How to hire a director of sales

How to hire a director of sales, step by step

Here's a step-by-step director of sales hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a director of sales job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new director of sales
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a director of sales do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the director of sales you need to hire. Certain director of sales roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect director of sales also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of directors of sales.

   Type of Director Of Sales	Description	Hourly rate
   Director Of Sales	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$35-80
   Sales Vice President	Sales vice presidents are top-level executives at a sales, retail, or marketing corporation. Primarily these executives are tasked to direct and lead a sales department or team within the organization... Show more	$43-108
   Business Development Director	A business development director specializes in crafting plans and strategies to develop the relationship between the brand, clients, and other key characters in the industry. It is their responsibility to examine and understand everything about the brand and figure out which areas require improvement or changes... Show more	$34-92

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Process
   • Customer Service
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Sales Management
   • Healthcare
   • CRM
   • Business Development
   • Salesforce
   • Sales Strategies
   • Account Management
   • Revenue Growth
   • Sales Plan
   • Work Ethic
   • Direct Sales

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead the OEM business transformation.
   • Manage projects & action items for EVP.
   • Manage during periods of dynamic challenge and change relative to start-up, turnaround and revitalization situations.
   • Manage relationships with toll manufacturers and logistics providers to exceed cost reduction and inventory turn targets.
   • Cultivate and manage business relationships with wholesale distributors creating positive impact for newsstand product sell at retail.
   • Full responsibility for all sales activities for a start-up electronic commerce company managing electronic data flow in the healthcare industry.

   More director of sales duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your director of sales job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A director of sales can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, directors of sales' average salary in florida is 35% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level directors of sales 57% less than senior-level directors of sales.
   • Certifications. A director of sales with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a director of sales's salary.

   Average director of sales salary

   $111,068yearly

   $53.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level director of sales salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 26, 2025

   Average director of sales salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$128,300	$62
   2	New York	$126,416	$61
   3	Connecticut	$121,750	$59
   4	New Jersey	$118,600	$57
   5	District of Columbia	$117,306	$56
   6	Washington	$115,262	$55
   7	Oregon	$113,003	$54
   8	Pennsylvania	$111,421	$54
   9	Massachusetts	$111,114	$53
   10	Michigan	$110,557	$53
   11	Virginia	$110,426	$53
   12	Wisconsin	$109,631	$53
   13	Maine	$108,953	$52
   14	Illinois	$108,926	$52
   15	North Carolina	$105,828	$51
   16	Indiana	$104,699	$50
   17	Ohio	$104,520	$50
   18	Utah	$104,429	$50
   19	Minnesota	$102,820	$49
   20	Texas	$100,277	$48

   Average director of sales salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Mayo Clinic	$203,641	$97.90	5
   2	McKinsey & Company Inc	$190,720	$91.69
   3	Barclays	$189,995	$91.34	2
   4	Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group	$189,751	$91.23
   5	Citi	$188,419	$90.59	17
   6	Koch Industries	$180,875	$86.96	1
   7	BNP Paribas	$178,378	$85.76	2
   8	The Walt Disney Company	$177,511	$85.34	4
   9	Databricks	$175,705	$84.47	8
   10	Deutsche Bank	$174,631	$83.96	20
   11	Emergent BioSolutions	$174,204	$83.75
   12	Jackson Walker	$170,720	$82.08
   13	Apple	$170,301	$81.88	26
   14	A+E Networks	$169,318	$81.40
   15	VMware	$169,039	$81.27
   16	MUFG EMEA	$167,909	$80.73
   17	Ford Motor	$167,285	$80.43	2
   18	Cohen & Steers	$167,068	$80.32	1
   19	Credit Agricole CIB	$166,432	$80.02	1
   20	Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate The Masiello Group	$166,333	$79.97

4. Writing a director of sales job description

   A director of sales job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a director of sales job description:

   Director of sales job description example

   The Director of Sales and Brand Growth strengthens the brand relevance in the competitive landscape and local community, as well as grows the business. Serves as a strategic thought partner to the Operator in marketing, community relationships, and sales growth innovations. Expert in assessing customer insights to ensure marketing efforts remain relevant, ultimately strengthening relationships with guests.
   
   We are looking for a strategic, thoughtful person with a deep understanding and compassion for customers. Our ideal Sales & Brand Growth Director will be able to develop and lead a marketing vision that amplifies both sales and brand growth in our restaurant and local community.
   Requirements/Responsibilities Collaboration with the Director Team – Works with other Directors to effectively meet and exceed the goals of the business. Actively coordinates and participates in brainstorming, problem solving, and future casting conversations with leadership members. Establishes and updates a clear business plan monthly that includes action items to reach business goals for communication and alignment, for the restaurant at large, and the Director Team.
   
   Sales Growth- Analyze customer feedback, sales trends, and key financial metrics to identify areas of potential growth. Create and implement sales growth strategies through various areas, including Drive Thru, Mobile Ordering, Check average, and transactions.
   
   Digital Marketing Platform- Create and oversee implementation of strategic marketing posts on social media platforms. Strategically utilize and build sales and raving fans via Spotlight and the CFA one app. Works with the Human Resources Director to strategically utilize social media aid the recruiting process.
   
   Marketing the Brand – Research and review opportunities in the community where we can utilize food, cows, and influence to foster strong community relationships and brand awareness.
   
   Lead the Catering Team- Oversee the catering team from ordering to delivery to ensure the CFA brand and standards are upheld on every delivery. Partner with other Directors to discuss strategies, train and problem solve any issues.
   
   Innovations – Constant research and communication with other CFA stores to identify and implement improvement to systems, leverage community relationships, and to meet business goals.
   
   Education Requirement:
   
   • Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing or related field preferred; Associates or equivalent required
   • 2+ years of experience in Marketing or a related field
   • 2+ years of experience in a leadership position
   
   We Offer:
   * Competitive wages ($20-$25 hourly)
   * Health insurance contributions
   * 401K with Profit Sharing
   * Sundays off (including Christmas and Thanksgiving)
   * Uniform stipend
   * Free employee meals
   * Educational scholarship
   * Professional development
   * Fun Team environment Special Instructions Please do not send any emails, resumes, or call.
   We are making it really easy to apply for this position.
   
   Simply submit a ZippyApp application package which may include the Common Employment Application, Resume, and a Cover Letter. In your Cover Letter, please write a short paragraph describing yourself and why you would make a great addition to our team. ZippyApp is the Common Employment Application for online and mobile that allows you to apply for jobs with one click, and is being accepted at a growing number of businesses each day.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right director of sales for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your director of sales job on Zippia to find and recruit director of sales candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting directors of sales requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new director of sales

   Once you've selected the best director of sales candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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