How to hire a sales support representative

How to hire a sales support representative, step by step

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

What does a sales support representative do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The sales support representative 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 support representative's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sales support representatives 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.

   Here's a comparison of sales support representative salaries for various roles:

   Type of Sales Support Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Support Representative	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations. They contact customers, explain product features, answer any questions that their customers may have, and negotiate prices.	$14-23
   Field Representative	The primary role of field marketing representatives is to drive brand awareness through face-to-face customer interaction. They are the liaisons between sellers and buyers, providing vital information on products and services... Show more	$12-34
   Sales Representative Internship	In a sales representative internship, an intern's duties depend on the directives of a supervising staff or manager. Typically, they are responsible for gaining industry insights while performing clerical tasks such as preparing and processing documents, greeting visitors, disseminating and organizing files, and running errands as needed... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Support
   • Phone Calls
   • POS
   • Product Knowledge
   • Customer Complaints
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Work Ethic
   • CRM
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • PowerPoint
   • Inbound Calls
   • Customer Support
   • Windows
   • Order Entry

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage internal CRM and inventory software to track and input sales orders, account history, and stock allocation.
   • Facilitate the transition from AS400 to JDE operating system.
   • Utilize all programs, systems, and procedures of windows operating systems.
   • Help customers troubleshoot technical issues with their computers, process customer transactions and handle escalate issues.
   • Assist in setting up and checking EDI data from customers, brokers, carriers, and truckers.
   • Work collaboratively with sales representatives and regional vice presidents to produce cost proposals, problem solve and troubleshoot issues.

   More sales support representative duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sales support representative job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A sales support representative salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a sales support representative in Utah may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level sales support representative usually earns less than a senior-level sales support representative. Additionally, a sales support representative with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average sales support representative salary

   $38,310yearly

   $18.42 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sales support representative salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average sales support representative salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$47,738	$23
   2	Indiana	$45,167	$22
   3	North Carolina	$44,382	$21
   4	California	$43,545	$21
   5	Minnesota	$42,621	$20
   6	Massachusetts	$42,469	$20
   7	Colorado	$40,971	$20
   8	Maryland	$40,483	$19
   9	Nevada	$39,858	$19
   10	New York	$39,524	$19
   11	Texas	$39,274	$19
   12	Kansas	$38,995	$19
   13	Georgia	$38,758	$19
   14	Virginia	$38,360	$18
   15	Pennsylvania	$37,668	$18
   16	Arizona	$36,732	$18
   17	Florida	$36,439	$18
   18	Illinois	$35,396	$17
   19	Oregon	$35,219	$17
   20	New Mexico	$35,109	$17

   Average sales support representative salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	NetApp	$52,978	$25.47	17
   2	Morgan Stanley	$49,176	$23.64	10
   3	Cottage Health	$46,045	$22.14	6
   4	Aetna	$45,382	$21.82
   5	Lenovo	$45,381	$21.82	8
   6	IDT	$43,573	$20.95	23
   7	Xerox	$43,505	$20.92	1
   8	SP Industries	$43,480	$20.90	29
   9	Thriveworks	$43,429	$20.88
   10	Motorola Solutions	$43,255	$20.80	34
   11	Stryker	$42,980	$20.66	903
   12	CyberCoders	$42,945	$20.65	2
   13	Eaton	$42,890	$20.62	84
   14	Mutual of Omaha	$42,604	$20.48	2
   15	ICU Medical	$42,367	$20.37	21
   16	CTG	$42,289	$20.33	4
   17	Cenergy International Services	$42,183	$20.28
   18	Flowserve	$42,088	$20.23	15
   19	Paylocity	$42,053	$20.22	23
   20	Quinn	$42,020	$20.20	19

4. Writing a sales support representative job description

   A sales support representative 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 support representative job description:

   Sales support representative job description example

   Ferguson is North America's leading value-added distributor across residential, non-residential, new construction and repair, maintenance, and improvement (RMI) end markets. Spanning 34,000 suppliers and more than one million customers, we deliver local expertise, value-added solutions, and the industry's most extensive portfolio of products. From infrastructure, plumbing, and appliances, to HVAC, fire protection, fabrication, and more, we make our customers' complex projects simple, successful, and sustainable.
   Pay Rate $23.08
   
   Ferguson is currently seeking an individual to fill an immediate need for a Sales Support Representative.
   Responsibilities
   Work together with Sales associates to support customer needs by determining the best products and solutions.Ensuring the delivery of personalized customer service through timely quotations and accurate sales orders.Coordinate deliveries on behalf of customers.Answer sales calls for general information, addressing and resolving customer concerns or questions.Ability to effectively use customer relationship management (CRM) system and phone system.
   Qualifications
   Prior sales and/or customer service experience is preferred.Exhibit strong skills for sales, including the ability to upsell.Proven track record of responding quickly to customer needs and ability to make decisions in a timely manner.Ability to react well in a fast-paced environment & follow through on commitments.Highly motivated and customer service oriented mentality with ability to build relationships is a plus.General digital literacy including Microsoft Office.Ability to quickly learn product knowledge and processes.
   Ferguson is dedicated to providing meaningful benefits programs and products to our associates and their families-geared toward benefits, wellness, financial protection, and retirement savings. Ferguson offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, retirement savings with company match, paid leave (vacation, sick, personal, holiday, and parental), employee assistance programs, associate discounts, community involvement opportunities, and much more!
   
   -
   The Company is an equal opportunity employer as well as a government contractor that shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a), which prohibits discrimination against qualified protected Veterans and the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(A), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability.
   
   Ferguson Enterprises, LLC. is an equal employment employer F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.
   
   Equal Employment Opportunity and Reasonable Accommodation Information

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find sales support representatives 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 support representative job on Zippia to find and attract quality sales support representative candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with sales support representative 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 support representative

   Once you've decided on a perfect sales support representative candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   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.

   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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