, or doing structured training with role play and feedback. For the step-by-step version, read how to become a remote sales closer. And if you’re curious how She Sells approaches training, you can see our programs or check the FAQ.
I’ve now generated over $10M in online sales, but I started as a teacher with no sales title. The skills are learnable, the hours are flexible, and the pay takes patience. Go in with eyes open.
Want to see if remote sales could work for you? Book a free call with the She Sells team. No pressure, just an honest chat about whether it fits your life.
Frequently asked questions
Is a remote closer a real job?
Yes. Many businesses that sell coaching, courses, services and software hire closers to run sales calls with interested leads. What varies is the arrangement: some roles are salaried, some are base plus commission, and many are commission-only contractor roles, so always get the terms in writing.
Do you need sales experience to become a remote closer?
Not always. Plenty of closers come from teaching, nursing, retail, hospitality and fitness, where they already talk with people all day. You do need to learn a sales process and practise it, and many people start as appointment setters first to build confidence.
Are remote closer jobs commission-only?
Many are, especially in online coaching and course businesses, but not all. Some offer a base wage or retainer plus commission. In Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman says employees can only be paid commission-only when an award or enterprise agreement allows it, so check whether you’re being hired as an employee or a contractor.
How many hours does a remote closer work?
It depends on the role and how many calls the business books. Some closers work part-time call blocks around school hours, while others work full-time loads. If the business sells into another time zone, expect some early or late calls.
How do I know if a closing offer is a scam?
Be wary if you have to pay to start working, if your income depends on recruiting other people, or if someone promises a set amount of income. A legitimate role has a real product with real customers, a written agreement, and honest answers about lead flow and pay timing.
Results vary. Nothing here is a promise of income — see our earnings disclaimer.
