How to hire a sales person

How to hire a sales person, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales person 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 person job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sales person
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a sales person do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the sales person you need to hire. Certain sales person 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 sales person 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 sales people.

   Type of Sales Person	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Person	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$6-58
   Adviser Sales	Adviser sales are responsible for reaching out to clients through calls and correspondence to promote and sell products or services. With a sales target to reach, they must secure sales by prioritizing customer satisfaction... Show more	$14-45
   Seasonal Sales Representative	Usually working on a contractual basis, a seasonal sales representative serves as the clients' point of contact in businesses. They typically offer products and services through calls and correspondence, arrange appointments, discuss promotions, explain product specifications and pricing, negotiate contracts, arrange payment plans, and build positive relationships with clients... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Basic Math
   • Phone Calls
   • POS
   • Cleanliness
   • Math
   • Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Real Estate
   • Sales Process
   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Door Sales
   • Provide Customer Support
   • PowerPoint

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Clean CDL and aptitude for relationship building lead to point of sales position.
   • Manage product deliveries, and maintain overall orderliness and cleanliness of facility to optimize customer experience.
   • Perform sales responsibilities utilizing mobile POS system while marketing company membership services, ensuring client satisfaction.
   • Gain in-depth knowledge of Chrysler vehicles and differentiate them to existing and potential customers.
   • Assist customers in load calculations, design, and implementation of a variety of HVAC systems.
   • Create PowerPoint presentations and promote products at meetings and continuing education programs

   More sales person duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, sales people' average salary in alaska is 56% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sales people 88% less than senior-level sales people.
   • Certifications. A sales person 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 sales person's salary.

   Average sales person salary

   $42,010yearly

   $20.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sales person salary

   $14,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average sales person salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$74,483	$36
   2	California	$71,941	$35
   3	Massachusetts	$57,793	$28
   4	Oregon	$52,570	$25
   5	Nevada	$50,339	$24
   6	Maine	$48,973	$24
   7	Pennsylvania	$47,414	$23
   8	Colorado	$45,791	$22
   9	Arizona	$45,263	$22
   10	Illinois	$44,147	$21
   11	Washington	$42,236	$20
   12	Virginia	$41,361	$20
   13	Wisconsin	$40,535	$19
   14	Texas	$40,497	$19
   15	Minnesota	$39,826	$19
   16	Missouri	$39,248	$19
   17	Oklahoma	$38,533	$19
   18	Florida	$38,524	$19
   19	Michigan	$38,415	$18
   20	Kansas	$38,140	$18

   Average sales person salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Douglas Elliman	$213,123	$102.46
   2	Citi	$198,805	$95.58	5
   3	Merrill Lynch	$178,508	$85.82
   4	Randall Realtors	$165,758	$79.69
   5	Re/max Elite Realty	$164,169	$78.93
   6	RE/MAX	$156,146	$75.07	6
   7	Berkshire Hathaway	$155,605	$74.81
   8	Barclays	$152,696	$73.41
   9	Credit Suisse	$144,788	$69.61
   10	Tru Realty	$141,961	$68.25
   11	CIBC World Markets	$140,712	$67.65
   12	Ring Power Cat	$137,879	$66.29	5
   13	Citicorp North America, Inc	$133,129	$64.00
   14	Subaru	$131,491	$63.22	24
   15	UBS	$129,933	$62.47	3
   16	Mesirow	$129,145	$62.09
   17	HSBC Bank	$128,203	$61.64	3
   18	Royal Bank of Canada	$126,302	$60.72	7
   19	Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama	$126,199	$60.67	4
   20	Progressive Auto Group	$122,647	$58.96	5

4. Writing a sales person job description

   A job description for a sales person role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a sales person job description:

   Sales person job description example

   Kendall Auto Group is one of the largest family owned and operated dealers in the Pacific Northwest and premier employer in Bozeman. We are looking for a Finance and Insurance Salesperson to join the team. At Kendall Ford, our sales department is a fast-paced environment serving clients throughout the community. Some of the benefits of working with Kendall are:
   Competitive pay plan / no cap on earnings - earn up to $100,000 plus! Substantial monthly bonus program Career path development opportunities Discounts on parts, service and vehicle purchases for your immediate family Medical, Dental and Vision insurance Paid Life insurance 401(k) plan w/ Fidelity Accident and Illness supplemental plans Competitive paid time off
   This is not an entry level position. Qualified candidates will have 1-2 years work experience with demonstrated success in vehicles sales, previous experience in F&I is preferred. Required schedule will include evenings and weekends.
   
   Essential job tasks to include arranging financing for clientele, selling insurance and vehicle accessories, correctly completing associated paperwork, record keeping, developing and maintaining relationships with approved financial institutions and ensuring contract funding or collection of money related to vehicle sales.
   
   Ideal candidate will be detail oriented, complete work in a timely fashion, have superior customer service and communication skills, be able to maintain a high level of discretion and confidentiality and of course want to treat our clientele with the upmost respect. A valid driver license and good driving record is required.
   
   Work is performed indoors, spending the majority of shift working on PCs and using telephone systems. Carrying and lifting occasionally required up to 20lbs.
   
   Join Kendall Auto Group and START SOMETHING GREAT! We are a family-owned and operated company with auto dealerships in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. Kendall has been selling and servicing vehicles since 1937.
   
   Our mission at Kendall is simple: To deliver an unrivaled customer experience. Through our highly motivated, knowledgeable and caring team of professionals, we pledge to listen to and respect your needs. Doing the right thing means more than selling and servicing vehicles. Our progressive attitude means being exceptional stewards of the communities we operate in. It means going above and beyond every day for the people who mean so much to us - our employees and customers.
   
   Our employees are members of the Kendall family, who share our same goals and passions. Ideal candidates are confident, driven people who are excited to grow and succeed with one of the most successful automotive dealerships in the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking for a rewarding career, we would like to meet you and start something great!
   
   To apply, please follow the link to our job board site.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find sales people for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sales person job on Zippia to find and recruit sales person 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

   Your first interview with sales person candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 person

   Once you've selected the best sales person 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new sales person. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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