A Brief Guide to Sales Job Specs

Sales people are the lifeblood of any company. They keep the wheels turning, working tirelessly to bring in new business. Finding the right people to drive your success is crucial. That’s why having specific and effective hiring profiles makes all the difference.

Sales jobs are also notoriously difficult to pin down. The term “sales” can encompass a wide variety of job descriptions, from entry-level customer service positions to high-powered executive sales jobs.

There can be some confusion when faced with putting together your job descriptions, so we’re going to help make sense of a few key titles and their specs for when you’re scaling.

Where to start

When you’re hiring a sales team, you need to make sure that you have clear and concise requirements scoped out for the role. These should outline the key responsibilities, skills and attributes, as well as the experience and qualifications.

We’ve got you covered with some tried and tested templates below for you to use and modify.

You don’t have to carry this task alone. To help ensure that your job specification is fit for purpose, it’s a good idea to get expert help. There are a number of specialist organisations that can assist you - have a look at Hubble’s list of top 16 tech recruiters for startups.

In addition to using specialist help, there are a few other things you can do to make sure your job specification is up to scratch. Consult with your sales managers and other key stakeholders, if you have established these roles, to get their input. Also lean on your network to learn from their failures and successes so you can avoid mishaps and measure when you’re on the right track.

Writing up the specs

In order to write these effective job specs, you'll want to consider the following:

The size of the team you need
The skills and experience required for each role
The geographical territory each salesperson will be responsible for
Your company's sales process
Your company's products or services

These are of course, subject to the structure you need based on the industry you're in. With this in mind, you can begin to craft specific, actionable job descriptions that will help you find your people.

No matter what specific skills and experience you're looking for, be sure to include that you're looking for someone who is a good addition to your company's culture. The best people in any team - sales and beyond, are those who complement your company's values and believe in your mission, as they often have a secondary role as ambassadors of the company.

Making your specs inclusive

Being mindful should be reflected in every area of your company but especially during the hiring process. When writing job descriptions, it is important to be mindful of the language used in order to make the role as inclusive as possible for all candidates.

For example, using words such as “aggressive”, “ambitious”, or “assertive” can be seen as masculine-coded language, and may deter women from applying. Instead, try to use words that are more neutral or inclusive, such as “hard-working”, “motivated”, or “driven”.

It is also important to avoid using gendered pronouns, and to use gender-neutral alternatives instead.

There are tools like Eploy’s Check My Job available to help you improve your writing to become more inclusive. OnGig also lists 5 additional tools to use.

Remember to sell yourself in the spec

When writing your job specs, as well as listing the benefits and features of the job itself, it is important to include information on company culture as this can be a major selling point for candidates. Here are 4 tips on how to sell your company to candidates when writing job specs:

Highlight what makes your company culture unique and attractive.
Explain how your company culture contributes to a positive and productive work environment.
Describe how your company culture supports employee growth and development.
Emphasise how your company culture creates a positive and supportive community.

Candidates are increasingly interested in company culture when considering job offers, so it is important to make sure that your company culture is reflected in your job specs. By highlighting the unique and attractive aspects of your company culture, you can sell candidates on the idea of joining your team.

Templates

We’ve identified 12 key roles and their templates that span the scaling journey. Of course, they will each need to be adapted to your needs and have your company's unique touch added to them.

The tech industry is constantly changing, and you need to be able to adapt to those changes too. What works today might not work tomorrow, so you need to be flexible when starting your hiring journey.

Remember authenticity attracts authenticity so find people that will grow with the business and believe in the story you’re telling. At the end of the day, whether you're selling a product or delivering a service, every business has a story to tell and your sales team brings it to life everyday for the customers.