How to hire sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
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 • Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms. • Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support. • Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates. • Monitor market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales. • Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports. • Prepare sales contracts and order forms. • Provide customers with product samples and catalogs. • Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests. 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: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing and active learning skills • Working knowledge of sales and marketing, customer and personal service, English Language and mathematics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $34.65 an hour ($72,080 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 representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
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 answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to monitor market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales. 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 representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products do
- Answer customers' questions about products, prices, availability, product uses, and credit terms.
- Consult with clients after sales or contract signings to resolve problems and to provide ongoing support.
- Estimate or quote prices, credit or contract terms, warranties, and delivery dates.
- Monitor market conditions, product innovations, and competitors' products, prices, and sales.
- Perform administrative duties, such as preparing sales budgets and reports, keeping sales records, and filing expense account reports.
- Prepare sales contracts and order forms.
- Provide customers with product samples and catalogs.
- Recommend products to customers, based on customers' needs and interests.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -0.9% over ten years, little or no change · about 99,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $82,420 |
| District of Columbia | $80,010 |
| Washington | $79,830 |
| Massachusetts | $79,810 |
| New York | $79,590 |
| Hawaii | $59,010 |
| Alaska | $56,830 |
| Arkansas | $55,120 |
Related hiring guides
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Advertising Sales Agents
- Sales Engineers
- Sales Managers
- Purchasing Managers
- Procurement Clerks
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.