Job description: Sales Representative in Malawi
Duties, requirements, interview questions and a template ready for you to advertise your vacancy today.
Role summary
A sales representative finds prospective customers, understands what they need and closes deals that bring revenue into the business. The role manages a pipeline of opportunities from first contact to payment and looks after existing accounts so that they buy again. For a small company, one consistent sales representative is often the difference between a good product and a profitable one.
Main duties
- Prospect for new customers through calls, visits, referrals, social media and trade events
- Qualify leads by identifying the need, the budget, the decision maker and the purchase timeline
- Present and demonstrate products or services, adapting the pitch to each customer's situation
- Prepare quotations and proposals and negotiate price, terms and delivery within agreed limits
- Close sales and coordinate with operations and accounts to ensure delivery and timely payment
- Record every contact, opportunity and forecast accurately in the CRM system
- Follow up with existing customers to secure repeat orders and identify cross-selling opportunities
- Report weekly on pipeline, conversion rates and market feedback about prices and competitors
Typical requirements
- Secondary school certificate or equivalent; a qualification in business or marketing is an advantage
- One to two years of experience in sales with targets that can be evidenced
- Experience using a CRM system and competent use of spreadsheets and email
- Confident communication in person, by telephone and in writing
- Full driving licence and willingness to travel within the territory, where the role is field-based
- Knowledge of the sector or of the local customer base is desirable
Key skills
Vacancy template ready to copy
Replace the fields in square brackets with your company details.
Sales Representative — [Company name]
At [Company name] we are looking for a sales representative to grow our customer base in [City]. The role involves finding new clients, presenting our products, preparing proposals and closing deals, with clear targets, proper product training and the backing of a team that delivers what is sold.
Responsibilities
- Prospect for new customers through calls, visits, referrals, social media and trade events
- Qualify leads by identifying the need, the budget, the decision maker and the purchase timeline
- Present and demonstrate products or services, adapting the pitch to each customer's situation
- Prepare quotations and proposals and negotiate price, terms and delivery within agreed limits
- Close sales and coordinate with operations and accounts to ensure delivery and timely payment
- Record every contact, opportunity and forecast accurately in the CRM system
- Follow up with existing customers to secure repeat orders and identify cross-selling opportunities
- Report weekly on pipeline, conversion rates and market feedback about prices and competitors
Requirements
- Secondary school certificate or equivalent; a qualification in business or marketing is an advantage
- One to two years of experience in sales with targets that can be evidenced
- Experience using a CRM system and competent use of spreadsheets and email
- Confident communication in person, by telephone and in writing
- Full driving licence and willingness to travel within the territory, where the role is field-based
- Knowledge of the sector or of the local customer base is desirable
What we offer
- Salary: [Salary]
- Benefits: [Benefits]
- Location: [City]
Interested in this vacancy? Apply today.
How to hire a sales representative
Explain the commission structure early
Good salespeople decide whether to apply based on how they will earn. Describing how the fixed and variable parts work, without necessarily quoting amounts, attracts candidates who are confident in their own results.
Ask for numbers, then verify
A candidate should be able to state past targets and achievement against them. Confirming those figures with a previous sales manager is essential, since achievements are more often inflated on a sales CV than on any other.
Match the sales cycle
Someone excellent at quick counter sales may struggle with a six-month business-to-business cycle, and the reverse is also true. The interview should establish the length and value of deals the candidate is used to.
Run a short role-play
Asking the candidate to sell the company's own product after ten minutes of preparation shows whether they ask questions before pitching. Those who talk without listening rarely improve after hiring.
Plan the first ninety days
New representatives fail more often from poor onboarding than from poor ability. Defining product training, initial leads and realistic early targets before the start date protects the investment in the hire.
Interview questions for sales representative roles
Could you describe your last sales target and how you performed against it?
What to look for: Precise figures, an honest account of good and bad periods and an explanation of what drove results.
How did you find new customers when leads were not provided?
What to look for: A repeatable prospecting routine with specific channels and daily activity levels.
Could you tell me about a deal you lost and what you learnt from it?
What to look for: Takes responsibility, analyses the cause and describes a change in approach afterwards.
What would you do if a customer said the price was too high?
What to look for: Explores the real objection and defends value before considering any discount.
How do you decide which opportunities in your pipeline deserve the most time?
What to look for: Qualifies by need, budget, authority and timing, not by how friendly the contact is.
How have you used a CRM system in your daily work?
What to look for: Logs activity consistently and uses the data to plan follow-ups and forecast.
What would you do if you realised that a product did not fit what a customer needed?
What to look for: Honesty with the customer, protecting the long-term relationship over a quick sale.
How did you recover a customer who had stopped buying?
What to look for: Investigated the reason, resolved the complaint and rebuilt trust with a concrete offer.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for a sales representative in Malawi?
The most common ones in vacancies are: secondary school certificate or equivalent; a qualification in business or marketing is an advantage; one to two years of experience in sales with targets that can be evidenced; experience using a CRM system and competent use of spreadsheets and email.
Is it better to hire a sales representative with sector experience or with strong sales ability?
Where the product is technical and the sales cycle is long, sector knowledge shortens the learning curve considerably. For simpler products, proven sales ability matters more, because product knowledge can be taught in weeks while prospecting discipline and resilience are much harder to develop.
How long should a new sales representative be given before results are judged?
It depends on the sales cycle. A fair approach is to judge activity first, such as calls, visits and proposals, and results only after at least one full cycle has passed. Setting those milestones in writing from the first day avoids disputes during the probation period.
How much does it cost to advertise sales representative vacancies on Saplic?
Nothing. Posting the vacancy is free and no credit card is required. The recruitment system for organising the people who apply is free as well.
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