Salesmanship Merit Badge
Seven requirements. Two start with your counselor, who assigns the product and territory for your sales plan (3) and the product for your sales presentation (4). Requirement 5 is ONE real sale (unit fundraising, selling your services to neighbors, or retail), with a cost sheet kept. Requirement 6 is ONE interview, with a salesperson or a retail store owner. The rest are explanations and your qualifications for a sales career.
The plan behind this
Two parts your counselor sets
| requirement | what the counselor assigns | what you do |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | a product and a sales territory | write and present a sales plan |
| 4 | a product | make a sales presentation |
Requirement 5: ONE real sale, with a cost sheet
Whichever you choose, keep a record (cost sheet), use the sales techniques you have learned, and share your experience with your counselor.
| route | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 5(a) | help your unit raise funds through sales of merchandise or of tickets to a Scout event |
| 5(b) | sell your services to your neighbors (such as lawn raking or mowing, pet sitting, dog walking, snow shoveling, or car washing), then follow up after completing the service to determine the customer satisfaction |
| 5(c) | earn money through retail selling |
Requirement 6: ONE interview
| route | learn |
|---|---|
| 6(a) a salesperson | what made the person choose sales as a profession; the most important things to remember when talking to customers; how the product is sold; and your own questions |
| 6(b) a retail store owner | how often the owner is approached by a sales representative; good traits a sales representative should have and habits to avoid; what the owner considers in deciding whether to establish an account with a sales representative; and at least two of your own questions |
The explanations
Requirement 1 is the responsibilities of a salesperson and the difference between business-to-business and consumer selling. Requirement 2 is why a salesperson should research the market, learn all about the product, visit where it is built if possible (or learn the benefits of a service), and follow up with customers after their purchase. Requirement 7 is investigating career opportunities in sales, then a written statement of your qualifications and a discussion of the education, experience or training to obtain.
What this page is
The Salesmanship merit badge, drawn so the two parts your counselor assigns and the real sale with its cost sheet stand out, with the sale in requirement 5 and the interview in requirement 6 drawn as questions. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Salesmanship Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .