Sales Manager: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a sales manager?

A sales manager generally oversees a team of sales professionals, ensuring they meet targets through coaching, strategy development and performance tracking. They are often responsible for setting sales goals, analyzing market trends and building effective processes that help teams succeed.

Why hire a sales manager?

Sales managers provide leadership that keeps teams aligned, productive and motivated. You may need to hire one if your business is scaling, launching new products or looking to improve your conversion rates and client relationships.

Contributions of a great sales manager:

• leads, trains and motivates sales staff to meet and exceed targets
• develops strategies and pipelines to boost sales and improve client retention
• monitors performance metrics to identify areas for growth and improvement

Defining your hiring needs for sales managers

Start by evaluating the size of your sales team, your growth goals and any current performance gaps. Are you launching into new markets or scaling current operations? Decide if you need a generalist or a manager with specific industry experience. You may also consider whether this role requires in-person leadership or if remote team management is feasible.

What are the types of sales managers?

Sales managers may specialize based on customer type, sales approach or company structure. Some focus on inside sales teams, while others lead enterprise or territory-based strategies.

Common types of sales managers include:

• Regional sales manager: oversees teams within a specific geographical area
• Inside sales manager: leads reps who sell remotely or via phone/e-mail
• Enterprise sales manager: manages long-cycle, high-value B2B accounts
• Retail sales manager: supervises in-store staff and ensures sales targets are met
• Channel sales manager: builds and supports relationships with resellers and partners

When writing your sales manager job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on sales manager jobs, according to Indeed data:

• sales manager
• sales
• manager 
• automotive sales manager
• sales manager automotive
• customer service
• automotive
• retail 
• supervisor 
• management 

Want more hiring insights for your sales manager role? Sign in or create your free Indeed account.

Where to find sales managers

You can find experienced sales managers in Canada through professional networks, industry associations and business schools. Look for individuals with proven success managing sales teams and driving consistent results.

To find the right sales manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Social media and sales forums: Professional networking sites often feature candidates with strong sales backgrounds.
• Business schools: MBA programs at institutions such as Rotman or Schulich produce graduates with leadership training.
• Industry events: Sales conferences and expos offer opportunities to meet experienced candidates.
• Internal promotions: Elevate high-performing team leads or senior reps with leadership potential.

Post your job online. Try posting your sales manager job on Indeed to find and attract quality sales manager candidates.

Skills to look for in a sales manager

A successful sales manager candidate will typically have the following skills and competencies, which may be gained through a variety of experiences, training, or education:

• team leadership and staff development
• strategic planning and forecasting
• performance analysis and CRM reporting
• customer relationship management
• negotiation and closing skills
• ability to motivate and coach others

Writing a sales manager job description

Now that you know the key skills, salary expectations, popular job-seeker search terms and hiring insights for a sales manager, you’re ready to write a job description.

A sales manager job description typically includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position. You may also want to include information about your company culture, benefits, and perks to attract candidates to your open role.

Ready to get started? See our full guide for writing sales manager job descriptions.

Interviewing sales manager candidates

Strong candidates for sales manager positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• experience leading and coaching sales teams
• ability to meet or exceed revenue targets
• strategies for improving sales performance
• comfort using CRM and analytics tools
• leadership approach and team-building techniques

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of sales manager interview questions for examples (with sample answers).