Sales Representative job description template

4 steps to creating a sales representative job description that fits your needs 

Before you write your sales representative job description, it’s essential to be precise in determining what type of sales rep you need. Be thorough, clear, and concise when constructing your job post. Include keywords associated with the primary task in your post title. Include a list of all tasks they’ll be performing, skills and traits they should have, and physical and digital tools required. Give an estimate of the time needed, along with the hourly rate or fixed price of a contract. Below are some factors to consider when crafting a sales representative job description. 

1. Determine what type of sales representative you need

Imagine a product or service, and there’s a sales rep selling it somewhere along the supply chain. Some sales representatives are well-versed in working with customers in a retail environment, others sell business to business (B2B), some mine customers online, and still others sell big-ticket products or services to another company for months. Products could include auto parts or electronics to insurance policies and financial consulting services. Depending on the nature of your business and your preferred sales approach, it’s important to delineate the critical sales skills and personal traits that you need to sell products.

2. Independent contractor vs. agency vs. employee

Sales reps can be contracted as independent professionals or hired through an agency or in-house. An independent professional can be contracted as a sales representative only on a commission basis. Sales reps who are full-time employees earn a salary and earn bonuses or rewards for meeting or exceeding sales goals. Worker classification can be tricky, so check out our compliance services resources page for more information. 

3. Experience

Sales representatives with years of experience have accumulated knowledge in human interaction and product knowledge to better close sales. Their specialized knowledge in selling a particular line of products can set them apart. They are also better equipped to build customer relationships for complex sales processes, such as an outside sales representative pursuing an enterprise-level sales initiative that involves complex B2B products or services and a longer sales cycle. When hiring less experienced reps, it’s essential to ask the right interview questions to evaluate their personality, communication skills, willingness, and aptitude for learning, whether they think quickly on their feet, intellectual curiosity, listening ability, and competitiveness. Newcomers to the field may be ideal for more simple sales tasks in retail environments or scripted phone sales. Your project scope and approach to selling (outside sales or inside sales) will help determine the type of experience required.

4. Industry 

Sales representatives are employed by a wide array of companies across many industries, including retail, manufacturing, consulting, financial services, and more. Sales experience in a specific industry can be critical, depending on the type of business and client. B2B salespeople excel when they talk their client’s language and explain why their company’s products are better than their competitors. A representative with previous experience may bring contacts and potential clients. Firsthand knowledge of using a product or service can also be invaluable.

Next steps

Take our sales representative job description sample and tailor it to your specific needs to create an effective job post. Then check out Upwork’s top independent professionals. Each profile outlines an independent professional’s qualifications and experience, project success rates, and feedback from previous clients, so you can get a feel for whether the sales rep matches your job description.

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