What Does a Salesperson Do? Key Roles and Responsibilities

What Does a Salesperson Do?

Key Roles and Responsibilities — A Guide for HR Managers & CEOs

1. Strategic Recruitment & Role Definition

• HR managers play a critical role in collaborating with department heads (including CEOs when involved in hiring) to define the precise scope of a salesperson’s position—from job analysis to crafting compelling job descriptions. This ensures clarity in responsibilities and required competencies

• Use competency-based recruitment to pinpoint behavioral and technical traits that align with both company culture and strategic goals—this improves talent fit and retention.

2. Sales Process Expertise

A salesperson typically follows a structured sales process:

1. Prospecting – Identifying and qualifying potential leads

2. Pre-approach & Needs Assessment – Understanding customer pain points

3. Presentation – Delivering value-focused pitches using models like AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action)

4. Handling Objections – Addressing concerns with empathy and persuasion techniques

5. Closing – Employing closing techniques (e.g., assumptive close, direct close) to finalize.

6. Follow-Up – Maintaining customer satisfaction to build long-term relationships

3. From HR’s Perspective: Hiring and Enabling Sales Talent

• HR managers need to:

  • Identify skills and traits required (e.g., communication, resilience, negotiation).

  • Develop recruitment pipelines using ATS tools, structured interviews, and role-plays to assess both capability and cultural fit.

  • Design onboarding and continuous training to ensure new sales hires align with organizational processes and performance standards.

4. From the CEO’s Lens: Aligning Sales with Corporate Vision

• CEOs must ensure the sales function is tightly aligned with broader business objectives:

  • Vision alignment: Ensure the sales team understands and embodies company values and long-term mission.

  • Culture-building: Partner with HR to foster a culture that supports sales success—reward performance, enable collaboration, and embed agility.

  • Strategic oversight: CEOs should view the sales leader as both revenue driver and culture custodian, evaluating performance metrics and market impact.

Summary Table: Roles & Responsibilities

find sale rebs By approaching the hiring and integration of salespeople through this collaborative model—where HR managers define & enable, salespeople perform, and CEOs align & oversee—organizations stand to strengthen their sales impact while nurturing a cohesive company culture.