Sales is a competitive industry. When it comes to finding top talent, you need to stand out from your competition. You need to write a great sales job description in order to attract the best in the business. The job description is your first point of contact with potential candidates, so you need to make it noticeable and clear. You need to make it properly describe the position and your company as a whole. Here’s how to write a great sales job description so you can stand out in the sea of sales organizations and attract the right applicants.

Key Elements

When you write a great sales job description, the first step is to list out the key elements of the position, starting with the most central tasks. The biggest responsibilities should be detailed first. Don’t go into too much detail. You don’t want to overwhelm your candidates. You can go into more detail during the interview process.

It’s important for you to actually know what to expect from the new hire before you write a great sales job description. Do you know what responsibilities he will have? Do you know which territories he’ll look after? Is he going to be a closer who will maintain existing relationships, or is he primarily going to generate leads and try to get new business? If you don’t actually know which key elements the position entails, you’re going to have a difficult time finding and attracting the right candidates for the job. So, ask your current sales staff for input, compare the elements to those of your close competitors, and solicit feedback from other sales managers.

Qualifications

Not every candidate is going to have every single qualification that you list, so separate them into necessary skills, experience, and assets that are good to have when you write a great sales job description. You don’t want to scare off great candidates by making some skills necessary when they’re not in fact that central to the job. You should also consider which skills and responsibilities you’re willing to train your new hire on. This will allow you to see which talents are necessary for them to have from the start, and which you are negotiable, that is, which ones you can teach them.

Benefits

To stand out from your competitors when you write a great sales job description you need to show candidates all the benefits you offer. This can include a high salary, bonuses, or commission. But if you’re not able to pay top-of-the-line salaries to new hires, list the other benefits that come with the job, such as work-from-home days, incentives, flexible schedules, or even pizza Fridays. You want your company to look desirable, so show them exactly what the perks are of working at your office.

Writing Style

When you write a great sales job description, you should be incorporating your company’s style into the writing. If your office is considered more casual, free-spirited, and fun, make that clear with the word choices and tone you use to write your description. Don’t use stern, corporate language if it isn’t representative of your company’s brand. Your company’s personality should shine through when you write a great sales job description.

Additionally, it’s important to keep your writing style positive. Great sales people are positive people so they’ll seek out opportunities that are just as positive as their attitudes are. Words like high stress and tight deadlines can make great candidates run in the other direction. Put a positive spin on your job descriptions when you write a great sales job description.

Applying

Provide clear, simple directions for candidates who wish to apply when you write a great sales job description. If you make it too complicated, they might not think it’s worth going through the process or they might get too confused and quit halfway through.