Sales Playbook Step 9: Attract Elite Talent – How to Craft Compelling Sales Job Descriptions

In my last post (The Job Description Mistake That’s Costing You Great Salespeople), I discussed how traditional job descriptions often repel the very candidates you're trying to attract, especially in sales.

Hiring salespeople is unlike hiring for any other position in your company. Top sales talent isn't looking for just any job. They’re evaluating which opportunity will best leverage their skills, drive income, and let them win. A list of basic qualifications or vague duties isn’t going to grab their attention. To reach the right candidates, you need to write job descriptions that sell the opportunity, not just describe it.

The Right Way to Write Sales Job Descriptions

If you want to attract high-caliber sales talent, your job description should be:

• Clear – Define expectations and the role’s purpose

• Engaging – Inspire candidates with what’s possible

• Outcome-Oriented – Show how success will be measured

• Mutually Valuable – Communicate what they’ll gain in return

Top candidates aren’t just applying for jobs—they’re evaluating opportunities. Several years ago, I was introduced to a job description format specifically designed to attract elite salespeople. It includes four distinct sections:

Section 1 – Promote the Opportunity

Open with your company’s mission and the role’s impact on that mission. This is your chance to sell who you are, what you do, and why working for your company represents a unique opportunity.

Example:

• Our mission is to build the best window and door products for residential homes. Your job is to identify and recruit the best distributors in the market to deliver our product to top-tier homeowners.

• We offer a one-of-a-kind solution. Our windows and doors are designed with patented European technology and unmatched aesthetics. Our goal is simple: to be the preferred choice in luxury home design.

Tip: Include 1–3 bullet points that highlight your solution and brag a little. Top performers want to work for companies that believe they’re the best.

Section 2 – The Challenges You Will Face

This section sets expectations and speaks to the competitive mindset of high-performing salespeople. Be honest about what it will take to succeed—good reps don’t shy away from challenges; they lean into them.

Example:

• You’ll be part of a small team entering a competitive market. You’ll face off against well-known brands familiar to architects and contractors. Your job is to educate the market on why our product is different—and better.

• We’re not the cheapest, and we never will be. Our designs are bold, our technology is cutting-edge, and our customers are people who demand the best.

Tip: List 3–5 real challenges. You’re not scaring candidates off—you’re speaking directly to their competitive instincts.

Section 3 – What It Takes to Win

This is where you outline the key activities, behaviors, and traits needed for success. Don’t create a generic checklist of qualifications. Instead, paint a picture of what successful performance looks like.

Example:

• You will research potential distributors to ensure they align with our market goals, then prioritize signing the highest-potential partners.

• You’ll host events and educational sessions for architects and contractors to introduce our product and build local brand awareness.

• You’ll collaborate with each distributor to launch our brand in their market, including displays, promotional campaigns, and co-branded events.

Tip: Describe the actual day-to-day responsibilities in a way that allows the candidate to imagine themselves performing—and succeeding—in the role.

Section 4 – Our Goals for You

Elite salespeople want clear, defined targets. They want to know how success will be measured. This section lays out performance expectations and goals.

Example:

• Sign 3 new distributors in each major metro area of your territory within 12 months

• Ensure each new distributor achieves $500K in product sales in their first year

• Host quarterly promotional events with architects and contractors in each market

Tip: These aren’t “minimum qualifications.” They’re milestones. This section gives ambitious candidates a target—and a reason to chase it.

Pulling It All Together

By the time a salesperson finishes reading your job description, they should be able to visualize:

✅ How they’ll contribute to your company’s mission

✅ The challenges they’ll take on

✅ What it takes to win

✅ What success looks like

When written well, your job description becomes more than a hiring tool—it becomes a recruiting magnet for the kind of people who can truly grow your business.

Final Word of Encouragement

Here’s a simple test: take the current sales job description used at your company and read it through the eyes of a top-performing salesperson.

• Does it excite you?

• Can you see yourself making an impact?

• Is this a company you’d be eager to represent?

If not, try the format outlined above. It may take more time and intention, but I can promise you this: once you write a job description that’s truly designed to attract sales talent, you’ll not only feel more energized about your opportunity, you’ll start attracting the kind of salespeople who can take your business to the next level.

Need help rewriting your sales job description or refining your hiring process?

Let’s talk. I work with business leaders to build sales hiring processes that attract, evaluate, and retain top-performing reps.

Schedule a quick consultation to see how we can improve your sales hiring strategy and position your company to win.

Click here to connect or email me directly at brent@acsellerate.biz

Don’t settle for average—start attracting the sales talent your business deserves.