How To Write A Sales Job Description That Candidates Can’t Resist

Driving traffic to your job post begins with writing job descriptions that even the most passive sales candidates can’t resist.

When writing job descriptions there are two common mistakes:

Mistake #1 is assuming that you can just post a job and have applications start pouring in.

Mistake #2 is thinking that the number of applications is equal to the quality of applicants.

I see sales job descriptions every day and some are really good…and some are really bad. The really bad ones are typically long-winded and take 10 minutes to read. On the flip side, some terrible job descriptions are very short with no detail and give me no insight to what the company does or what the job entails but yet they encourage me to “Apply Now.”

{Download this free guide on How to Write A Sales Job Description}

To write a strong and compelling job description, start with putting yourself in the shoes of the job seeker. By understanding who you are trying to hire and how to get candidates interested in the opportunity, start by asking yourself the question “Why should I apply to this job?” or “Would I apply to this job?” Once you understand this you can start to map out what the job entails, the qualifications and the type or person you are looking to fill this role. Remember you want to drive qualified sales candidates to apply to your job.

Here are tips to consider when writing your sales job description:

Job Title

All job descriptions begin with a title. This is the first thing job seekers see so make sure yours is relevant. Even though you may be looking for a “Sales Superstar” that is not a common job title and one that most likely won’t rank high in search results.

Job seekers search common job titles like:

• Business Development Representative
• Inside Sales Manager
• Account Executive

But it is okay to make it unique too. For instance, is the role for a west coast territory?

Try this: Strategic Account Manager, West Coast. This way, at a first glance, a candidate can understand the job.

Company Description

Before you can sell a candidate on your job, you need to introduce them to your company and why they would want to work there. You should be able to tell them who you are what you do. Explain why you are looking to hire.

To further gauge interest in your company, identify what makes you unique and why current team members love working there:

• Do you have an engaged leadership team?
• Great benefits like unlimited vacation time that you can actually use?
• Do you have frequent company outings to celebrate success?
• Does each role provide the opportunity to grow with the company?

Job Description

All companies are looking for talented sales professionals so how are you going to them to click apply?

This is the part where you tell them about the role. This is where you want to talk about the day-to-day activities. You should be able to effectively state why this job is important and what it entails.

• Is there cold calling, or travel, or account management?
• What companies they will be selling into?
• Who is their target audience?
• What tools will they be provided with to accomplish their goals?

You want to create excitement around the opportunity. Make it personal. Replace the words “ideal candidate” with “you”.

Job Requirements

This is where you list what experience is required to fulfill the demands of the role. You should be able to clearly articulate what requirements are needed to effectively perform the daily activities.

• How many years of sales experience are you looking for?
• Is a college degree required?
• Does the role require a specific skill like the ability to use salesforce.com?
• Do they need to have experience selling into a specific audience?

Remember, job requirements are important but do not let that be the determining factor in who you hire. You want to look for the tangible and intangible skills that enable a sales professional to be successful.

Your goal for writing compelling job descriptions is to drive traffic. Once you get the traffic you need then you can gage the level of experience you need.

Your job description may be your first introduction of your company to a prospective sales candidate so make sure it is a good one. Don’t let your job description turn off qualified sales applicants.

For more in-depth tips on:

• How to write a great sales job description
• Where you should post and advertise your sales job
• Whether or not you should list compensation
• How to increase traffic to your sales job