How to hire sales managers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase. • Determine price schedules and discount rates. • Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale. • Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts. • Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs. • Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs. • Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service. • Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and active learning skills • Working knowledge of sales and marketing, customer and personal service, English Language and administration and management • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $71.28 an hour ($148,270 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for sales managers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to determine price schedules and discount rates. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What sales managers do
- Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.
- Determine price schedules and discount rates.
- Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.
- Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
- Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
- Plan and direct staffing, training, and performance evaluations to develop and control sales and service programs.
- Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
- Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for sales managers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
- Job outlook: +4.5% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 47,300 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay sales managers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| New York | $217,640 |
| Massachusetts | $191,200 |
| Virginia | $191,130 |
| Colorado | $180,850 |
| Washington | $174,000 |
| Arkansas | $108,330 |
| Alaska | $98,860 |
| West Virginia | $94,830 |
See sales managers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.