How to Write a Sales Job Description (+ Free Template)
Most sales job descriptions are written to be filled in, not to be read. They list a dozen duties, demand five years of this and three years of that, hide the money, and end up attracting either nobody or the wrong people. The irony is hard to miss: you are trying to hire someone whose entire job is to sell, using an advert that does no selling at all. This guide shows you how to write a sales job description that actually pulls in strong candidates, with a free template you can lift straight off the page.
Why do most sales job descriptions fail?
Because they read like a contract instead of an opportunity. Good salespeople usually have options, so a flat, generic advert simply tells them everything they need to know about how the rest of the experience would feel.
The classic mistake is a wall of responsibilities and requirements with no sense of why anyone good would want the role. Salespeople are sold to for a living, so they spot a lazy pitch instantly. The other common failure is being vague about money, which for a sales role is the fastest way to lose the candidates you most want.
What should a strong sales job description do?
Three things at once: sell the opportunity, filter out the wrong people, and set honest expectations.
Sell, so good people lean in. Filter, so you are not buried in unsuitable applications. Set expectations, so the people who apply already understand the target, the package and the reality of the role. If your advert only does one of these, it is underperforming, and you will feel it in the quality of who applies.
What sections does a sales job description need?
Keep the structure simple and predictable so a reader can scan it and find what they care about fast.
A strong sales job description includes a clear job title, a short hook selling the opportunity, what they will actually do framed as outcomes, what you are looking for split into must-haves and nice-to-haves, the package including realistic earnings, a reason to join you, and a simple call to apply.
How do you write each section well?
The job title
Be clear and honest, not clever. "Business Development Manager" or "Account Executive" gets found in searches and sets the right expectation. Inventing a title like "Sales Ninja" just makes the role harder to find and signals a certain kind of culture. If the role has a specialism or a sector, say so.
The opening hook
This is the part nearly everyone skips, and it is the most important. In two or three lines, tell a good salesperson why this role is worth their time: what they are selling, who to, and what the opportunity is. A strong product, a growing market, a warm pipeline, a genuine progression path. Lead with whatever is true and compelling.
What they will do
Write outcomes, not a chore list. "Build and own a pipeline of new business across the North West" tells a salesperson far more than "make calls, send emails, attend meetings." Good salespeople think in results, so describe the role in results.
What you are looking for
Split it into must-haves and nice-to-haves, and be ruthless about the difference. The single biggest filter mistake is over-specifying, demanding years of niche experience that rules out brilliant people who could clearly do the job. Every unnecessary requirement narrows your pool, often removing exactly the hungry, capable people you would want.
The package
Be transparent, especially about earnings. State the basic salary and the realistic on-target earnings, and be honest about how the commission works. Salespeople are motivated by money and wary of vagueness, because they have all seen "competitive salary" hide a poor one. A realistic OTE will pull in more good people than a coy "uncapped commission" ever will.
Why join you
A short, honest sell on the things that matter: the product, the culture, the progression, and the support they will get to actually hit their numbers. Salespeople care a great deal about whether they will be set up to succeed, so speak to it directly.
The call to apply
Make it easy and human. Tell them what to do, what happens next, and roughly when they will hear back. A clear, respectful process is itself a signal about how you operate.
Free sales job description template
Copy this, fill in the brackets, and cut anything that does not apply.
| Job title | [Clear, searchable title, e.g. Business Development Manager] |
| Location | [Office, hybrid or remote, and the territory if relevant] |
| Salary | [Basic salary range] plus [commission structure], realistic OTE of [figure] |
| About the role | [Two or three lines selling the opportunity: what they will sell, who to, and why it is a strong role. Lead with what is genuinely attractive.] |
| What you will do | [Five or six outcome-focused points, e.g. "Win new business across [territory]", "Own your pipeline from first contact to close"] |
| Must-haves | [Two to four genuine essentials only, e.g. "A track record of hitting sales targets"] |
| Nice to have | [Bonuses, not dealbreakers, e.g. "Experience selling into [sector]"] |
| What you will get | [Realistic earnings, benefits, progression, support, culture] |
| How to apply | [Simple instruction, what happens next, and a rough timeline for hearing back] |
Common mistakes to avoid
Most weak sales adverts share the same handful of flaws. Avoid these and you are ahead of most employers already.
- A laundry list of duties with no sell.
- Hiding or fudging the money.
- Over-specifying requirements until you exclude great people.
- A title nobody actually searches for.
- No personality, so it reads like every other advert.
- Copying an old description without asking whether it still describes the role.
Sales job descriptions: FAQs
What should a sales job description include?
A clear title, a short hook selling the opportunity, outcome-focused responsibilities, must-have and nice-to-have requirements split apart, a transparent package including realistic OTE, a reason to join you, and a simple way to apply.
Should you include salary in a sales job description?
Yes, especially for sales roles. Salespeople are motivated by earnings and put off by vagueness, so stating the basic salary and realistic on-target earnings will attract more strong applicants than hiding it.
How long should a sales job description be?
Long enough to sell and set expectations, short enough to scan. Most work well at a few hundred words. If it reads like a legal document, it is too long and not doing enough selling.
What is OTE?
On-target earnings: the total a salesperson can realistically expect to earn if they hit their targets, combining basic salary and commission. It is the figure good salespeople look for first.
How do you make a sales job advert stand out?
Sell the opportunity in the opening lines, be honest and specific about earnings, describe the role as outcomes rather than tasks, and write with some personality rather than recycling a generic template.
What is the biggest mistake when writing a sales job description?
Over-specifying the requirements. Demanding unnecessary years of niche experience rules out capable, hungry people who could excel, and quietly shrinks your pool to almost nobody.
Hiring salespeople and want a hand getting it right? Get in touch and I will help you attract and pick the right people, drawing on years of doing exactly this.
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