How to hire a selling specialist

How to hire a selling specialist, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a selling specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect selling 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 presents selling specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Selling Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Selling Specialist	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.	$14-25
   Expert	An expert has extensive knowledge on a subject gained from a significant amount of experience. Although the tasks will vary on the line of work or organization, an expert's role will often revolve around sharing expertise through discussion, evaluation, and influencing... Show more	$25-77
   Beauty Advisor	A beauty advisor's role is to represent a brand by engaging with customers and recommending cosmetic or skincare products in pursuit of securing sales. They must have extensive knowledge of the company's products and current trends, ability in applying make-up, and customer service skills as most of the duties will focus on demonstrating and responding to inquiries... Show more	$13-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Knowledge
   • Visual Standards
   • Customer Service
   • Store Management
   • Sales Floor
   • Drive Sales
   • Brand Awareness
   • Increase Sales
   • Repeat Business
   • POS
   • Retail Sales
   • Store Products
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Inventory Control

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Master delivering technical product information to doctors on training and teaching proper injection technique to achieve optimal results for patients.
   • Mentore and develop new associates by providing leadership thus distinguish as a model for emulation.
   • Master delivering technical product information to doctors on training and teaching proper injection technique to achieve optimal results for patients.
   • Experience in packing, collating, and processing orders for international and domestic shipments.
   • Sell and activate cellular phones and mp3 player, as well as educate customers on products.
   • Collaborate with board members to prepare PowerPoint presentations and other written reports and present concepts to management.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, selling specialists' average salary in oklahoma is 37% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level selling specialists 43% less than senior-level selling specialists.
   • Certifications. A selling specialist 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 selling specialist's salary.

   Average selling specialist salary

   $40,530yearly

   $19.49 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level selling specialist salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

4. Writing a selling specialist job description

   A selling specialist 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 selling specialist job description:

   Selling specialist job description example

   The ideal Salesperson is passionate about fashion and styling and has the ability to cultivate and grow a customer following, both digitally and in-store.
   *A day in the life…*
   
   * Set and achieve sales goals, for both in-store and digital selling with effective use of selling tools (inclusive of text and social media)
   * Our commission salespeople make on average a range from $17 per hour to more than $100 per hour depending on individual sales performance.
   * US Average Rate: $27.00
   * Build lasting relationships with customers
   * Give the best service to our customers on their terms
   * Provide honest and confident feedback to customers about style and fit
   * Seek fashion and product knowledge to build your expertise
   * Work with the team to keep the department customer ready, which means filling orders, stocking, re-merchandising, price markdowns, and light cleaning
   * Grow relationships by opening new Nordstrom Rewards program accounts
   * The hours and schedule for this position will vary by week depending on business needs
   * This role may require you to be flexible to occasionally performing work/duties in a department other than the one you were hired into
   
   *You own this if you have…*
   
   * Excellent communication and people skills
   * A self-motivated, goal oriented focus
   * Strong interest to use networking and technology to achieve sales goals
   * The ability to excel in a team environment
   * The ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
   * Organization and follow through
   * The ability to work a flexible schedule based on business needs
   
   *We've got you covered…*Our employees are our most important asset and that's reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:
   
   * Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
   * Life Insurance and Disability
   * Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources
   
   A few more important points...The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.Nordstrom will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation should contact the nearest Nordstrom location, which can be identified at www.nordstrom.com.© 2022 Nordstrom, IncCurrent Nordstrom employees: To apply, log into Workday, click the Careers button and then click Find Jobs.
   
   Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
   
   Pay: $17.00 - $100.00 per hour
   
   Benefits:
   * 401(k)
   * 401(k) matching
   * Dental insurance
   * Employee discount
   * Health insurance
   * Paid time off
   * Vision insurance
   Schedule:
   * 8 hour shift
   Shift:
   * Day shift
   * Evening shift
   * Morning shift
   Weekly day range:
   * Every weekend
   * Monday to Friday
   * Weekend availability
   
   Experience:
   * sales: 2 years (Preferred)
   * Customer service: 2 years (Preferred)
   
   Shift availability:
   * Day Shift (Required)
   * Night Shift (Required)
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right selling specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with selling specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit selling specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit selling specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 selling specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the selling specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with 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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