How to hire a lead sales specialist

How to hire a lead sales specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead sales specialist hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the lead sales specialist you need to hire. Certain lead sales specialist 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 lead sales specialist 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 lead sales specialists.

   Type of Lead Sales Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Sales Specialist		$20-48
   Sales Team Leader	A sales team leader oversees the sales operations within a particular area, ensuring to reach goals within the allotted time. They are primarily responsible for setting goals, devising sales strategies, evaluating sales team performance, assigning tasks, and providing support and corrective measures should there be any concerns... Show more	$16-35
   Sales Coach	The sales coaches observe and come up with better strategies and plan to solve training needs. A sales coach is an expert in sales and hence helps companies to develop and train sales members in the best trends and possible strategies to ensure success... Show more	$17-39

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Retail Sales
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Service
   • CRM
   • Product Knowledge
   • Retail Store
   • Sales Associates
   • Lead Management
   • Sales Process
   • Account Management
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Sales Strategies

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage organizational standards, cleanliness of store and safety procedures/policies; manage and maintain store appearance, provide exceptional customer service.
   • Drive and track business development efforts using CRM tools.
   • Used SalesForce to develop a CRM, streamlining the sales team's ability to access need client information.
   • Surmount tumultuous economy by maintaining steady income, retaining customers, and realizing exponential sales growth by creating realistic customer expectations.
   • Describe product to customers and accurately explain details about DirecTV services.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead sales specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lead sales specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, lead sales specialists' average salary in louisiana is 38% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lead sales specialists earn 57% less than senior-level lead sales specialists.
   • Certifications. A lead sales specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lead sales specialist's salary.

   Average lead sales specialist salary

   $66,326yearly

   $31.89 hourly rate

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   Entry-level lead sales specialist salary

   $43,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a lead sales specialist job description

   A good lead sales specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a lead sales specialist job description:

   Lead sales specialist job description example

   Come work at a place where innovation and teamwork come together to support the most exciting missions in the world!
   
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
   * Provide a great experience by engaging with guests utilizing your acquired skills and training.
   * Assist guests' selection and recommendation of merchandise and services in accordance with their identified needs.
   * Demonstrate a high level of interest in the welfare, health, and proper handling of all animals.
   * Process register transactions and create a great experience for each guest.
   * Generate future business through a deep understand of the guests and their pet/s and connection to our digital platforms.
   * Perform related duties in support of the Pet Care Center attaining its assigned sales goals.
   * Ensure merchandise is stocked, priced, and displayed to create a great presentation for our guests.
   * Completes and applies training programs to maintain a high level of expertise of their role.
   * Adhere to established operational guidelines, policies, and procedures.
   * Promote a positive culture of teamwork, inclusion, and collaboration.
   * Complete other duties and special projects as assigned.
   * Evaluate guest inquiries and as needed refers to the Leader on Duty.
   
   Other Essential Duties
   
   * UTILIZE SELLING BEHAVIORS. You're the key to providing an amazing guest experience within our Pet Care Locations. Utilizing the behaviors within our Sales Model is critical to being able to identify and solve for their needs both today and in the future.
   * CONTRIBUTE TO A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. You'll be empowered through our training programs to maintain our safety protocols. Bottom line, the safety of partners, guests and pets is our #1 priority.
   * BE A PART OF A COLLABORATIVE CULTURE. Being a great teammate is key to creating a culture that is centered around solving for the health and wellness needs of pets.
   * ENGAGE IN YOUR CAREER: As you develop your skills and knowledge, you will have the opportunity to participate in developmental programs to support your continued growth throughout your career.
   
   Basic Qualifications
   
   Minimum of one year of sales experience is required for this position. Qualified applicants will possess a high level of knowledge of pet nutrition and an aptitude for sales techniques. In addition to having a professional appearance and demeanor, applicants must also demonstrate a keen and genuine interest in animals and their care. Good interpersonal and verbal communication skills are necessary due to the nature of interaction with the public and other partners and leaders within the store.
   
   Certification
   
   Completing and maintaining of the appropriate specialist level of the Petco Certification program is required in this role.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   Prior pet nutrition experience and working with and/or caring for pets recommended.
   
   Supervisory Responsibility
   
   * None
   
   Work Environment
   
   The majority of job duties are conducted indoors, although merchandise receiving, merchandise carry-outs, or stock balancing will require leaving the store briefly. This position requires bending, kneeling, moving merchandise and standing for long periods of time. Must be able to lift 50 lbs and pull 2000 lbs utilizing material handling equipment. Improper use of safety equipment and/or not following proper lifting techniques may pose of risk of injury to customers, pets, and Pet Care Center personnel. Follow all safety precautions and procedures. Must be available for shifts on evenings, weekends and some overnights and holidays.
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.
   
   Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected classification.

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5. Post your job

   To find lead sales specialists for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any lead sales specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level lead sales specialists with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lead sales specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit lead sales specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit lead sales specialists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 lead sales specialist

   Once you've found the lead sales specialist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is 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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