Yelp University Sales Training

By: Tom F., Director of Sales Training

Did you go to college to learn how to sell? Me neither. Over 10% of Americans work in sales and related roles, but very few of us set out with that goal in mind. Whether you went to an Ivy League University or an obscure college, grew up with money or without, we’re all on equal footing when we place our first cold call.

At Yelp University we give people the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of selling in an environment of positive energy and support. We spend most of the first week of training in the classroom, learning the basics of selling, the philosophy of Yelp and our advertising product, and the ins-and-outs of Salesforce. But you can’t learn cold-calling in a classroom. At Yelp you will be on the phones right away and will receive real-time coaching and feedback as our primary form of development in your first year. Yelp University’s mission is to empower our salespeople to win new business with integrity. We designed our curriculum to get you selling quickly and improving consistently.

Yelp Advertising brings local businesses more customers. The simplicity of the product and the relatively low cost of advertising make for an extremely fast sales cycle. This means getting more experience, more quickly than in software or enterprise-level sales. However, it does not mean that the job is easier.

Our most successful sellers are relentlessly positive, have an incredible work ethic, and are constantly learning and improving. Cold calling local business owners is not for the faint of heart. Most of your calls will not reach a Decision Maker (DM), and when you do reach one, they’re often reluctant to speak with you. Your mission is to engage DMs by asking compelling questions, speaking with conviction, and showing them how Yelp Advertising will bring them more new business than the cost of advertising.

Within two months of joining Yelp, you’ll be closing your own deals. With consistent production at the local level, you could be prepared for a career in leadership or enterprise-level sales at Yelp within your first two years. We are proud of the reputation our training program has. Both current and former employees often credit Yelp University with helping to prepare them for the next opportunity in their career.

Apply here (San Francisco, New York, Phoenix, Chicago) — it was the best career move I ever made!