Use this as a neutral starting point for a sales representative job description — adapt every line to your own company, team and market. For the writing principles, see how to write job descriptions; for the underlying structure, the job description template.
Role overview
Because sales roles vary so much (inside vs. field, transactional vs. complex, new business vs. account growth), a precise description prevents mismatched applications and sets honest expectations about targets and how performance is measured.
What a sales representative typically does
A representative spends their time talking to prospects, qualifying whether there is a real fit, demonstrating value, handling objections and moving opportunities forward. Around the conversations sits a lot of preparation, follow-up and accurate record-keeping in the CRM so that nothing falls through the cracks.
Key responsibilities
- Build and manage a pipeline of qualified opportunities
- Run discovery conversations to understand prospect needs and fit
- Present the product or service and tailor it to the prospect’s situation
- Handle questions and objections honestly and move deals toward a decision
- Keep the CRM accurate so forecasts and handovers are reliable
- Collaborate with marketing on leads and with delivery teams on handover
- Work toward agreed targets while following ethical selling practices
Day-to-day activities
- Following up with leads and booking conversations
- Preparing for calls by researching the prospect and their context
- Running discovery and demo calls, then sending clear next steps
- Updating opportunity stages, notes and next actions in the CRM
- Reviewing pipeline with a manager and prioritising the week
- Coordinating with colleagues to answer technical or pricing questions
Required and preferred skills
Required skills
- Strong listening and questioning — understanding needs before pitching
- Clear, persuasive communication in writing and on calls
- Resilience and consistency in the face of rejection
- Organisation and disciplined follow-up
- Comfort with CRM and basic sales tooling
Preferred skills
- Experience selling in your industry or to your buyer type
- Familiarity with your sales methodology (if you use one)
- A track record in a comparable sales motion (inbound, outbound, field)
- Basic commercial literacy — reading a simple business case
Education and experience considerations
Formal qualifications matter less in sales than evidence of relevant ability. Some employers ask for a degree; many value demonstrated results, relevant industry exposure or transferable customer-facing experience instead.
Be clear about the level you are hiring for. An entry-level or development role can take someone newer with the right attitude, while a senior or complex-deal role usually needs proven experience in a similar motion. Avoid requirements that screen out capable candidates without good reason.
Example job description template
A generic, editable structure — not tied to any company. Replace every bracketed placeholder.
Hiring a sales representative?
Plan the role before you post it. Start from a neutral structure and a free, printable interview scorecard — no signup, no gating.
Common hiring mistakes
- Being vague about the target or comp structure — strong candidates want to know how they are measured and paid
- Confusing sales motions: writing an outbound-hunter role but describing an inbound-closer job
- Over-indexing on "aggressive" or "rockstar" language that attracts the wrong behaviour
- Requiring deep industry experience for a role that can be taught
- Ignoring the post-sale handover, which sets up customer problems later
Interview considerations
- Ask the candidate to walk through a real deal they worked, end to end, to see how they think rather than how they pitch.
- Use a short role-play discovery call and listen for questions, not monologue.
- Explore how they handle a "no" — ethical persistence versus pressure tactics.
- Define the scorecard before interviews so the team rates the same competencies for every candidate.
For ready-made questions and a way to compare candidates fairly, use the interview question bank and the hiring scorecard guide.