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Sales Manager job description template

If you are hiring for this role, start here. This free template is our detailed definition of the position, with everything you need to find and hire the right person. Copy it, add your own requirements, and post it.

Free job description below
Median pay
$69,391per year, about $33 an hour
Range$19,500 to $112,500 a year
Hourly$10 to $54 an hour
EducationA bachelor's degree in sales and marketing or business management from an approved university is required for the position of Sales Manager.
Also calledSales Director, Sales Coordinator, Sales Consultant
DepartmentSales
The role

What is a Sales Manager?

Sales managers work for companies in a variety of sectors to assist them to accomplish their revenue goals.

They collaborate with other department heads, such as the Finance Manager, Customer Service Manager, or Marketing Manager to develop a department budget, promote sales through marketing initiatives, and respond to customer concerns.

Their role is to meet with salespeople to go through monthly targets, promote new goods to market, and develop sales presentations.

They may also be in charge of meeting with clients in person to renew contracts or discuss new corporate items.

What to screen for

The top Sales Manager skills.

Five things separate a strong hire from a résumé that reads well. Use these as your scorecard criteria.

SkillWhy it matters
Active ListeningWhile knowing how to speak with potential clients and team members is vital, Sales Managers also need to know how to listen. By concentrating on what they're saying, they'll be able to offer clever follow-up questions and demonstrate that you're truly interested in what they're saying. When it comes to their team, having active listening skills guarantees that they can give them the correct tools and resources, and help when they need it the most.
CoachingWhile sales training often focuses on sales methods and product knowledge, sales coaching focuses on supporting a certain habit that will help the team achieve long-term success. They'll be better equipped to help each member of the team improve as a salesperson if a Sales Manager has great coaching abilities.
Mathematical SkillsThey work closely with figures and analytics as a sales manager. As a result, having good mathematics abilities and understanding is critical. Having these skills with financial reports will help them to decipher the statistics in order to figure out what they imply in terms of their team's sales and overall profit—or lack thereof.
LeadershipSales Managers need great leadership abilities to manage and guide the sales team. It is their role as a leader to inspire the team and equip them with the resources and tools they require to do their jobs properly.
CommunicationSales managers spend the bulk of their time meeting and interacting with their team's sales reps. As a result, understanding how to connect with these people is critical. Having great communication skills means conveying correct information to salespeople and other teams in a timely and appropriate manner.
Free template

The job description, ready to post.

Copy it as written, or edit it until it sounds like your company. Both work.

Sales ManagerSales · Free to use and edit

Our expanding firm is looking for a Sales Manager to supervise and organize our sales staff. You'll be responsible for managing organizational sales by creating business strategies, achieving set objectives, and coordinating lead creation with our marketing department. You'll also be in charge of managing your sales team's activities and performance by tracking sales objectives, creating individual sales targets, and facilitating regular sales training.

It is necessary to have a bachelor's degree in business or a similar subject. You'll need good communication skills and the ability to lead a sales team to thrive in this position. It's a benefit if you've worked in a sales-related position before. Apply NOW!

Duties and responsibilities

  • Developing a business strategy that incorporates sales, revenue, and spending controls to manage organizational sales.
  • Meeting sales targets as expected.
  • Setting individual sales goals with the sales staff.
  • Keeping track of sales targets and reporting on the outcomes as needed.
  • Supervising the sales team's actions and results.
  • Coordinating lead generation with marketing.
  • Motivating and coaching to help your sales staff grow.
  • Spreading the word out about the company and its products.
  • Recognizing who our ideal consumers are and how they interact with our offerings.

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in business or a related field.
  • Planning and implementing a sales strategy is a plus.
  • Customer relationship management experience is a plus.
  • Experience leading and managing a sales force.
  • Excellent communication abilities, both written and vocal.
  • Commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
  • Ability to manage a sales force.
Add your pay range, benefits, and location before you post. Postings with a stated range get significantly more finished applications than the ones that leave it out.

Take the template with you

Copy it straight into your job board or ATS, or have it emailed to you with the interview questions for this role.

Education

Degree first, then the certification.

bachelor's degree in sales and marketing or business management from an approved university is required for the position of Sales Manager.

Although most organizations do not require a master's degree in business administration or marketing, it is a benefit.

Some businesses want employees with sales management and promotion training or certificates, such as the Certified Professional Sales Leader (CPSL) or Certified Sales Executive (CSE).

CPSL

Certified Professional Sales Leader

Demonstrates expertise in leading sales teams and driving performance.

Sales Management Association
CSE

Certified Sales Executive

Validates advanced sales management skills and strategic sales leadership.

Sales Management Association
Treat these as a signal, not a requirement. Plenty of strong candidates come up through experience without one.
After the applications land

Sample interview questions for a Sales Manager.

Once you have gathered the applications, work through these in order. Twelve questions across four areas, enough to tell your shortlist apart.

Personal
  • What would a friend describe as your greatest flaw, and how would you address it?
  • What do you think is your best achievement?
  • What about this firm piques your interest?
Human Resources
  • What characteristics distinguish a successful sales manager?
  • Could you describe your worst day at work, and what did you take away from the situation?
  • How do you keep your staff motivated?
Management
  • How do you set and track sales targets for your team?
  • What steps do you take to improve underperforming sales representatives?
  • How do you balance short-term sales goals with long-term business growth?
Technical Skills and Knowledge
  • Are you familiar with data analysis and how have you applied it in the past?
  • What do you believe an effective rep coaching session might entail?
  • Tell me about a time when you didn't reach your sales targets and how you dealt with it.
Pay

How much to pay when hiring.

Annual pay by percentile. Where you land depends on the size of the cycle they will own, and the 25th percentile is usually where a first analyst hire sits.

10th percentile$19,500
25th percentile$44,500
Median$69,391
75th percentile$85,000
90th percentile$112,500

Hourly equivalents run from $10 at the 10th percentile to $54 at the 90th.

Related job titles

Candidates may apply under a different name.

Post the title your industry uses and keep the rest of the description. These three roles overlap enough that the same posting usually reaches all of them.

Same work, different title

Three titles, one description.

Search behavior varies by industry, so the same job is advertised under several names. If you are unsure which one your candidates search for, run two titles and see which fills.

Sales Director

Sales Coordinator

A Sales Coordinator is a professional responsible for supporting the sales team and facilitating the sales process within an organization.

$46,399 median

Sales Consultant

A Sales Consultant is a professional who advises clients on products or services to help them make purchasing decisions that meet their needs.

$66,210 median
Questions

Frequently asked questions.

What makes a Sales Manager different from a Marketing Manager?

Within a business, sales and marketing managers are on the same level and regularly collaborate to meet their employer's revenue targets.

A Sales Manager and a Marketing Manager differ in their areas of specialization and the sorts of workers they supervise.

The Sales Manager, for example, is in charge of a group of Sales Representatives.

Their primary purpose is to bring in money for their company by selling items or services to consumers over the phone or in person.

The Marketing Manager, on the other hand, is in charge of a team of marketing experts that includes Content Creators, Marketing Specialists, Marketing Coordinators, and Marketing Analysts.

The Marketing Manager’s mission is to develop effective marketing campaigns that inform people about the company's products.

What are the responsibilities of a Sales Manager on a daily basis?

A Sales Manager begins each day by checking their email and voicemail to see if they have any missed messages from department heads, staff, senior management, or clients.

They look at staff sales data and figure out how many sales they need to accomplish their target.

Sales Managers hold meetings with their departments throughout the day to answer sales-related questions.

They also utilize these sessions to showcase new products or services, as well as how to market them.

Sales Managers phone clients during downtime in the office to check in with them and inform them of new products.

Customer feedback and sales quota data are also used to create employee performance reports.

What characteristics distinguish an excellent sales manager?

A competent Sales Manager is one who can persuade others.

Even in a management position, this quality allows them to conduct cold calls to potential clients and assist in the acquisition of a new business for their organization.

A smart Sales Manager also knows how to drive their staff by offering a variety of rewards to those who accomplish or surpass their sales targets.

A competent Sales Manager also has a thorough grasp of the company's products and services and gives in-depth training to new workers so that they can better market those items to customers.

To whom does a Sales Manager answer?

Within a company, a Sales Manager usually reports to the Director of Sales.

Sales managers collaborate with the Director of Sales to develop sales quotas that will be implemented across the department.

They also speak with them to assess which high-profile leads to follow and whether they have the funds in their budget to hire more people.

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