Looking to hire salespeople? Well, we’ve already discussed the three crucial parts an effective job description should include: an excellent “About You” that sells yourself as an employer, a fitting “About the Job” that makes sure to sell the position to the RIGHT candidates, and an attractive “Rewards” section that sells the benefits of working for you. Now, we’re going to analyze several 100 percent REAL job postings so you can see just how valuable those three parts can be.
At ClearFit, it’s not enough for us to just give you the tools you need for success; we also want to show you the best ways to use them!
Since creating an effective job description is all about selling (your company, the position, etc.), it’s appropriate that our first entry in the job post analysis series will focus on hiring a Sales Rep. The best sales reps will have lots of drive, be good at influencing others, have a high risk tolerance, take leadership well, and be able to recover easily from setbacks. Keeping those skills and the three crucial parts mentioned above in mind, let’s look at some job postings.
Job Posting #1
Job Description
A salesperson’s dream! Preset Qualified Appointments! It is our mission to maintain a world class sales and training organization. has successfully assisted hundreds of people that entered the business with no industry experience.
How can be so sure that we are providing an unrivaled package which will guarantee a long lasting career at ?
- Sales Commissions paid daily. understands that outside sales is a rewarding job and why not be rewarded for your hard work daily. We’re not like the other guys and ask you to wait a week or even 2 to receive your hard earned money, pays you as you earn it.
- Our sales techniques are time tested, why not get paid for how hard you work. will help guide you to maximize your earning potential at each sales appointment by providing the best products, services and support.
- Pre-Set Qualified Sales Appointments, understands that time is money. That’s why we set our appointments the day before you will be visiting with the owner. To ensure that we have a good quality sales appointment, will also confirm the appointment several hours after we originally talked to the owner, this helps us to find out if the owners schedule has changed. only provides appointments that have gone through this 2-step qualifying process.
- 24/7 Customer Service. With over 40 years of combined industry experience, our operational team understands what it takes to have long lasting business relationships; understands that it starts with service. 24 hours a day and 7 days a week will have someone ready to answer any and all questions from our valuable customers.
- Private Label Product. recognizes that we have to stay ahead of the curve by providing our outside sales representatives with a product that only sells. is a state of the art complete processing solution, it does it all! Be proud of the item you are selling, enables you to sell with confidence.
What makes different from the competition?
is proud to introduce “The Ladder” an all new incentive plan designed to reward our Sales Associates. This plan is designed to promote not only your short term development but includes a plan to sustain success over the long term of your career with .
Benefits to Sales Representatives:
- SALES COMMISSIONS ARE PAID DAILY!!
- WE PROVIDE 2-4 DAILY PRE-SET QUALIFIED SALES APPOINTMENTS
- EARNING POTENTIAL OF $1,200 AT EACH APPOINTMENT
- $5,000 SALES EXPRESS BONUS
- MEDICAL & DENTAL BONUS, CAR ALLOWANCE BONUS, GAS ALLOWANCE BONUS, HIGH PRODUCTION BONUS
- RESIDUAL INCOME (Top Rep. is making $2,000 +per month)
- STATE OF THE ART SALES TRAINING AND SALES PRESENTATION MATERIALS PROVIDED
- $800-$2,000 PER WEEK EXPECTED INCOME (WE HAVE MANY REPS TODAY MAKING $1,500+ PER WEEK)
About the Company
is the foremost expert in the Electronic Payments Industry. We offer outstanding high quality solutions to all of your payment processing needs; including: credit card, debit card, EBT card processing, electronic check conversion, check guarantee, gift and loyalty cards and e-commerce solutions.
With over 50 years of combined experience in the electronic payment processing industry, our management team has built a quality list of strategic relationships to ensure that will provide the highest quality service and support at a great value. is distinguished from the competition by our commitment to provide our merchant clientele the best payment processing programs and solutions tailored to meet their individual needs.
If you’re excited about this great opportunity, please contact one of our Sales Recruiters today!
Toll-free:
Fax Resumes:
Job Requirements
- At least 6 months of Sales Experience preferred
- Backgrounds in Retail, Banking, Customer Service, Outside Sales are a plus
- Good Communication Skills
- Strong Desire To Succeed
- Positive, Team-Oriented Attitude
GRADE: C+
ANALYSIS: What this posting has in self-enthusiasm, it lacks in attracting the right kind of candidates.
As you can see, Company 1 definitely has the selling itself part down! The majority of this posting is tailored to make candidates ask themselves, “Why WOULDN’T I apply for this position?” Not only does Company 1 talk itself up, but it also emphasizes (with capital letters, no less) the employee benefits.
This ad will no doubt receive a LOT of applications. Unfortunately, many of those applications will not come from quality candidates. This post spends so much time focusing on the company and the benefits, that it only devotes a small space at the end to focusing on what kind of candidates Company 1 wants.
In addition, the requirements themselves are incredibly generic and no different from a thousand other job postings for a thousand other DIFFERENT positions. What job doesn’t require good communication skills, a strong desire to succeed, and a positive, team-oriented attitude? Where’s the high risk tolerance? Where’s the influencing others and recovering from setbacks? Nowhere. That’s why this company is going to have to spend time and money sifting through thousands of the same, generic applicants.
Job Posting #2
Outside Sales Representative
About the Job
Position Summary
The position objective is to achieve planned/target sales increases within the assigned customer base, develop new accounts, and provide customer service that exceeds the customer’s expectations. The assigned customer base is made up of professional car repair and maintenance shops.
Significant personal growth potential and multiple career paths are available to the successful representative.
Qualifications
To be considered for this position you must be bilingual with 5 years minimum outside sales experience in a business-to-business, high transaction frequency, industrial environment. Automotive parts aftermarket sales experience preferred. You will also need to have a basic understanding of spreadsheet and word processing software.
GRADE: D-
ANALYSIS:Whereas Company 1 went all out to sell itself and its benefits, Company 2 seems to prefer concision. However, there is a distinct difference between concision and a lack of content—a difference Company 2 does not seem to realize.
First, there’s hardly any information about Company 2. All we can tell is that it has something to do with selling auto parts. Is this a hungry, new company determined to make its mark? Is this a time-tested, respected company offering a name customers trust? Is this a family run business? An employee-focused company? A customer service juggernaut? Who knows? Not the applicants.
Second, the benefits are vague and unimpressively marketed. Touting personal growth potential and multiple careers paths is the same as offering an employee a cubicle of his own and free parking in the company lot. There’s nothing here to woo a five star candidate.
Third, the qualifications, while specific to a point, offer no depth, just a check list of requirements/skills. There’s nothing here to indicate the type of person they’re looking for; there’s a total lack of adjectives. Does the company not want someone driven, influential, and easily able to bounce back from setbacks? Not according to this job post.
Job Posting #3
Outside Sales Representative
About the Job
Outside Sales ( )
About Inc:
is a premier manufacturer and distributor of Scoreboards, Scorer’s Tables, Message Centers, Marquees & Video Displays. Our commitment to quality, customer service and product innovation has made an industry leader for over 75 years. Our world headquarters is located in Greenville, Illinois and you can find our display and scoring products proudly displayed in sports venues across the globe. We are seeking a results oriented person to join our organization and lead our sales efforts in .
Outside Sales Summary:
As an outside sales representative, you will focus on selling Scoreboards, Scorer’s Tables, Message Centers and Video Displays to customers in the recreational, educational and professional sports markets. The position reports to the Director of Sales and will be responsible for driving sales and market penetration in a defined territory.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and execute a sales plan for a defined territory
- Secure leads, develop proposals and close orders
- Perform athletic field assessments and provide solutions for athletic facilities
- Perform equipment training and demonstrations for customers
- Attend trade shows as required
- Travel as needed in the defined territory
- Participate in corporate sales meetings
- Present themselves in an enthusiastic and professional manner
Requirements:
- Competitive in nature with a drive to be the best
- Be able to work independently and as part of a team.
- Bachelors Degree in Business, Communications or a related field
- Experience in outside sales (1 to 3 years), preferably in the recreational, educational and professional sports markets
- Strong communication skills, including presentation, business writing, negotiations and customer relationship management
- Planning and Organizational Skills — can engage resources (people, funding, materials, etc) to get things done; can orchestrate multiple activities at once to accomplish a goal; uses resources effectively and efficiently
- Proficient with Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Formal sales training acumen a plus
- Understanding of procurement processes a plus
- Consultative sales process experience a plus
- Knowledgeable in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems such as Salesforce.com is a plus
Compensation:
offers a competitive compensation package including a base salary plus commissions along with a comprehensive benefit plan.? No relocation assistance will be provided for this opportunity.
is a drug and alcohol free work place and an equal opportunity employer.
GRADE: B+
ANALYSIS: Overall, this is a pretty solid job posting. All the parts are there and effective, but it could still use a bit of punching up.
Company 3 offers solid, impressive information about itself. Who wouldn’t want to work for a globally successful industry leader? This company also tells potential candidates exactly what they will be doing and what will be expected of them. There’s no mystery or vagueness here. Also, several of the requirements are very effective, letting a potential employee know he has to be competitive (have drive), be able to work both independently and as part of a team (take leadership well), and have SPECIFIC strong communication skills (which will help him in influencing others).
The one place Company 3 could afford to add a little bit more is under compensation. Claiming to offer a competitive compensation package and actually listing the parts of said package are two very different things. Also, listing the package pieces would negate the need to include the honest but unfriendly “no relocation assistance.” If it’s not on the list, it’s not offered.
Job Posting #4
Think Outside the Bowl: Jump to a Career with Limitless Compensation and Potential
Join a high growth, recession-resistant industry!
Company Description
is a one of the fastest growing and most successful Merchant Service Providers in the nation. We have been featured in publications such as CNBC, Bloomberg, CBS Marketwatch, and Business Week. is an accredited business with BBB, maintaining an “A-“ rating, and we are a registered ISO with one of the largest and most secure banks in the world. We offer an outside sales career that that will lead you to long term professional and financial success. Become a Account Executive and join a nationwide outside sales team that provides cost-effective payment processing solutions to businesses. Our top producing Account Executives can earn a high six-figure income while providing business owners cost-saving solutions to accept credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.
Job Description
, one of the fastest growing Merchant Service Providers in the nation, is looking for Sales Professionals (both entry level and experienced). We offer a sales career that that will lead you to long term professional and financial success. As a Outside Sales Executive, you will be responsible for selling merchant processing services to small and medium sized businesses. We are looking for outgoing sales professionals, and our industry leading compensation plan provides you uncapped income potential.
We Offer
– Immediate and long-term (residual) income potential
– Telecommuting (work from your home office)
– $3,000 fast start bonus
– Professional Sales Training
– Superior Online Management Tools
– Promotional brochures, marketing materials, applications & business cards
– Ongoing weekly training
– Dedicated Sales Director to help you close deals
– 100% of profit on equipment sales
– Freedom to design and control your own schedule, flex time
– Personalized website
– Recession resistant, high growth industry
– 24/7 Technical & Customer Support
Skills and Qualifications
– Highly motivated self-starter
– Min. 1 year sales/marketing experience (in any industry)
– Networking and business development skills
– Strong time management skills
– Passionate, Enthusiastic and motivated!
GRADE: B+
ANALYSIS: This is an additional pretty solid job posting that could still be better.
Company 4 is another company that knows how to sell itself as an employer in general and as one with benefits. Limitless compensation and potential in a recession-resistant industry would be music to any candidate’s ears.
Like Company 1, however, Company 4’s weak spot lies in its Skills and Qualifications area. While the requirements here aren’t as generic as possible, they could still greatly benefit from more specifics. What are some networking and business development skills a candidate should have? However, Company 4 does do a good job of indicating a candidate must have drive, using the word “motivated” twice. The request for someone passionate and enthusiastic will also help to ensure candidates who can recover from setbacks and who will take risks.
Job Posting #5
Multi Media Sales Rep
About the Job
Multi Media Sales Rep
is seeking a motivated Multi-Media Sales Executive to work with local businesses selling digital, mobile and print marketing solutions. Your responsibility will be to develop new business, grow existing accounts and retain current business through a variety of sales strategies.
is committed to diversity and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment drug screen and background check.
Requirements: Must be a highly self-motivated and energetic person with good interpersonal and communication skills. Candidate must also be well organized and able to work on multiple tasks while adhering to daily deadlines. Sales experience is required. Our ideal candidate will have a positive attitude and a desire for a challenge. Knowledge of Microsoft Office and Outlook are required.
If you are energetic, have the drive to succeed and enjoy building lifelong relationships then we want to talk to you!
GRADE: C-
ANALYSIS: Company 5 knows what it wants, but is rather shy when it comes to talking about itself.
Again we have a company that we know little about aside from the area it operates in—multi-media. There’s no history and there are no benefits. Even though Company 5 knows what type of candidates it wants, it offers nothing to lure those candidates in.
What this post does excel at is stating the candidate requirements. This takes up almost half of the word count, so we can see how important the poster considers it. The company wants a driven, energetic, positive candidate who likes a challenge. A post showing that the company knows exactly who it is looking for is more likely to attract a strong candidate. However, just showing that is far from enough.
Job Posting #6
– Business-to-Business Outside Sales Rep
___________________________________________________________________
A natural resource like water and a natural achiever like you; they’re meant for each other. That’s why a career with , the #1 bottled water company in the world, may be the right fit for you. We lead the North American bottled water market with the following top-selling brands: .
Key Responsibilities:
The Commercial Sales Representative plays a key role in helping us grow our Direct Delivery customer base through face-to-face selling to commercial prospects. This is a high-activity, process-focused, face-to-face, cold calling position. It includes monthly sales and activity goals that rewards strong performers.
Specific accountabilities:
Report to office daily for team meeting and daily activity preparation; typical day starts at 7:30 am and ends at 5:30 pm; no nights or weekends
Spend 6-7 hours daily in assigned territory soliciting commercial prospects through face-to-face contact (business-to-business cold calling); 60 field visits per day
Present and sell full product line (water, dispensers, filtration systems, cups, coffee, etc) with emphasis on features, benefits, and value
Adhere to structured and proven selling process and pricing guidelines
Meet sales and activity goals monthly
Follow up on leads
Requirements/Qualifications:
The Commercial Sales Representative may be the right fit if you enjoy a challenge, like meeting new people, have a history of exceeding performance goals, are persistent (someone who does not take ‘no’ for an answer), and have high energy. Specific requirements include:
High school diploma or equivalent experience; college degree preferred
1-2 years of sales experience (cold-calling or outside sales preferred)
Demonstrated ability to close a sale based on features and benefits vs price
Reliable mode of transportation to reach prospect locations
Excellent communication skills
High integrity
Persistence
Self-motivated and responsible
What’s In It For You:
provides a highly attractive package for the right candidate, including the following:
Competitive base pay, an addition to uncapped monthly incentives, quarterly bonus up to 30% of base pay, annual merit increases, monthly transportation allowance of $500 plus $200 gas card. High achievers have unlimited earning potential.
A comprehensive benefits package, including paid holidays and vacation, profit-sharing, matching 401(k), medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, educational reimbursement, etc
Extensive training and support beginning the day you start and continuing throughout your career with
Career development focus and advancement opportunities across all operating companies
An exceptional product portfolio, targeted prospect lists and leads, a proven sales process, and effective selling tools
A high-energy, fun, team-oriented and values-based work environment
No nights or weekends
offers a comprehensive benefits package with a broad range of health, wellness, and financial (includes 401k/Profit sharing/tuition reimbursement).
An Equal Opportunity Employer
M/F/D/A/V
GRADE: A+
ANALYSIS: A virtually ideal job post.
Company 6 concisely but effectively tells you who they are. They’re the #1 selling bottled water company in the world and they like high achievers. It’s a dignified method of selling themselves without coming across like used car-salesmen.
This company also lays out exactly what the job requires. They know what they want and they want applicants to know EXACTLY what the company will expect of them—and that’s before they even get to the requirements section of the post.
The post states this company is looking for a candidate who enjoys a challenge, likes meeting new people, has a history of exceeding performance goals, is persistent (someone who does not take ‘no’ for an answer), is energetic, has high integrity, and is responsible. That’s pretty much a ClearFit-approved sales rep in a nutshell (just using different terms).
And as if this post couldn’t get any more effective, it goes on to detail the multiple benefits (both possible and guaranteed) of working for this company. If the rest of this company is as efficient and effective as whoever creates the job postings, it’s no surprise they’re the global #1 in their field.
The Results
You’ve seen the good, and you’ve seen the bad. You’ve learned about ClearFit’s best practices for creating a job description and the quintessential traits a Sales Rep needs to have to succeed. You’ve witnessed how to merge that information together to create (or fail at creating) a truly stellar job posting and hopefully hire salespeople. Now, you should feel ready to create job posts that will attract the finest and most appropriate Sales Reps for your company. What are you waiting for?
Don’t forget to join us for our next entry in the job post analysis series as we focus on what makes a great job description for a retail store manager.
[contentblock id=18]
