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How to Hire a Sales Representative

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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

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2 min read

Does your growing business need a sales representative? Sales representatives can help your company increase sales and revenue.

Here are some tips to help you find great sales representative candidates and make the right hire for your business.

Hire your next Sales Representative today.

Post a Job

Hire your next Sales Representative today.

Post a Job
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Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

Sales Representative: What is the cost of hiring?

2025-10-0114000.0081524.44220000.00YEARLY

Why hire a sales representative?

Hiring a sales representative can be beneficial at any stage of your company’s growth. Increasing sales is critical for growing your business and taking your profits to new heights. The end result is major changes to your company’s bottom line. A great sales representative can help your business: 

• Increase the number of appointments your sales team has
• Provide excellent customer service to callers
• Increase overall sales

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance sales representative

Companies can hire freelance sales representatives because they may be less expensive to hire than full-time sales employees. Freelance sales representatives are typically only paid per sale, as opposed to full-time sales representatives who may be paid hourly or a salary. Freelancers may already have a list of contacts they’ve previously made sales to. 

Businesses can also hire full-time sales reps to manage sales in the store or in the area. Full-time inside and outside sales representatives have the benefit of being solely dedicated to making sales for one company. 

What are the ranks of sales representatives?

In the sales industry, there are a few types of sales representatives who fill different roles. These titles include:

  • Sales assistantsSales assistants are responsible for helping sales representatives with their day-to-day duties. They can draft sales reports, make sales pitches under the supervision of a representative and contact existing clients to make additional sales.
  • Inside sales representativesInside sales representatives take calls inside the store and make pitches to customers who’ve come into the store. 
  • Outside sales representativesOutside sales representatives visit potential clients to make sales. They can also make cold calls to prospective clients. 
  • Sales managerA sales manager is responsible for setting short- and long-term sales goals for the team and implementing new sales techniques. 
  • National sales directorNational sales directors work to improve the company’s sales as a whole. They may set company-wide goals and develop new sales strategies. 

Where to find sales representatives

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

  • Promote from within. Set up meetings with existing employees, such as cashiers and sales assistants, to see if they’re interested in the position. If they have the required skills, conduct formal interviews to make a decision.
  • Use a recruitment agency. A recruitment agency can give you multiple applications and resumes for potential clients. Set up interviews to find a good fit.
  • Search online for freelancers. Using online platforms is a common way to find and hire freelancers. Assess the experience and skills of available candidates and reach out to them. 
  • Post your job online. Try posting your sales representative job on Indeed to find and attract quality sales representative candidates.

Skills to look for in a great Sales Representative

A great sales representative candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• CRM knowledge
• Microsoft Excel proficiency
• Bachelor’s degree
• Communication skills
• Business acumen
• Tenacity

Writing a sales representative job description

A thoughtful description is important to finding qualified accountant candidates. A sales representative job description should include a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your sales representative job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting . These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on sales representative jobs, according to Indeed data:

  • Sales
  • Sales representative
  • Remote work from home
  • Hiring immediately
  • Cannabis
  • Outside sales representative
  • Insurance
  • Retail
  • Medical sales
  • Pharmaceutical sales

Interviewing sales representative candidates

Strong candidates for sales representative positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• The purpose of CRM software
• How they’ve driven sales results
• Ethical sales practices

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of sales representative interview questions for examples (with sample answers).

Job Description Best Practices
Optimize your new and existing job descriptions to reach more candidates
Get the Guide

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Hire your next Sales Representative today.

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    Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.