What is remote sales? The job explained (AU & US)
Remote sales is selling from home instead of an office or a shop floor. You talk to people who have already shown interest in a product or service, over Zoom, phone or direct messages, and help them decide whether to buy. The most common remote sales jobs are appointment setter (you start conversations and book calls) and closer (you run the sales call). Many roles in Australia and the US are part-time or flexible, and pay is often partly or fully commission, so it suits people who are happy to be paid for results.
If you have never worked in sales, that is normal. Most of the women who come to She Sells, the remote sales training program run by Brooke Triplett with a team in Australia and the US, start with no sales background at all. Brooke herself was a primary school teacher before she found remote sales, and she made $440 in her first month (not typical, and not a promise of anything). Here is how the job actually works.
What remote sales means, in plain English
Old-school sales meant cold calling strangers, knocking on doors or standing on a shop floor. Remote sales is different in three ways:
- The leads are warm. The business runs ads, content or webinars, and people put their hand up. You talk to people who asked to hear more.
- It happens online. Calls run on Zoom or phone, and a lot of the first conversations happen in DMs on Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp.
- It is location-free. You work from your kitchen table, your spare room or anywhere with good internet. Many companies hire across Australia, the US and other English-speaking countries.
The businesses that hire remote salespeople are usually coaches, online course creators, consultants, agencies and service businesses that sell higher-priced offers. Because each sale is worth a lot, they need a skilled person to have the conversation instead of a “buy now” button.
The main remote sales roles
| Role | What you do day to day | How it is usually paid | Good first role? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appointment setter (phone) | Call or text people who filled in a form, ask a few questions, book qualified people into a closer’s calendar | Base, base plus bonus, or per booked call | Yes, the most common starting point |
| DM setter | Start and run conversations in Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp messages, then book calls | Often commission or per-appointment, sometimes a small base | Yes, if you are comfortable writing |
| Closer | Run the 45 to 90 minute sales call on Zoom, understand the person’s goals, handle questions and help them decide | Commission on each sale, sometimes with a base | Usually after some setting or training |
| SDR / inside sales rep | Book meetings for a sales team, common in software and B2B companies, often employed and on salary | Base salary plus bonus or commission | Yes, but more corporate and full-time |
If you want the detail on the two most common roles, read remote closer vs appointment setter, what a remote closer does and appointment setter jobs from home.
How pay works in Australia and the US
This is the part people get wrong, so let’s be straight. Pay depends on the business, the offer, the role and how it is structured. Some roles pay a base salary, many pay commission on top, and plenty are commission-only. Public salary data gives you a realistic starting picture:
| Source | Role | Market | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEEK (October 2026) | Appointment setter | Australia | Average of AU$61,420 for appointment setter ads in the Sales industry, based on full-time salaries advertised on SEEK |
| Payscale (updated July 2026) | Inside sales representative | Australia | Total pay roughly AU$52,000 to AU$92,000, from 110 salary profiles |
| Payscale (updated July 2026) | Inside sales representative | US | Total pay roughly US$38,000 to US$76,000, from 3,182 salary profiles |
| US Bureau of Labor Statistics | Wholesale and manufacturing sales reps | US | Median annual wage of US$76,460 in May 2025 (a broader, mostly employed sales group) |
A few honest notes on those numbers. They are mostly full-time, salaried figures, and many remote setting and closing roles are part-time, contract or commission-based, so your income can be lower or higher than these ranges and can swing month to month. For a closer focused breakdown, see how much remote closers make.
In Australia, Fair Work rules matter: an employee can only be paid commission-only when an award or agreement allows it, and employees not covered by one still need to get at least the National Minimum Wage (Fair Work Ombudsman). Many remote sales roles are set up as contractor arrangements instead, so read the contract carefully. In the US, commission-only contractor roles are common, so check whether you are being hired as an employee or an independent contractor before you start.
Want to know if remote sales could fit your life? Book a free call with the She Sells team in Australia or the US.
What hours look like
This is why so many mums (moms in the US) look at remote sales. Plenty of roles are part-time, and setters in particular can often work blocks of hours that suit them. That said, flexible does not mean “whenever you like”. You need to be available when leads are, which often means some evenings or early mornings, and if you sell to US clients from Australia (or the other way around), time zones come into it. A realistic plan is to pick protected hours, for example school hours plus two evenings, and look for roles that fit them. Our guide to working from home after having kids walks through how to plan that.
Is remote sales legit, or is it MLM?
Remote sales is a real job: you sell a business’s product or service and get paid for it. MLM (network marketing) is different, and Brooke knows it well, because her first taste of sales in 2014 was network marketing. Here is how to tell them apart:
- Legit remote sales: you sell someone else’s offer to customers who asked to hear about it, you never have to recruit friends, and you never buy stock.
- Red flags: you have to pay to join, your income comes mostly from recruiting other people, or someone promises a guaranteed income. The US Federal Trade Commission warns that when income is “based mostly on how many people you recruit”, that is a sign of a pyramid scheme (FTC), and that “honest employers… will never ask you to pay to get a job” (FTC job scams).
Paying for training is not the same as paying for a job. A training program teaches a skill, and a good one is upfront that nobody can promise you an income. Ask what you are actually paying for before you hand over money.
How to get started with no experience
- Learn the basics. Understand the setter and closer roles, how a sales call is structured and how commission works.
- Practise out loud. Sales is a spoken skill. Role play with a friend, record yourself, and get feedback.
- Start as a setter if you are brand new. It is the most common entry point and teaches you how leads think.
- Check every offer. Ask about base pay, commission rates, lead flow, hours and whether you are an employee or contractor.
- Consider structured training. She Sells runs two programs. She Launches is the foundation (live coaching, role play and frameworks, with no direct placement). She Soars takes you through the She Sells Cert III in Remote Sales, and once you are certified, the recruitment team works with you to land a role within 90 days, or your money back. Compare them on our programs page.
There is a full step-by-step in how to get into sales with no experience.
Not sure where to start? Talk to the She Sells team about your situation, your hours and your goals.
Results vary. Nothing here is a promise of income. See our earnings disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
What is remote sales?
Remote sales is selling a business’s product or service from home, usually over Zoom, phone or direct messages, to people who have already shown interest. The main roles are appointment setter, DM setter, closer and SDR.
Do I need experience to get a remote sales job?
No, many people start with none, especially as appointment setters. You do need to learn the basics and practise, because employers want people who can hold a confident conversation from day one.
How much do remote sales jobs pay?
It varies a lot. SEEK shows an average of AU$61,420 for appointment setter ads in the Sales industry in Australia, and Payscale shows US inside sales total pay of roughly US$38,000 to US$76,000, but many remote roles are part-time or commission-based, so your income can be very different.
Can I do remote sales part-time?
Yes, many setter and closer roles are part-time or flexible. You will usually need to be available when leads are, which can include some evenings, so choose roles that match the hours you can protect.
Is remote sales the same as MLM?
No. In remote sales you sell a business’s offer and never need to recruit people or buy stock. If income depends mostly on recruiting, or you must pay to get a job, treat it as a red flag.
