What Does a Product Promoter Do?

A product promoter plays an essential role in a sales team. They promote products and their features and benefits to potential customers. They’re very knowledgeable about the company's products, enthusiastic about capabilities, and able to demonstrate functionality and answer any questions.

Product promoters represent their company, so staying on brand is very important. Product promotion aims 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 a retail environment, 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 more prominent distributor or demonstrating products at trade fairs. 

Many product promoter jobs are entry-level, but you will find 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, sports, 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:

• Explaining 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

Product promoter skills

You must possess some skills and qualities to perform well as a product promoter. These are primarily transferable skills you can bring from other jobs, education, and other aspects. Being a product promoter is 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 organised and efficient

• Target driven

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, the educational requirements are not advanced, and training and experience take precedence. You may need higher education and experience to progress to more senior positions.

Educational requirements 

Undergraduate qualifications such as a bachelor's degree might be necessary for product promoter jobs that require more responsibility. Consider choosing business, administration, and marketing modules 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 further 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 CV 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 significant boost to your CV 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 positions that typically require less experience and are good for building experience on your CV. For more senior promoter roles, experience is a more critical factor in demonstrating your value. 

Salary and job outlook 

According to Glassdoor, the average product promoter salary in the United Kingdom is £26,866 [1]. The UK spends an average of more than £35 billion annually on advertising, making it Europe's largest advertising market, according to Statista [2]. Given that the UK is among the leading markets in the world, aspiring product promoters can expect the job outlook to continue in a positive direction. 

Possible career pathways 

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. 

One of the positions closely related to a product promoter is a promotions manager. Promotions managers typically need experience in promotions and a bachelor’s degree. Some positions ask for leadership certifications or management training because the role involves leading a team, interviewing, and implementing sales strategies. Promotions managers earn more than product promoters, with an average salary of £39,238 [3].   

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

• Marketing manager: £44,394 [4]

• Advertising manager: £36,880 [5]

• Market research analyst: £27,694 [6]

• Public relations manager: £42,945 [7]

• Sales manager: £41,726 [8]

*All annual salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of June 2024

Next steps

If you’ve gone through the product promoter job description and think it’s for you, a great starting point is to take a beginner-level sales course. Consider taking Sales Training: Building Your Sales Career by HubSpot Academy on Coursera provides an overview of what it takes to build a career in sales.