The Most Wanted Skill in Small Business Is Selling

Headline and Context

The Apna MSME Hiring Pulse 2026, a report produced by the jobs platform Apna and carried as an ANI story by The Tribune on 25 June 2026, covered FY26. It said sales and business development accounted for 40% of the skills demanded by MSMEs in FY26, up from 36% in FY25. The most in-demand roles were telesales, accounting and taxation, field sales and customer support. The article did not state a sample size or method, so the figures describe Apna's platform and should not be taken as a survey of all MSMEs.

What else the report said

Demand for jobs requiring AI-related skills rose 164% in FY26. Tier-1 city clusters accounted for 68% of MSME job demand; tier-2 cities provided 30% of all applicants; and tier-3 markets had nearly 20% of active users but only 5% of job applications. Surat, Rajkot, Nagpur and Raipur were named as emerging hiring hubs alongside Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai and Delhi. The report said hiring focuses on general, transferable skills, especially customer-facing and business roles.

“The first sales hire is a bet on your own product; make it a bet you can measure.”

Why sales leads: our reading

For a small firm, revenue comes from persuading someone to buy, and the owner is usually the first and best salesperson. As the business grows beyond the owner's capacity, the first hire is often someone who can bring in orders or follow up on leads. That may explain the dominance of sales skills. It may also reflect the nature of the platform's users, who tend to apply for entry-level roles.

Hiring a salesperson well: our guidance

1. Define the job in numbers. What should this person achieve in 90 days: calls made, meetings held, quotes sent, orders closed? Without targets you cannot judge performance.

2. Match the role to the sales motion. Telesales suits simple products and repeat orders. Field sales suits higher-value items needing demonstration. Business development suits partnerships and large accounts.

3. Pay for outcomes but not only for outcomes. A fixed base with a variable component tied to collected revenue, not just booked orders, discourages deals that never pay.

4. Train on the product first. New staff who understand your customers' problems sell better than those with a script.

5. Give them tools. A simple customer list, a record of calls and a clear price list are enough to start.

6. Review weekly. Look at activity and results together, and coach rather than blame.

The cost of getting it wrong

A poor sales hire costs salary, management time and lost customer goodwill. A short trial period with defined targets, a probation clause consistent with labour law, and a structured onboarding reduce the risk. Check the current rules for your state and employee count.

Customer support is also sales

The report listed customer support among the most demanded roles. Small firms often find that support staff keep customers and generate repeat orders. Recording why customers call can reveal product problems and upsell opportunities.

AI skills in perspective

The 164% rise in demand for AI-related skills is a headline, but without the base number it is hard to judge how many jobs are involved. A small firm does not need an AI specialist to benefit from AI tools in drafting messages or organising customer data; it needs staff who are comfortable learning new tools. See our Productivity pieces for more.

Outside the big cities

The finding that tier-3 markets contribute only 5% of applications despite nearly 20% of active users suggests untapped talent. A small firm in a smaller town may find loyal staff if it offers clear pay and training. Remote work for sales support is another option.

A sample 90-day scorecard for a new salesperson: our template

Weeks 1 to 2: learns the product, shadows the owner on calls, and can explain price and delivery terms correctly. Weeks 3 to 6: makes an agreed number of calls or visits each week, logs every contact and sends quotes within a day. Weeks 7 to 10: closes first orders, collects payment and handles one complaint from start to finish. Weeks 11 to 13: reviews results with the owner against targets and decides whether to continue, adjust or part ways. Writing this down before the hire starts protects both sides.

Avoiding common hiring mistakes

Do not hire for personality alone; ask candidates to role-play a call. Do not promise high commission you cannot afford. Do not leave a new hire without a manager. And do not expect a salesperson to fix a product that customers do not want. Sales effort multiplies a good offer; it cannot replace one.

The owner's role does not disappear

Even with a salesperson, the owner should speak to customers regularly. The most valuable information about prices, competitors and unmet needs reaches the business through those conversations, and a hire who reports only numbers cannot supply it.