Come On, You Can Do Better

Sales Executive Job Descriptions

“For hazardous journey, small wages,

bitter cold, long months of complete

darkness, constant danger. Safe return

doubtful, honor and recognition

in event of success.”

from Ernest Shackleton

Don’t we all wish that every job description was as clear yet brief as this one?

The reality, though, of today’s job descriptions for Sales Executives is that

(1) they are ambiguous and nebulous;

(2) they are a reflection of diverse corporate cultures; and

(3) they may/may not resonate with the reader.

What I may find funny (or appalling, or engaging) may be different from you. Take the list below of real-life un-altered examples as my personal good, bad and ugly. (And keep in mind, they are for VP and SVP of Sales positions.)

-       “The VP of Sales primary responsibility is to deliver the right revenues.” – Is the emphasis on ‘right’ or ‘revenues’?

-       “There are paid time off (PTO) days offered.” – Really? When are you going to let me know how many?

-        “Must be willing to travel up to 50% (?)” – Are they not sure if 50% is the right number? Or do I determine the share myself?

-        “You are confident, but not arrogant.” – What arrogant person actually admits to their arrogance? I love Scott Berkun’s definition of arrogance: “… it’s when ability (or perceived ability) is used to look down on others.” No arrogant person can know this.

-       “The position of a VP of Sales & Marketing is of great significance.” – Sure, it is? If YOU have to write this into the job description, it tells me that there is something wrong: you are not a sales-centric organization!

-        “Able to work at a rapid pace for long periods of time (typically no longer than 8 hours).” – Let me know when you find a senior sales leader position that does not include 6-7 12-hour-days at a rapid pace. I will take it, no questions asked.

-        “Computer savvy (excel, outlook)” – This sounds like the 1990s. If you ask for 10-15 years of experience, is there anyone out there who does not know how to send an email with Outlook?

-        “Other duties may be assigned.” – As a VP/SVP I EXPECT to be assigned other duties that are not explicitly spelled out in the job description, in addition to assigning many others to myself. Really, who thinks that only the list in the description applies?

-        “Conduct weekly forecast meetings.” – If you need to tell me in the job description that I have to run a specific internal meeting, I am turned off. A job should never be about internal meetings!

-        “Opportunity to travel around the U.S.” – Anyone who does extensive business travel knows that it is not an "opportunity" rather a necessary part of the job. Read Melissa Faulkner's article linked below.

Below I am sharing a few blogs and articles I find worthwhile on the topic of job descriptions. If your position includes authoring job descriptions, I recommend this article.

How can we help you to find the right sales leader?

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Ongig.com – 10 Examples of Awesome Job Description (and Why!)

Melissa Faulkner – Travelling For Work Is Absolutely Not As Glamorous As You Think

Scott Berkun – Arrogance vs. Confidence: what’s the difference?