How to hire a zone sales manager

How to hire a zone sales manager, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a zone sales manager, 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

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a zone sales manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a zone sales manager that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of zone sales managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Zone Sales Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Zone Sales Manager	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$31-77
   Sales Manager/Sales Trainer	A sales trainer or manager provides training for the sales staff. The target of the training is to improve the sales figures and meet target sales... Show more	$25-74
   Sales Account Manager	The account sales manager is in charge of the retention of their customer relationship. They have to supervise the portfolio of existing clients, develop new business with them, and seek new sales opportunities... Show more	$15-48

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Business Plan
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Performance
   • Sales Territory
   • Sales Growth
   • Dealer Satisfaction
   • Sales Strategies
   • Business Reviews
   • Gross Revenue
   • Sales Plan
   • DSD
   • Market Penetration
   • Sales Volume
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Leverage other sales office resources and administrative/support staff to achieve personal and team relate revenue goals.
   • Utilize information technology expertise to develop and maintain web presence, create marketing opportunities, CRM management, and increase productivity.
   • Recommend products and services to maximize customer service and target upselling on each customer contact.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, zone sales managers' average salary in oklahoma is 39% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level zone sales managers 59% less than senior-level zone sales managers.
   • Certifications. A zone sales manager 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 zone sales manager's salary.

   Average zone sales manager salary

   $103,932yearly

   $49.97 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level zone sales manager salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing a zone sales manager job description

   A job description for a zone sales manager 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 zone sales manager job description:

   Zone sales manager job description example

   In this role, you will make an impact in the following ways:
   
   + Effectively manages the relationship and business strategies for large, complex assigned accounts (cross-regional, global, etc.) to grow our share of the customer's wallet and achieve sales goals. Strengthens existing customer relationships and builds additional relationships within accounts.
   
   + Develops, manages, and expands business relationships with assigned accounts, for example by understanding and using their industry terminology and understanding their business model and buying process.
   
   + Identifies current and emerging customer needs. Develops and executes account strategies to grow share with existing accounts and supports new business opportunities.
   
   + Gains agreement to the benefits of Cummins products and solutions by helping customers make sense of available data and information.
   
   + Grows Cummins' share of the customer's business. Negotiates and implements contracts with accounts as authorized, for example by managing customer questions and managing escalations for accounts receivable and/or payment terms.
   
   + Leads, manages and coordinates communication and interfaces with the customer at all levels. Assures good communication, coordination and alignment across sales roles, supports cross-business account development strategies, and works with key internal stakeholders to achieve results.
   
   + If he/she has direct reports, conducts the following activities or ensures they are conducted by another manager: sets goals for their training and development, performance, and career planning and provides ongoing, consistent coaching and development. Delegates work assignments considering employee skills and development needs. Identifies department issues, problems, and opportunities to support continuous improvement initiatives.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   To be successful in this role you will need the following:
   
   + 7 years of relevant work experience required, including previous customer and/or product experience required. Purchasing/commercial contract negotiation preferred.
   
   + Leads the indirect / direct / dealer facing account teams within the region
   
   + Collaborates with Strategic Account and Bus leaders - redirects and prioritizes work of A/E's to accomplish regional and CSSNA wide initiatives
   
   + Industry & governmental connectivity
   
   + Critical connection point to EBU, NPBU, NRP and cross regional counterparts and other key internal stakeholders
   
   + Assist developing Account Executive strategies
   
   + Accountable for regional execution
   
   + Maintains relationships with key customers
   
   **Education, Licenses, Certifications**
   
   + College, university, or equivalent degree in Marketing, Sales, technical or a related subject or an acceptable combination of education and experience required. This position may require licensing for compliance with export controls or sanctions regulations.
   
   **Compensation and Benefits**
   
   Base salary rate commensurate with experience. Additional benefits vary between locations and include options such as our 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan, Cash Balance Pension Plan, Medical/Dental/Life Insurance, Health Savings Account, Domestic Partners Coverage and a full complement of personal and professional benefits.
   
   **Cummins and E-verify**
   
   At Cummins, we are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer dedicated to diversity in the workplace. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, gender, color, disability, national origin, age, religion, union affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, citizenship, gender identity and/or expression, or other status protected by law. Cummins validates right to work using E-Verify. Cummins will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.
   
   **Job** SALES
   
   **Primary Location** United States-Illinois-Chicago-US, IL, Hodgkins, Cummins NPower Chicago
   
   **Job Type** Experienced - Exempt / Office
   
   **Recruitment Job Type** Exempt - Experienced
   
   **Job Posting** Aug 1, 2022, 9:21:03 AM
   
   **Unposting Date** Ongoing
   
   **Organization** Distribution Business
   

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find zone sales managers 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 zone sales manager job on Zippia to find and recruit zone sales manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit zone sales 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. 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 zone sales manager

   Once you've selected the best zone sales manager 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new zone sales manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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