A good sales job description tells a strong salesperson three things fast: what they’ll sell and to whom, what they’re expected to hit, and what they can earn if they hit it. Top performers compare roles on those points. A description that lists 20 generic duties and hides the pay plan gets ignored by the people you most want, who are usually employed and not in a hurry to move.
What should a sales job description include?
- Job title and level. Use the title people search for: Account Executive, Sales Manager, SDR. Add the segment, such as Mid-Market or Enterprise.
- What you sell and who buys it. The product in one sentence, the buyer’s title and the industries you sell into.
- The territory and sales motion. Region, inbound or outbound, new business or account management, field or inside.
- The number. Annual quota or target, and the typical deal size and sales cycle.
- Pay. Base salary range, on-target earnings (OTE) and how commission works. Many provinces and states now require a pay range in job ads, so check the rules where you’re hiring.
- What success looks like. What the person should have achieved at 90 days and at one year.
- Must-haves only. Three to five real requirements, such as years selling to a similar buyer.
- Who they’ll work with. The manager, the team size, and the support they’ll get (SDRs, solutions engineers, marketing).
Sales job description template
Account Executive, Mid-Market (Toronto, hybrid)
We sell (product) to (buyer title) at (type of company). You’ll own new business in (territory), running deals from first meeting to signature.
Your number: an annual quota of (amount), with an average deal size of (amount) and a (length) sales cycle.
What you’ll earn: a base salary of (range) and OTE of (amount), uncapped.
What you’ll do: build and run your own pipeline, alongside leads from marketing and one SDR; run discovery, demos and negotiations; forecast accurately each week.
What you’ll bring: three or more years closing B2B deals of a similar size; a record of hitting quota you can talk us through; experience selling to (buyer title).
In your first year: fully ramped by month four, and at or above quota by month twelve.
Replace every field in parentheses with your own details before you publish. Ads that leave the quota or pay vague attract fewer strong applicants.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- A list of duties instead of a number. Every sales job “builds relationships” and “manages a pipeline”. Say what the quota is.
- Hiding the pay. Strong reps won’t apply to find out. A clear OTE is the single most useful line in the ad.
- Too many requirements. A long wish list puts off good candidates who miss one item and attracts people who apply to everything.
- Generic company copy. Two sentences on the product and the buyer beat a paragraph about your culture.
- Copying a template unchanged. Templates are a starting point. The specifics are what make a top rep reply.
Will a job description find you a top performer?
It helps, but on its own it rarely reaches the best people. Quota-achieving salespeople who are happy where they are don’t browse job ads. Reaching them takes direct outreach with a clear, specific pitch, which is what a good description gives you. We cover the rest of the process in the sales recruitment process, step by step.
How Sales Talent Group helps
When we start a search, we agree the role with you in detail: the number, the buyer, the pay plan and what a top performer looks like at one year. That becomes the brief we use to approach passive candidates directly through our sales database and 12-step sourcing strategy. You see detailed profiles of pre-screened candidates within five days, and every hire is guaranteed to reach their first-year quota.
Explore account executive recruiting or tell us about your role.
Questions about sales job descriptions
Should a sales job description include the quota?
Yes. The quota, together with deal size and OTE, is what experienced salespeople use to judge whether a role is realistic and worth moving for. Leaving it out signals that the number may not be achievable.
How long should a sales job description be?
Around 300 to 500 words. Long enough to cover the product, buyer, territory, number and pay; short enough to read on a phone in a couple of minutes.
What is the difference between base salary and OTE?
Base salary is the guaranteed pay. On-target earnings (OTE) is base plus the commission a rep earns by hitting 100 percent of quota. Always show both, and say whether commission is capped.
