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Sales Director Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does a Sales Director Do?

Sales teams have quotas and goals to meet, and sales directors develop those objectives, along with the strategies and tactics to achieve them. They create, implement and track sales plans, set quotas and performance goals, forecast results, and drive behavior to maximize results. They are usually responsible for several sales teams or accounts, which requires constant communication with key stakeholders, executives, and customers.

In addition to excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and presentation skills, sales directors should have a thorough understanding of their organization’s products or services, and vast experience with various sales techniques and methodologies. They must also remain on top of market trends and remain willing to adjust processes and strategies as conditions shift.

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National Average Salary

Sales director salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for a Sales Director is:

$142,250

Sales Director Job Descriptions

When it comes to recruiting a sales director, having the right job description can make a big difference. Here are some real world job descriptions you can use as templates for your next opening.

Example 1

Sales directors develop growth strategies and action plans to improve sales and meet or exceed sales targets. Sales directors must be able to build strong relationships and have a solid understanding of customer trends. They need excellent communication and negotiation skills and should be good listeners.  [Your Company Name] is searching for an experienced sales director with proven sales experience who can take our company to new heights. As an ideal candidate, you have in-depth knowledge of marketing techniques, strong leadership qualities, and the ability to effectively multitask.  

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Forecast and set sales goals
  • Develop and execute a strategic plan for meeting sales goals and expanding client base
  • Understand market trends and recommend adjustments
  • Communicate sales plans and strategies to key stakeholders in upper levels of the company as well as sales teams
  • Implement sales training and orientation programs

Education and experience

  • This position requires a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, or a related field, as well as several years of experience and success in sales.
  • Employers typically prefer that candidates have a master’s degree in business administration, marketing, or a similar discipline, in addition to a proven track record of success leading a sales team.

Required skills and qualifications

  • Written and verbal communication skills
  • Proven leadership skills, especially relating to coaching and motivating
  • Experience forecasting sales and setting sales goals
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software, including spreadsheets and databases
  • Strong ability to develop and present data and strategies to C-level stakeholders
  • Expertise in organization and time management

Preferred qualifications

  • Excellent negotiation, leadership, and motivational skills
  • Strong communication skills
  • Experience in sales 
  • Ability to build strong relationships

Example 2

Responsibilities:

  • Fully immerse yourself in the business of the gaming industry, keeping up to date on industry developments, and translating that information into new business opportunities
  • Weekly meetings with existing Client and/or Agency marketing decision makers within the digital media sphere to determine business needs and formulate successful integrated marketing and sales solution strategies
  • Respond to Briefs/RFP’s to new and existing clients/Agencies
  • Support North American Sales efforts through pre sales presentation preparation, audience research, in-campaign support, and post campaign analysis
  • Make relevant recommendations on products based on market/client feedback and advertising opportunities
  • Constantly seek new business opportunities, striving to generate a strong pipeline of revenue for the team and business
  • Daily maintenance of reporting/CRM tools to update sales management on account activity
  • Attend virtual meetings and (assuming a safe resumption of in-person events), client meetings, client entertainment events, and industry events, (as can be done safely)
  • Develop your internal network across sales operations, editorial and marketing to ensure amazing solutions are created that deliver on client expectations

Skills and experience:

  • You are a digital advertising industry professional, with a minimum of 5+ years of relevant industry experience and proven individual contributor digital ad sales experience
  • A rolodex of digital marketing and media buying professionals – ideally with a focus on those that target a gaming and entertainment audience.
  • Knowledge and experience working across digital display, programmatic, custom branded content, and social media solutions preferable
  • You confidently and expertly deliver presentations and build relationships with clients
  • Able and willing to travel domestically and internationally
  • Extensive account/client management experience
  • Successful in meeting and exceeding revenue goals
  • Able to work independently and in integrated departmental teams
  • Able to think and plan strategically; have strong negotiation skills
  • Direct and comfortable giving and receiving constructive feedback
  • Comfortable working in fast growing, rapidly changing environment
  • Proficient in using reporting/CRM systems as well as Hubspot, G-Suite/MS Office such as Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations.

Example 3

The Sales Director will be responsible for cultivating BPO presence in the market and growing business development opportunities within the XYZ sector. It is expected that the successful candidate will bring significant experience and relationships in the XYZ sector. The successful candidate should be motivated by winning financial incentives as well as career growth.

A successful candidate will be responsible for sales including vertical BPO offerings (i.e., trust and safety, merch non merchandise, ecommerce operations, chargeback and PoS, trade) and horizontal BPO offerings (F&A, supply chain, Procurement, contact center and HR) within the CPG sector. 15+ years of post-qualification experience. Minimum 10 years in BPO preferably in a 3rd party BPO environment.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Be responsible for following of allocated accounts
  • Be responsible for the sales cycle from deal origination to closure (signed contract) and successful handover to the Operation Management
  • Drive named account pursuit lists towards New logo hunting
  • Bring an understanding of the marketplace and competitor offerings to drive ABC Company’s growth strategy and investments
  • Be responsible for New logo sales and account acquisition
  • Be responsible for significantly growing ABC Company’s presence and revenues
  • Collaborate and develop 3rd party and advisor relations to build credible ABC Company’s voice in the geography and generate opportunities from this channel
  • Propose – Submit and handle proposals with full ownership and accountability for the opportunity. Work closely with the sales enablement teams to ensure high quality of proposals
  • Possess established and current relationships with COO’s, CFO’s, CEO’s, Customer Service Directors
  • Bring substantial experience in working with C-Suite executives including discussions with Chief Operating Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, and Chief Financial Officers
  • Ensure optimal deployment of resources to achieve business goals
  • Architecture of proposals (RFP/RFIs) to evince client interest

Key skills required:

  • Efficiency in computers – MS Office and Accounting applications like PeopleSoft, Oracle, etc.
  • Knowledge of complex accounting and reporting systems

Process-specific skills:

Business Skills

  • Big-deal experience – Person should have proven experience in closing deals with ACV > $5M and TCV > $20M
  • Balance multiple, concurrent deals to achieve challenging growth targets
  • Broad functional knowledge within the specific sector and able to connect with a variety of executive level stakeholders on their specific pain-points
  • Effectively identify and translate client needs into ABC Company services. Develop an understanding of customer’s business needs, matching them with ABC Company’s capabilities, and developing winning proposals for ABC Company
  • Work effectively across the ABC Company organization and partner with the appropriate team members to demonstrate the depth and breadth of ABC Company’s solutions
  • Be a key intermediary between the service delivery team and the customer
  • Astute at identifying and qualifying leads, be able to develop strong relationships at potential client organizations and have the proven ability to convert these relationships into commercial engagements in situations where little to no previous relationship existed
  • Effectively and proactively managed client’s expectations, built deep client partnerships, and developed excellent communication and executive presence to connect at all levels in the organization
  • Experience in selling long term complex multimillion dollar products, services, or solutions within the specific markets
  • Ability to communicate confidently at the C-level to build meaningful internal and external relationships

Soft Skills

  • Strategically minded and able to create a consultative and solution-minded sales environment
  • Aggressive, high-energy style who is motivated by winning
  • A “quick study” and “self-starter” – leads with an impatience for the status quo and a true sense of urgency. A forward thinker constantly focused on shaping the organization to meet and anticipate both near and long-term business issues
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural global environment
  • Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills
  • Advanced presentation skills, coupled with solid executive presence and the ability to establish immediate credibility
  • Good people management skills – highly professional in dealings with clients and co-workers
  • Ability to deal with unexpected and/or delicate situations calmly and with sound judgment
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines under pressure
  • Ability to communicate effectively at all levels
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural global environment

Example 4

Job overview

We are looking for an exceptional Director, Mid-Market Sales to help us expand our sales organisation across North America. You will play a key role in driving customer acquisition.

Qualifications

  • Minimum 5 years of B2B SaaS sales experience in a quota-carrying capacity
  • Proven and demonstrable track record of meeting and exceeding revenue targets
  • Experience navigating sales processes with Mid-Market Companies
  • Used to building relationships with C-Suite, VP and Director level roles in HR, Operations, and Finance
  • Ability to successful execute outbound sales activities and competent in finding and planting pain
  • Obsessive pipeline management
  • Hungry, accountable, intelligent, curious, ambitious, resilient, customer-centric, and a team player
  • Be fastidious using a Sales CRM (we use HubSpot)

Responsibilities

  • Build your target accounts list in your allocated vertical and map key personas across HR, Operations, and Finance
  • Work with Marketing/Revenue Enablement/Sales Development to support your Account-Based Sales plan
  • Run consultative discovery calls with inbound and outbound opportunities to uncover pain and desired outcomes while discussing the ABC Company value proposition
  • Execute product demos, proof of values, build business cases, and close
  • Working inside of HubSpot to manage your pipeline and execute follow-up tasks
  • Achieving and exceeding your revenue target – quarter on quarter
  • Reporting in to and working closely with the VP of Sales
  • Leveraging tools like Zoominfo, InsightSquared, Mediafly, and Hubspot

Overview of a working week

Other than company stand-ups, forecasting meetings and a call/deal coaching 1:1 your time will be spent

  • Prospecting
  • Selling
  • Negotiating
  • Closing
  • Training
  • Reviewing your forecast, pipeline and territory
  • Recruitment and coaching as we scale

Good to have

  • MEDDICC, SPIN, BANT, or Challenger sales methodology
  • Experience leading and building sales teams

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • Certified Professional Sales Leader (CPSL) . The CPSL is designed for sales leaders and managers. It is a comprehensive, six-week online course that provides candidates with the strategies and behavioral training they need to succeed as sales directors. Candidates will learn how to challenge sales professionals to grow, how to improve sales performance on their team, how to effectively speak to the specific needs of their team members, and how to motivate their team in the best way.
  • Certified Sales Leadership Professional (CSLP). The CSLP certification proves a candidate’s knowledge, skills, and competencies in sales and business development. It demonstrates their competency in generating leads, closing deals, making effective sales pitches, and developing proposals that work. The certification shows candidates understand the basics of sales, effective communication, and the tools needed to deliver successful presentations. Certification is valid for 3 years and must be renewed to remain active.

Sample Interview Questions

  • Describe your professional sales history.
  • How many salespeople have you previously managed, and where?
  • Describe your leadership style.
  • What makes you an effective leader?
  • What sales techniques do you think are most effective?
  • What is your past experience with setting goals and quotas?
  • How do you stay current with industry trends?
  • How do you best motivate your team?
  • What metrics do you use to measure the success of a sales team?
  • What strategies do you use to generate leads?
  • What is your decision-making process?
  • How would you handle a sales team member who isn’t meeting their quotas?
  • How do you delegate tasks among your sales team?
  • How would you handle a conflict between a sales team member and a client?
  • How would you handle a tight deadline?

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