Sales Representative job description in the United States
Duties, requirements, interview questions, and a ready-to-use template so you can post your job today.
Job summary
A sales representative finds prospects, understands what they need, and turns that into closed deals and repeat customers. The role prospects new accounts, presents products, prepares quotes, negotiates terms, and follows up until payment is collected. For the business, a good sales representative means predictable revenue, a healthy pipeline, and customers who come back because they were sold what they actually needed.
Main duties
- Prospect new customers through calls, visits, referrals, social media, and trade events
- Qualify leads by identifying need, budget, decision maker, and purchase timeline
- Present and demonstrate products or services, tailoring the pitch to each customer
- Prepare quotes and proposals, and negotiate price, payment terms, and delivery dates
- Close sales and coordinate order processing, delivery, and invoicing with internal teams
- Follow up with existing accounts to generate repeat orders, upgrades, and referrals
- Record every contact, opportunity, and next step in the CRM or sales log
- Meet monthly sales targets and report results and forecasts to the sales manager
- Support collections by following up on overdue invoices from assigned accounts
Typical requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent; a degree in business or marketing is a plus
- One or more years of experience in sales with measurable targets
- Experience using a CRM or keeping an organized customer database
- Willingness to work on a base-plus-commission pay structure
- Valid driver's license and own transportation for field sales roles
- Availability to visit customers and travel within the assigned territory
Key skills
Salary in the United States
Based on jobs posted on Saplic over the last 6 months. This is a market benchmark, not an official figure.
Job posting template ready to copy
Replace the fields in brackets with your company's details.
Market benchmark: $3,118 per month (median of the jobs posted on Saplic over the last 6 months).
Sales Representative — [Company name]
At [Company name], we are looking for a sales representative to grow our customer base in [City]. The person in this role will prospect new accounts, present our products, close deals, and build long-term relationships, with clear targets and the support of a team that wants them to win.
Responsibilities
- Prospect new customers through calls, visits, referrals, social media, and trade events
- Qualify leads by identifying need, budget, decision maker, and purchase timeline
- Present and demonstrate products or services, tailoring the pitch to each customer
- Prepare quotes and proposals, and negotiate price, payment terms, and delivery dates
- Close sales and coordinate order processing, delivery, and invoicing with internal teams
- Follow up with existing accounts to generate repeat orders, upgrades, and referrals
- Record every contact, opportunity, and next step in the CRM or sales log
- Meet monthly sales targets and report results and forecasts to the sales manager
- Support collections by following up on overdue invoices from assigned accounts
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent; a degree in business or marketing is a plus
- One or more years of experience in sales with measurable targets
- Experience using a CRM or keeping an organized customer database
- Willingness to work on a base-plus-commission pay structure
- Valid driver's license and own transportation for field sales roles
- Availability to visit customers and travel within the assigned territory
What we offer
- Salary: [Salary]
- Benefits: [Benefits]
- Location: [City]
Interested in this job? Apply today.
How to hire a sales representative
Explain the pay structure upfront
Good salespeople read the commission plan before anything else. Stating in the posting how commissions are earned, whether there is a cap, and when they are paid filters in candidates motivated by results.
Ask for numbers, then verify them
Claims such as "exceeded quota" need context: what the quota was, how many months it was reached, and where the candidate ranked on the team. A reference call with a former manager should confirm it.
Match the sales cycle
Someone who thrives on quick retail sales may struggle with a six-month business-to-business cycle, and vice versa. It helps to compare the average deal size and cycle length of the previous job with the open role.
Role-play a real customer
A ten-minute simulated call with a typical objection shows whether the candidate asks questions before pitching, listens, and attempts to close. Rehearsed interview answers cannot fake that.
Hunter and farmer are different
Opening new accounts and growing existing ones require different temperaments. The posting should state the mix clearly, because a strong account manager placed in cold prospecting often quits within months.
Interview questions for sales representative candidates
Could you walk through the last sale you closed, from first contact to payment?
What to look for: A structured process with discovery, proposal, and follow-up, and clarity about the candidate's own part in it.
How did you find new customers when leads were not being provided?
What to look for: Proactive, repeatable prospecting methods and daily activity habits, not waiting for inbound inquiries.
What would you say to a customer who tells you a competitor is cheaper?
What to look for: Questions to understand the comparison and a defense of value before any discount is offered.
What were your sales targets in your last job, and how often did you reach them?
What to look for: Specific figures relative to quota and an honest explanation of the months that fell short.
How did you handle a deal you lost after weeks of work?
What to look for: Analysis of what went wrong, a lesson applied afterward, and no blaming the customer or the price.
How do you organize your day and decide which accounts to prioritize?
What to look for: A pipeline-based routine, time blocked for prospecting, and prioritization by deal value and likelihood.
What would you do if a customer asked for a discount beyond your authority?
What to look for: Respect for pricing policy, an attempt to trade concessions, and escalation with a clear business case.
Could you sell me one of the products you represented before?
What to look for: Whether the candidate asks about needs first, adapts the pitch, and asks for the sale at the end.
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Open sales representative jobs in the United States
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a sales representative make in the United States?
The median of the jobs posted on Saplic over the last 6 months is $3,118 per month, and the typical range runs from $2,728 to $3,363. This is a market benchmark, not an official figure.
What requirements are typical for a sales representative in the United States?
The most common ones in job postings are: high school diploma or equivalent; a degree in business or marketing is a plus; one or more years of experience in sales with measurable targets; experience using a CRM or keeping an organized customer database.
Is it better to hire a sales representative with industry experience or with strong sales skills?
Sales skills are usually harder to teach than product knowledge. A candidate who prospects with discipline and closes consistently can learn most products in a few weeks. Industry experience matters more for technical sales, where credibility with engineers or specialized buyers depends on speaking their language from the first meeting.
How long should a new sales representative be given to produce results?
It depends on the sales cycle. In retail or short-cycle sales, activity and first closings should appear within the first weeks. In longer business-to-business cycles, the early indicators are calls, meetings, and proposals sent. Agreeing on activity targets for the ramp-up period avoids judging too early or waiting too long.
How much does it cost to post sales representative jobs on Saplic?
Nothing. Posting the job is free and no credit card is required. The recruiting system for organizing the people who apply is free too.