How to hire a sales development manager

How to hire a sales development manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales development manager hiring guide:

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

What does a sales development manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The sales development manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A sales development manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sales development managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of sales development managers.

   Type of Sales Development Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Development Manager	Training and development managers plan, direct, and coordinate programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of an organization’s employees. They also oversee a staff of training and development specialists.	$31-75
   Product Manager/Sales	A sales product manager is responsible for monitoring the sales performance of a specific product and ensuring that the marketing strategies adhere to market standards and client requirements. Sales product managers work closely with the marketing and public relations team to enhance the product's brand image on various market platforms to reach the target audience... Show more	$36-75
   Commercial Sales Manager	Commercial sales managers have various duties and responsibilities. These include managing marketing campaigns via phone, direct mail, and the internet, supervising the sales executive teams to develop and maintaining good relations with healthcare professionals, and managing client relationships and identifying opportunities for new business... Show more	$26-68

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • SDR
   • Salesforce
   • Customer Service
   • CRM
   • Sales Process
   • Business Development
   • Lead Generation
   • Training Programs
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Targets
   • Sales Training
   • Sales Strategies
   • Sales Professionals
   • Sales Plan

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create the communication of leads into the sales CRM to be follow up on by the inside sales force.
   • Develop and manage customized patient education programs for nationwide distribution through healthcare nonprofit associations by securing third-party pharmaceutical sponsorship.
   • Conduct healthcare need assessments for prospective assist living residents.
   • Maintain CRM customer database for assign and newly develop customers.
   • Generate week-over-week sales snapshots for management that identify actionable insights to improve market share in territory.
   • Create ad sales materials for lifestyle category editorial content packages as well as determined optimal pricing models to maximize revenue earnings.

   More sales development manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, sales development managers' average salary in florida is 48% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sales development managers earn 58% less than senior-level sales development managers.
   • Certifications. A sales development manager 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 sales development manager's salary.

   Average sales development manager salary

   $102,790yearly

   $49.42 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sales development manager salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average sales development manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$129,856	$62
   2	Connecticut	$127,557	$61
   3	Oregon	$121,928	$59
   4	Washington	$120,502	$58
   5	Alaska	$117,813	$57
   6	Pennsylvania	$115,175	$55
   7	New York	$109,995	$53
   8	Delaware	$109,923	$53
   9	Nevada	$108,151	$52
   10	Iowa	$106,777	$51
   11	Massachusetts	$106,074	$51
   12	New Jersey	$104,080	$50
   13	Maryland	$103,990	$50
   14	District of Columbia	$101,714	$49
   15	North Dakota	$101,593	$49
   16	West Virginia	$100,061	$48
   17	North Carolina	$97,241	$47
   18	Virginia	$97,216	$47
   19	Illinois	$97,151	$47
   20	Arkansas	$96,326	$46

   Average sales development manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Everyday Health	$150,008	$72.12	1
   2	Google	$142,108	$68.32	62
   3	Databricks	$137,568	$66.14	6
   4	AbbVie	$137,279	$66.00	59
   5	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$134,226	$64.53	6
   6	Intel	$132,491	$63.70	12
   7	Flexport	$131,080	$63.02	18
   8	Okta	$130,035	$62.52	33
   9	Lumileds	$129,307	$62.17
   10	TripActions	$129,037	$62.04
   11	Toll Brothers	$126,461	$60.80	16
   12	CrowdStrike	$124,913	$60.05	42
   13	Torch Technologies	$122,431	$58.86
   14	Sasol Chemicals (USA) LLC	$121,735	$58.53
   15	Appian	$120,193	$57.79	3
   16	MongoDB	$119,732	$57.56	1
   17	Qualtrics	$119,665	$57.53	6
   18	Snowflake Computing	$118,937	$57.18	4
   19	Amazon	$118,353	$56.90	645
   20	Ecolab	$118,109	$56.78	125

4. Writing a sales development manager job description

   A sales development manager 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a sales development manager job description:

   Sales development manager job description example

   We're looking for problem solvers, innovators, and dreamers who are searching for anything but business as usual. Like us, you're a high performer who's an expert at your craft, constantly challenging the status quo. You value inclusivity and want to join a culture that empowers you to show up as your authentic self. You know that success hinges on commitment, that our differences make us stronger, and that the finish line is always sweeter when the whole team crosses together.
   
   Overview:Reporting to the Director of Sales Development, the Manager of Sales Development will be responsible for managing a team of Dallas-based Sales Development Representatives. The role of this group is to help drive new customer acquisition and corporate growth by qualifying inbound marketing leads and engaging in proactive and targeted outbound prospecting. The successful candidate will possess a unique blend of business development, performance management and team leadership experience, and have a proven track record of over-achieving both personal and team-based targets to make a real difference, every day.
   Responsibilities:
   Build new sales pipeline through the development and management of the Demand Generation/Inside Sales team.Hire, train, and lead the team by providing coaching, mentoring and motivation with a focus on strong sales results, development and personal growth.Leverage your knowledge of the Salesforce.com CRM platform to manage and track team performance KPI's and the movement of leads through the Alteryx demand funnel.Communicate team and individual performance metrics to management as required.Work closely with the senior leadership to develop, manage and enhance key elements of the Alteryx demand generation model.Act as a liaison between the lead development team and commercial sales and field sales teams.Provide proactive, metrics-based feedback to marketing on lead generation campaigns and develop engaging prospect messaging tools for your team to use in the field.
   
   Qualifications:
   2-5 years' business-to-business lead generation and team management experience, with a focus on enterprise sales in a land and expand sales model Strong experience with Salesforce.com.Proven track record in exceeding personal and team-based quotas and goals.Ability to liaise with senior-level executive contacts, both internal and external.Exceptional written and oral presentation skills.BA/BS degree.Strong entrepreneurial drive and work ethic: Ambition and a willingness to work hard are critical attributes for this role.
   Find yourself checking a lot of these boxes but doubting whether you should apply? At Alteryx, we support a growth mindset for our associates through all stages of their careers. If you meet some of the requirements and you share our values, we encourage you to apply. As part of our ongoing commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace, we're invested in building teams with a wide variety of backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
   
   Benefits & Perks:
   Alteryx has amazing benefits for all Associates which can be viewed here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find sales development managers 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 sales development managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level sales development managers 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 sales development manager job on Zippia to find and recruit sales development manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit sales development managers, 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 sales development manager

   Once you've found the sales development manager 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new sales development manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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