Sales Manager Job Description
Use this template to create a clear, candidate-focused Sales Manager advert for UK hiring. It outlines the core responsibilities, realistic requirements and messaging that attract experienced sales leaders.
What does a Sales Manager professional do?
A Sales Manager leads a sales team, defines sales strategy, manages key accounts and targets, and drives revenue growth through coaching, forecasting and commercial execution.
Sales Manager job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Sales Manager
About the role
[Insert Company Name] is looking for an experienced Sales Manager to lead our sales team across [insert territory or region]. You will develop and deliver sales plans, manage key client relationships, coach reps to meet targets, and produce accurate forecasts. This role suits a target-driven leader with strong commercial judgement, excellent communication skills and hands-on experience managing a sales pipeline. [Insert salary / OTE band and contract type if applicable].
Key responsibilities
- Set sales targets, monitor performance and deliver on agreed revenue objectives
- Recruit, coach and develop a team of salespeople, holding regular 1:1s and performance reviews
- Create and implement territory and account plans to grow market share
- Manage key accounts and escalate issues to ensure contract retention and upsell opportunities
- Own forecasting and sales reporting; provide timely, accurate pipeline updates to senior management
- Work with marketing, product and operations to shape propositions, campaigns and pricing
- Analyse sales data and market trends to refine strategy and identify new opportunities
- Ensure CRM hygiene and consistent use of sales processes across the team
Essential skills and experience
- Proven experience managing a sales team or function with responsibility for targets
- Track record of achieving or exceeding sales targets in B2B or B2C environments relevant to your sector
- Strong coaching skills with experience of performance management and development plans
- Good commercial acumen and experience producing sales forecasts and reports
- Confident communicator with ability to manage senior client relationships
- Practical knowledge of a CRM system and common sales tools
- Right to work in the UK
Desirable
- Experience in the same industry or selling similar products/services
- Formal sales or management training (e.g. sales methodology, leadership development)
- Experience of managing a distributed or field sales team
- Familiarity with contract negotiation and tender processes
- Analytical skills using spreadsheets or BI tools to interpret sales performance
- Willingness to travel within the assigned territory when required
What we offer
- [Competitive salary and commission/OTE details — insert employer specifics]
- [Pension scheme — insert employer contribution details]
- [Flexible / hybrid working policy — outline days in office if applicable]
- [Annual leave allowance — insert entitlement]
- [Career development and training budget — specify if available]
- [Company car allowance or mileage reimbursement where applicable]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Sales Manager role?
A Sales Manager plans and executes the sales strategy for a defined territory or product line, coaching a team of salespeople to hit revenue targets. The role combines people leadership with commercial planning, account management and pipeline governance. Sales Managers liaise with marketing and product teams to optimise propositions and are responsible for forecasting, reporting and improving sales processes.
Team leadership
Hire, coach and motivate a sales team, set KPIs and manage performance.
Targets & strategy
Define territory plans, set targets and drive activities that grow revenue.
Commercial reporting
Own pipeline management, forecasting and sales analytics for accurate decision-making.
Typical Sales Manager responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Set sales targets
Set sales targets, monitor performance and deliver on agreed revenue objectives
Recruit
Recruit, coach and develop a team of salespeople, holding regular 1:1s and performance reviews
Create
Create and implement territory and account plans to grow market share
Manage key accounts
Manage key accounts and escalate issues to ensure contract retention and upsell opportunities
Own forecasting
Own forecasting and sales reporting; provide timely, accurate pipeline updates to senior management
Work with marketing
Work with marketing, product and operations to shape propositions, campaigns and pricing
Analyse sales data
Analyse sales data and market trends to refine strategy and identify new opportunities
Ensure CRM hygiene
Ensure CRM hygiene and consistent use of sales processes across the team
Sales Manager skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven experience managing a sales team or function with responsibility for targets
- Track record of achieving or exceeding sales targets in B2B or B2C environments relevant to your sector
- Strong coaching skills with experience of performance management and development plans
- Good commercial acumen and experience producing sales forecasts and reports
- Confident communicator with ability to manage senior client relationships
- Practical knowledge of a CRM system and common sales tools
- Right to work in the UK
Useful where relevant
- Experience in the same industry or selling similar products/services
- Formal sales or management training (e.g. sales methodology, leadership development)
- Experience of managing a distributed or field sales team
- Familiarity with contract negotiation and tender processes
- Analytical skills using spreadsheets or BI tools to interpret sales performance
- Willingness to travel within the assigned territory when required
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Sales Manager job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
State the target and scope
Specify the sales targets, territory or sector the role covers so candidates understand the remit and achievable impact.
Be transparent about pay structure
Clarify whether pay includes basic salary, commission, on-target earnings and any accelerators — candidates expect this for sales roles.
Describe people responsibilities
List team size, direct reports and hiring responsibilities to set expectations for leadership experience required.
Highlight progression and success measures
Explain promotion paths and the KPIs used to measure success (e.g. revenue, retention, average deal size).
Sales Manager salary considerations
Salary for Sales Managers varies widely depending on sector, team size and commission arrangements. Rather than a single market figure, consider the mix of base pay and variable earnings and how they align with the role’s responsibilities.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Sales Manager candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the on-target earnings (OTE) and commission structure?
Applicants will want clear details on base salary, commission rates, payment frequency and how accelerators or caps work.
How large is the team and who will I line-manage?
Candidates need to know the number of direct reports, their seniority and any hiring responsibilities.
What territory or accounts will I cover and how much travel is expected?
Clarify geographic coverage, account types and typical travel or overnight requirements.
What performance metrics and KPIs will be used?
Explain the targets, measurement cadence and any probation objectives so applicants can assess fit.
What working pattern and flexibility are offered?
State whether the role is office-based, hybrid or field-based and any core hours expectations.
What training and progression opportunities are available?
Experienced hires often want visibility of development, leadership training and promotion pathways.
Where to post a Sales Manager job
For a Sales Manager vacancy, use broad UK job boards to reach mid‑career candidates and specialist sales or industry boards to attract sector-experienced applicants. Share the role on professional networks and sales communities, and consider local advertising where the team or territory is regionally focused. If the role relies on a particular industry background, prioritise sector-specific channels and relevant LinkedIn groups.
Related sales & business development job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Sales Manager job description FAQs
Do Sales Managers need formal qualifications?
No single formal qualification is universally required. Employers commonly look for proven sales experience and leadership ability. Formal sales training or a business-related degree can be beneficial but are not mandatory.
How should I assess a candidate’s sales leadership ability?
Ask for examples of team development, target achievement and pipeline management. Use competency questions, review past performance metrics and consider a practical task such as a territory plan or role-play sales coaching scenario.
What interview stages are typical for this role?
A common process includes an initial phone screen, a competency-based interview, a presentation or case exercise on strategy/territory planning, and a final interview with senior stakeholders.
Should I include remote working options in the advert?
Yes — being explicit about hybrid, remote or office requirements reduces unsuitable applications and helps candidates understand travel or presence expectations.
How do I advertise commission and OTE without committing to a fixed figure?
State the commission structure type (e.g. % of margin, tiered accelerators), typical pay mix (base vs variable) and whether examples of recent OTE ranges are available on request — then provide specifics during later recruitment stages.
Ready to hire a Sales Manager?
Customise this template with your company details, define the commission and KPIs, then advertise via targeted UK and sector channels. Use the provided checklist to ensure candidates understand the role, scope and pay mix before interviewing.
