Sales Representative: What is the cost of hiring?

What is a sales representative?

A sales representative is responsible for selling a company’s products or services to new and existing customers. They identify leads, conduct outreach, manage accounts and close deals to meet or exceed sales goals.

Why hire a sales representative?

Sales representatives can drive growth by expanding your customer base and building lasting relationships. If your company is launching a new product, entering a new market or trying to improve lead conversion, a dedicated sales rep can make a measurable impact.

Contributions of a great sales representative:

• generates leads and builds relationships with new customers
• manages accounts and nurtures long-term client relationships
• negotiates deals and closes sales to meet revenue targets

Defining your hiring needs for sales representatives

Start by considering your sales goals, team structure and target market. Are you looking for someone to handle inbound inquiries, conduct outbound sales or manage existing accounts? Decide if your business needs a full-time, part-time, freelance or territory-specific rep. It may also be helpful to compare roles, such as account executive versus sales representative, if you’re unsure which is the right fit.

What are the types of sales representatives?

Sales representatives may specialize based on industry, customer type or sales model. Some work in the field, while others handle online or phone-based sales.

Common types of sales representatives include:

• Inside sales representative: sells remotely via phone, e-mail or video calls
• Outside sales representative: meets customers in person and travels to client sites
• Business development representative (BDR): focuses on lead generation and qualification
• Account executive: manages client relationships and closes deals
• Territory sales representative: handles sales within a specific geographic region

When writing your sales representative 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 representative jobs, according to Indeed data:

• sales
• sales representative
• customer service
• no expérience
• sales associate
• retail
• summer
• retail sales associate
• work from home online
• business development representative

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

Where to find sales representatives

You can find sales representatives by exploring business programs, professional associations and candidates looking to break into the field. Many entry-level reps come from retail, call centres or business schools.

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

• University career centres: Business schools often have job boards for sales internships or entry-level roles.
• Sales training programs: Organizations like CPSA offer certifications and networking events.
• Industry-specific job fairs: Technology, medical or B2B sectors often host niche career events.
• Internal promotion: Promote high-performing customer service or retail staff to sales roles.

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

Skills to look for in a sales representative

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

• verbal and written communication for engaging customers and explaining value
• persistence and motivation to follow up on leads and close sales
• time management and organization to track deals and appointments
• negotiation and persuasion skills to move customers toward a purchase
• CRM proficiency for maintaining accurate records of sales activities

Writing a sales representative job description

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

A sales representative 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 representative job descriptions.

Interviewing sales representative candidates

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

• past experience closing deals or meeting quotas
• ability to handle rejection and maintain motivation
• knowledge of sales techniques and objection handling
• relationship-building with clients and team members
• experience using sales tools like CRMs or lead databases

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