Sales Manager Job Description Template

The sales landscape has fundamentally shifted. With AI reshaping team dynamics, hybrid work becoming permanent, and CRM systems evolving into intelligent platforms, the Sales Manager you need today looks vastly different from five years ago.

Market Reality: Why Sales Manager Hiring is More Complex Than Ever

The median annual salary for Sales Managers reached $138,060 in May 2024, with top earners making up to $213,350. But here’s what most companies miss: salary is just the entry point to a much deeper conversation about what modern Sales Managers actually do.

With 81% of organizations expected to use AI-powered CRM systems by 2025, your Sales Manager needs to be part strategist, part technologist, and part team psychologist. The traditional “relationship builder who can close deals” archetype won’t cut it in today’s market.

What a 2025 Sales Manager Actually Does

Beyond Traditional Management: The Hybrid Reality

In 2025, 48.5% of sales teams operate in hybrid environments, which means your Sales Manager must excel at what we call “contextual leadership”—switching between in-person relationship building and virtual team coordination seamlessly.

Core Responsibilities in the Modern Context:

Strategic Technology Integration

• Leverage AI-powered CRM systems that provide predictive analytics, automated lead scoring, and customer sentiment analysis
• Implement and optimize sales automation workflows that free up team time for high-value activities
• Translate complex sales data into actionable strategies for both C-suite and individual contributors

Hybrid Team Leadership

• Develop team norms around communication that work across remote and in-office team members
• Build accountability frameworks that don’t rely on physical presence
• Create inclusive decision-making processes that leverage distributed team strengths

Customer Experience Orchestration

• Navigate the $3.8 trillion in sales at risk due to bad customer experiences in 2025
• Design touchpoint strategies that anticipate customer needs using predictive analytics
• Coordinate with marketing and customer success teams through integrated platforms

Revenue Operations

• Manage complex sales cycles that increasingly involve multiple stakeholders and longer decision timelines
• Optimize conversion rates through data-driven pipeline management
• Forecast accurately in volatile market conditions using AI-enhanced predictive models

The Skills Revolution: What to Really Look For

Technical Competencies (Non-Negotiable)

CRM Mastery Beyond Basics Your candidate needs hands-on experience with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive, specifically their AI-powered features like predictive analytics and automated workflow management. Look for someone who can explain how they’ve used these tools to improve team performance, not just track activities.

Data Fluency Modern Sales Managers must interpret complex data to identify the most promising market opportunities. This means comfort with business intelligence tools, understanding of key metrics beyond basic conversion rates, and ability to translate data insights into team coaching moments.

Digital Communication Architecture Managing hybrid teams requires mastery of both synchronous and asynchronous communication. Your ideal candidate should demonstrate experience building communication protocols that keep distributed teams aligned and motivated.

Leadership Evolution (Equally Critical)

Emotional Intelligence for Distributed Teams Virtual leadership demands higher emotional intelligence—the ability to read team dynamics through video calls and identify performance issues before they impact results. Look for candidates who can provide specific examples of how they’ve supported remote team members through challenges.

Adaptive Coaching Methods Effective virtual Sales Managers use assignment-based development, creating specific research projects and strategic exercises to gauge team member growth during one-on-ones. This approach ensures continuous development even without direct observation throughout the whole employee lifecycle.

Change Management Expertise With sales processes evolving rapidly due to AI integration and changing customer expectations, your Sales Manager must be comfortable leading teams through technological and procedural changes while maintaining performance standards.

2025 Job Description Template: Ready to Deploy

About [Your Company]

[Include 2-3 sentences about your company’s mission, core products/services, and current growth phase. Mention any specific technology stack or market focus that’s relevant to the role.]

The Opportunity

We’re seeking a Sales Manager who thrives in the intersection of relationship building and technological innovation. You’ll lead a [hybrid/remote/in-office] team of [X] sales professionals, leveraging AI-powered tools to drive revenue growth while building the kind of customer relationships that create long-term value.

This role requires someone who can think strategically about market opportunities while coaching individual team members through complex sales cycles. You’ll be working with [specific CRM platform] and collaborating closely with our marketing and customer success teams.

What Success Looks Like

Year One Objectives:

• Achieve [X]% revenue growth while maintaining [X]% customer retention rate
• Successfully implement [specific CRM features/AI tools] to improve team productivity by [X]%
• Build repeatable processes for [specific sales challenge your company faces]
• Develop [X] team members into senior roles through structured coaching programs

Ongoing Responsibilities:

Team Development & Management

• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of [X] sales professionals in a [hybrid/remote] environment
• Create individual development plans that leverage both AI insights and human coaching
• Implement performance management systems that account for both activity metrics and relationship-building quality
• Recruit, onboard, and retain top sales talent in a competitive market

Revenue Strategy & Execution

• Develop and execute sales strategies that align with company growth objectives
• Manage complex B2B sales cycles averaging [X] months with [average deal size]
• Collaborate with marketing to optimize lead quality and conversion rates
• Present weekly revenue forecasts and strategic insights to executive team

Technology & Process Optimization

• Maximize [specific CRM platform] capabilities to improve team efficiency and customer insights
• Design and implement sales automation workflows that enhance rather than replace relationship building
• Analyze performance data to identify coaching opportunities and process improvements
• Stay current with sales technology trends and evaluate new tools for potential adoption

Customer Experience Leadership

• Ensure consistent, high-quality customer interactions across all team touchpoints
• Develop strategies for handling complex customer situations and escalations
• Build relationships with key accounts that drive long-term revenue growth
• Coordinate with customer success team to ensure smooth handoffs and expansion opportunities

What We’re Looking For

Required Experience:

• 5+ years in B2B sales management with consistent track record of meeting/exceeding targets
• 3+ years managing remote or hybrid sales teams with demonstrated ability to maintain performance and culture
• Hands-on experience with [specific CRM platform], including advanced features like automation, reporting, and AI-powered insights
• Proven success in [your industry/market] with understanding of typical sales cycles and customer decision-making processes

Technical Capabilities:

• CRM platform expertise: Deep knowledge of Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar platforms, including custom reporting and workflow automation
• Data analysis skills: Comfortable interpreting sales metrics, forecasting accuracy, and pipeline health indicators
• Digital communication tools: Experience with Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and asynchronous collaboration methods
• Sales technology evaluation: Experience testing and implementing new sales tools

Leadership Qualities:

• Hybrid team management: Proven strategies for maintaining team cohesion and performance across distributed teams
• Coaching methodology: Specific approaches to developing sales professionals, with examples of career progression you’ve facilitated
• Change leadership: Experience guiding teams through process changes, technology implementations, or market shifts
• Cultural building: Ability to maintain team culture and motivation in flexible work environments

Communication Excellence:

• Executive presentation skills: Comfortable presenting strategy and results to C-level executives
• Cross-functional collaboration: Experience working with marketing, customer success, and product teams
• Customer relationship management: Personal experience managing enterprise-level customer relationships
• Written communication: Strong skills in email, proposal writing, and documentation

What Sets This Role Apart

Professional Development:

• Annual budget for sales management training and certifications
• Access to [specific sales methodology] training and certification
• Mentorship opportunities with our VP of Sales and external sales leaders
• Conference attendance budget for industry events and networking

Technology & Resources:

• Latest CRM technology with AI-powered insights and automation
• Sales acceleration tools and platforms
• Flexible work arrangements with modern collaboration technology
• Budget for team development activities and tools

Growth Trajectory:

• Clear path to VP of Sales role as company scales
• Opportunity to build and shape sales processes from the ground up
• Stock options/equity participation in company growth
• Leadership development program participation

Compensation & Benefits:

• Base Salary: $[X] – $[X] (based on experience and location)
• Variable Compensation: Up to [X]% of base salary based on team performance
• Total Target Compensation: $[X] – $[X]
• Benefits: [List specific benefits, including health, dental, vision, 401k match, PTO policy, etc.]

Interview Strategy: Beyond the Standard Questions

Practical Assessment Approaches

CRM Scenario Analysis Present a real example of messy sales data and ask how they would use CRM tools to identify problems and solutions. The best candidates will describe specific assignment-based approaches they’d use to develop team members while addressing the data challenges.

Hybrid Management Simulation Describe a situation where half the team is remote and half is in-office, with a major deal at risk. How would they coordinate the response? Look for answers that demonstrate understanding of both synchronous and asynchronous communication strategies.

Technology Integration Planning “We’re implementing [specific AI-powered CRM feature]. Walk me through how you’d roll this out to your team while maintaining current performance.” Strong candidates will discuss change management, training approaches, and success metrics.

Red Flag Questions

About Remote Team Management: “How do you ensure remote team members are actually working?”

Red flag: Focus on surveillance rather than results and relationship building

About Technology: “What’s your experience with sales automation?”

Red flag: Either complete avoidance or over-enthusiasm without understanding human relationship aspects

About Data: “How do you use sales metrics to manage your team?”

Red flag: Only mentioning basic activity metrics without discussion of leading indicators or coaching applications

Compensation Reality Check: What the Market Actually Pays

Sales Manager salaries range from $70,000 to $180,000 annually, with the median at $138,060. However, the market shows significant variations:

By Industry:

• Information Technology: $215,037 median total pay
• Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology: $179,372
• Financial Services: $150,391

Geographic Impact: Top-paying cities like Soledad, CA offer 49.6% above the national average, but remember that remote work has changed this dynamic significantly.

The Real Consideration: Variable pay typically represents 15-30% of total compensation, which means your total package design matters more than base salary alone.

Implementation Timeline: Getting This Right

Week 1-2: Internal Alignment

• Align with stakeholders on hybrid vs. remote expectations
• Confirm CRM platform requirements and any planned upgrades
• Define specific success metrics beyond revenue numbers

Week 3-4: Job Description Optimization

• Customize the template above for your specific market and company stage
• Include specific examples of customer challenges your Sales Manager will need to solve
• Define the exact experience level needed (growing team vs. optimizing existing processes)

Week 5-8: Candidate Sourcing & Screening

• Look beyond traditional sales recruitment channels—many great hybrid Sales Managers are currently in customer success or marketing operations roles
• Use your CRM platform’s reporting capabilities as a screening tool—ask candidates to analyze real (anonymized) data
• Prioritize candidates who ask strategic questions about your market and customer base

Week 9-12: Interview Process

• Include team members from marketing and customer success in the interview process
• Give candidates access to your CRM platform for a practical exercise
• Ask for specific examples of how they’ve managed technology implementations

The Bottom Line: This Isn’t Just Another Hiring Decision

The Sales Manager you hire today will shape your revenue trajectory through 2026 and beyond. With 119,066 active Sales Manager openings currently in the US and 6% projected growth through 2033, you’re competing in a candidate’s market.

But here’s the strategic opportunity: most companies are still hiring for yesterday’s Sales Manager role. By focusing on hybrid leadership skills, AI-powered CRM expertise, and modern customer experience orchestration, you’ll attract candidates who can actually drive results in 2025’s business environment.

The question isn’t whether you can afford to hire the right Sales Manager—it’s whether you can afford not to.

Ready to find a Sales Manager who can navigate the modern sales landscape? Our recruitment specialists understand the intersection of technology, leadership, and customer experience that defines today’s top sales talent. Let’s discuss how we can help you identify candidates who excel in hybrid environments while driving measurable revenue growth.