Salesperson Job Description: 6 Free Templates
Free salesperson job description templates: general, inside, outside, retail, B2B, and car sales. Commission, OTE, and FLSA guidance. Download as DOCX.
Salesperson Job Description Templates
6 free templates: general, inside, outside, retail, B2B, and car sales. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
The salesperson job description is one of the highest-stakes postings a small business writes, because for most growing companies the salesperson is the hire that brings in the revenue. Yet the templates online treat it as generic, ignoring the two things that decide whether a sales posting works: a concrete compensation structure with base, commission, and on-target earnings, and the right overtime classification, which differs sharply between inside, outside, and retail sales. None of the template farms address either, or the small business writing its first sales hire without an HR department.
At FirstHR, we build for small teams that hire without an HR department, and this page covers the role the way businesses actually staff it: six templates, general, inside, outside, retail, B2B, and car sales, with the commission structure and FLSA classification built in. Each names the sales type and writes duties to match. Fill in the brackets and post. For the principles behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does a Salesperson Do?
A salesperson finds, wins, and keeps customers, owning the process from first contact through the close and follow-up: prospecting, presenting, closing, building relationships, and keeping the pipeline current. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks sales occupations as one of the largest groups in the country, with sales and related workers numbering close to 13.4 million as of May 2024, and the O*NET profile details the task range for retail and related sales roles.
The specifics vary sharply by type: an inside salesperson sells by phone and email, an outside salesperson sells in the field, a retail salesperson sells on a store floor, a B2B account executive runs a full sales cycle, and a car salesperson sells on a dealership floor. Those differences drive the duties, the pay structure, and the overtime classification, which is why the six templates on this page split by sales type.
Salesman vs Salesperson: Which Term Should You Use?
Use salesperson. It is the standard, gender-neutral term and the right choice for a job posting, while salesman is the older term that is steadily falling out of use. Salesperson and sales representative have largely replaced salesman because they are inclusive and widen the candidate pool, and a gender-neutral title also keeps the posting aligned with equal-opportunity advertising expectations.
Many people still search for salesman out of habit, which is why this page covers the term, but the posting itself should say salesperson, sales representative, or sales rep. Keeping job advertisements neutral is also good practice under the EEOC rules on job advertisements, which discourage expressing preferences tied to protected characteristics. The templates on this page use the neutral title throughout.
Salesperson Duties and Responsibilities
Salesperson duties and responsibilities span four areas: prospecting and lead generation, selling and closing, relationships and accounts, and pipeline and reporting. The sales type shifts the emphasis, but the four hold across inside, outside, retail, and B2B roles. These are the responsibilities grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting selects the duties that match the sales type rather than listing every possible task, and names the CRM and the targets. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by sales type; the core selling duties are shared, but each type adds its own work, pay structure, and classification, so the matched version reads more credibly to the candidates who do that kind of sales. Use this guide to choose.
6 Free Salesperson Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company context, job summary, responsibilities, qualifications, a compensation structure, FLSA status, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Template 1: General Salesperson
The universal version: prospecting, presenting, closing, and follow-up, with a base-plus-commission structure and the FLSA classification handled.
Template 2: Inside Sales Representative
The inside version: selling by phone, email, and video from the office or remotely, written as non-exempt and hourly, the default for inside sales.
Template 3: Outside Sales Representative
The field version: territory management, in-person demos, and travel, with the outside-sales exemption note and an expense or car allowance.
Template 4: Retail Salesperson
The retail version: floor sales, the register, merchandising, and evening or weekend shifts, written as non-exempt and hourly.
Template 5: B2B / Account Executive
The B2B version: pipeline, discovery, negotiation, and quota-carrying contract sales, with a base-plus-variable OTE structure.
Template 6: Car / Auto Salesperson
The dealership version: showroom and lot sales, test drives, the finance handoff, and a commission-heavy structure for a different hiring market.
Inside vs Outside Sales
The inside-versus-outside distinction shapes the role and, critically, the overtime classification, so it is worth settling before you post. Here is how the two compare.
| Inside Sales | Outside Sales | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Office or remote, by phone and email | In the field, in person |
| Travel | Little or none | Significant, manages a territory |
| Pace | High volume of leads | Fewer, larger relationships |
| FLSA | Generally non-exempt (overtime) | Often exempt (outside sales) |
| Pay | Hourly base plus commission | Salary base plus commission |
The classification difference is the one that catches small businesses out: inside sales is generally non-exempt and owed overtime, while outside sales has its own exemption when the rep primarily sells away from the office. Settle which model the role is before writing the posting, because it changes both the pay structure and the legal classification.
Compensation: Base, Commission, and OTE
The compensation section is the most important part of a sales posting, because strong salespeople evaluate openings by the earning structure first. Make it concrete: define the base, the commission, the on-target earnings, and the quota.
| Element | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Base salary | Fixed pay regardless of sales | Stability; higher base attracts steadier reps |
| Commission | Variable pay per sale or revenue | Upside; drives performance |
| OTE | Base plus expected commission at quota | The number salespeople actually compare |
| Quota | The target that defines performance | Sets clear expectations |
| Draw | Advance recovered from commission | Early stability with upside |
For a small business making its first sales hire, decide the model deliberately: a higher base with lower commission attracts steadier candidates, a lower base with aggressive commission attracts hungry closers. Whatever you choose, state the actual numbers and a realistic OTE, since a specific, credible compensation plan is the single strongest thing a small employer can put in a sales posting. The offer letter template covers putting the commission structure in writing at the offer.
Exempt or Non-Exempt? Classifying Your Salesperson
Sales is one of the trickiest areas of overtime classification, and the type of sales decides the answer, not the title. Getting it wrong is a common and costly mistake for a small business without an HR department.
The practical rule: default inside sales and retail to non-exempt and hourly, evaluate outside sales against the away-from-office test, and run the duties analysis before the offer. The exempt vs non-exempt guide walks through the classification in detail, and SHRM job description guidance covers structuring the posting itself.
Salesperson Salary
Salesperson pay varies enormously by type, industry, and how much is commission, so anchor on the type of sales and lead with on-target earnings rather than base alone.
Because so much sales pay is variable, the most useful number for a posting is the on-target earnings, the base plus expected commission at quota, not base alone. Anchor on the relevant federal figure for the sales type, set a base and a realistic commission plan, and publish the OTE, since salespeople compare openings by total earning potential and skip postings that hide the structure.
Hiring Your First Salesperson
For a small business, the first salesperson is frequently the hire that determines whether the company grows, since this is the person who brings in revenue. That makes the posting and the hire worth real attention: the compensation structure, the classification, and the gender-neutral title all shape who applies and how well it works. Here is how to approach it.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Salesperson
Onboarding a salesperson is both paperwork and a ramp to productivity. The paperwork track comes first, and because sales pay is variable and a frequent source of disputes, it matters more here than for most roles: the offer in writing with the full compensation structure stated, a commission or sales-compensation agreement signed before the start date, the I-9, tax forms, and state reporting. Then the ramp: confirm the classification and compensation, set up CRM access, teach the product and the pitch, define the territory or lead source, and lay out a 30-60-90 day plan with ramping targets so the rep knows what good looks like in the first three months. A salesperson onboarded well starts producing far sooner than one handed a login and left to figure it out.
The documents around the hire follow the usual sequence: the offer letter template for the terms and commission structure, the employment contract template for the agreement, and the 30-60-90 day plan template for the sales ramp. The adjacent sales roles use the same structure when you staff them: the sales representative and sales associate templates. FirstHR connects the paper and onboarding layer, e-signature for the offer and the commission agreement, document management for signed compensation plans and records, training assignments with completion records for product and sales training, an HRIS and org chart, and the onboarding checklist with a 30-60-90 ramp, in one place built for teams without an HR department.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a salesperson do?
A salesperson finds, wins, and keeps customers, owning the sales process from first contact through the close and follow-up. The core work falls into four areas: prospecting and lead generation, finding and qualifying potential customers; selling and closing, presenting products or services, negotiating, and meeting targets; relationships and accounts, building customer relationships and growing accounts after the sale; and pipeline and reporting, keeping the CRM current and tracking performance against quota. The specifics vary by type. An inside salesperson sells by phone, email, and video from the office. An outside salesperson sells in the field across a territory. A retail salesperson sells on a store floor. A B2B salesperson or account executive runs a full sales cycle with business buyers. A car salesperson sells vehicles on a dealership floor. Sales is one of the largest occupational groups in the country, with sales and related workers numbering close to 13.4 million as of May 2024, about 8.7 percent of US employment, so a strong job description names the specific sales type and selects the duties that match.
Is it salesman or salesperson?
Salesperson is the standard, gender-neutral term and the better choice for a job posting, while salesman is the older term that is gradually falling out of use. Salesperson and sales representative have largely replaced salesman as the preferred titles, because they are inclusive and widen the candidate pool, and using a gender-neutral title also keeps the posting aligned with equal-opportunity advertising expectations. Many people still search for salesman out of habit, which is why this page covers the term, but the posting itself should use salesperson, sales representative, or sales rep. The same applies to other roles: salesperson over salesman, server over waitress, and so on. The shift is not just about compliance; a gender-neutral title signals a modern, inclusive workplace, which matters to candidates. So when you write the actual job description, use salesperson or sales representative even if you arrived here searching for salesman, and the templates on this page are written that way.
What is the difference between inside and outside sales?
Inside and outside sales differ in where and how the selling happens, and the distinction matters for both the role and the overtime classification. Inside sales is conducted remotely, by phone, email, and video, from the office or a home office: the inside salesperson works a high volume of leads through the CRM without traveling to customers. Outside sales is conducted in the field: the outside salesperson travels to meet prospects and customers in person, manages a territory, and builds relationships face to face. Beyond the work itself, the classification differs sharply. Outside sales has its own FLSA exemption, so an outside salesperson who primarily makes sales away from the employer's place of business is generally exempt from overtime, and the salary-level test does not even apply. Inside sales is generally non-exempt and entitled to overtime, with only a narrow exception for certain commissioned retail or service employees. For a small business, the practical implication is to classify an inside sales role as non-exempt by default and evaluate an outside role against the away-from-office test before deciding.
How should I structure a salesperson's compensation?
Sales compensation usually combines a base salary with a commission or variable component, and the right mix depends on the role and what you want to attract. The common structures are: base plus commission, the most common, offering stability plus upside; commission-only, which is legal in many situations but narrows the candidate pool and carries minimum-wage considerations for non-exempt roles; and a draw against commission, where the salesperson receives an advance recovered from future commissions. The key elements to define in the posting are the base salary, the commission rate or per-sale amount and what it is calculated on, the on-target earnings or OTE that a performing rep can realistically expect, and the quota or targets. A higher base with lower commission tends to attract steadier candidates, while a lower base with aggressive commission attracts aggressive closers. For a small business, the most important thing is to be concrete and realistic: a specific, credible compensation plan with a real OTE is the single strongest element of a sales posting, since strong salespeople evaluate the earning structure first.
Is a salesperson exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
It depends entirely on the type of sales, and the title does not decide it. Outside sales has a dedicated FLSA exemption: an employee whose primary duty is making sales and who is customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place of business is exempt from both minimum wage and overtime, and uniquely, the salary-level requirement does not apply to this exemption. Inside sales is generally non-exempt, meaning the inside salesperson is entitled to overtime for hours over forty in a week, with a narrow exception under Section 7(i) of the FLSA for certain commissioned employees of a retail or service establishment whose pay is more than one and a half times the minimum wage and more than half of whose earnings come from commissions. Retail salespeople are almost always non-exempt and hourly. The practical rule for a small business is to default inside sales and retail to non-exempt, evaluate outside sales against the away-from-office test, and run the duties analysis using the Department of Labor's guidance before classifying the role and making the offer, since misclassification can require back overtime pay.
How much does a salesperson make?
It varies enormously by type of sales, industry, and how much of the pay is commission. Federal data puts the median annual wage for the sales occupations group at $37,460 as of May 2024, but that blends very different roles. Retail salespersons had a median of about $16.62 an hour in May 2024. Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives, excluding technical and scientific products, had a median around $66,780, while those selling technical and scientific products had a median around $100,070. B2B and account-executive roles with strong commission structures can earn well into six figures at target. Because so much sales pay is variable, the most useful number for a posting is the on-target earnings, the base plus expected commission at quota, rather than base alone. For a small business, anchor on the relevant federal figure for the type of sales, set a base and a realistic commission plan, and publish the on-target earnings, since salespeople compare openings by total earning potential and skip postings that hide the compensation structure.
Can I hire a salesperson on commission only?
In many cases yes, but it carries conditions and trade-offs a small business should understand. Commission-only arrangements are legal in many situations, but they interact with overtime and minimum-wage law: for a non-exempt salesperson, such as most inside and retail sales roles, the employer must still ensure the person's pay works out to at least the minimum wage for all hours worked and that overtime obligations are met, which a pure commission structure can complicate. Outside salespeople, who are exempt from minimum wage and overtime under the outside sales exemption, can more straightforwardly be paid commission-only. Beyond legality, commission-only narrows the candidate pool significantly, since many strong salespeople want at least some base for stability, so it can make a role harder to fill. A common middle path is a modest base plus commission, or a draw against commission that gives early stability while keeping the upside. If you do go commission-only, state it clearly in the posting, confirm the classification, and make sure the structure meets wage-and-hour requirements for the role type.
What happens after I hire a salesperson?
The standard paperwork comes first: the offer in writing with the compensation structure, base, commission, and OTE, clearly stated, plus a commission or sales-compensation agreement, the I-9 with documents verified, the W-4 and state tax forms, and state new hire reporting. Because sales pay is variable and a frequent source of disputes, getting the commission plan in writing and signed before the start date is especially important. Then onboarding, which for a salesperson is also a ramp to productivity: confirm the classification and compensation, set up CRM access, teach the product and the pitch, define the territory or lead source, and lay out a 30-60-90 day plan with ramping targets so the rep knows what good looks like in the first three months. A salesperson onboarded well starts producing far sooner than one handed a login and left to figure it out. FirstHR handles the paper and onboarding layer for small businesses: e-signature for the offer and the commission agreement, document management for signed compensation plans and records, training assignments with completion records for product and sales training, an HRIS and org chart, and the onboarding checklist with a 30-60-90 ramp, in one place built for teams without an HR department.