How to hire sales executives in Mumbai

Start here

What kind of sales executive do you need?

A sales executive can mean many things. Be clear about where the work happens and who the customer is.

Field sales
Visits shops, offices or homes and closes in person.
Desk or inside sales
Sells by phone, chat and email from the office.
Dealer or channel sales
Handles distributors, retailers and repeat orders.
Business development
Finds new customers and builds long-term accounts.

Skills

Skills to ask for

Good sellers are easy to talk to, follow up without being pushy, and keep their word. Look for these.

Communication
Speaks clearly in the languages your customers use.
Target focus
Has worked towards a number and can explain how.
Follow-up discipline
Keeps a list of leads and calls back on time.
Area knowledge
Knows the routes and markets you sell in.

Also useful, depending on your work:

Experience selling a product similar to yours.
Basic Excel or CRM use to track leads and orders.
Quotations and order forms done neatly.
A two-wheeler and a licence, if the role needs travel. Check with a professional about any rules that apply.

The job description

What to put in the job description

Say what is sold, to whom and where. Salespeople read for the product and the pay structure first. More on this in how to write a job description.

What you sell and who buys it.
Field or desk, and the area or route covered.
Expected experience, and whether you will take a fresher.
How targets work and what the incentive depends on.
Travel allowance or any support given, if any.
Your pay range, to be given honestly on the first call.

Title: Sales Executive
Location: Our office in [your area], Mumbai. Field visits in [areas].
Experience: [Minimum] in sales of [similar product]. Freshers with strong communication may apply.
Skills: Clear communication in Hindi and English, lead follow-up, quotations, basic Excel.
The work: Meet or call new and existing customers, present our [product], follow up on leads, close orders and report weekly.
Hours: [Days and hours].
Pay: Salary: [your range]. Incentive: [how it works].
To apply: We will call you if your profile matches.

Where

Which area to search in Mumbai

For field sales, the best candidate often lives on or near the route they will cover. Travel costs time, and a salesperson who starts the day already tired sells less.

For desk sales, search your office locality and the stations on the same line. For field sales, search the area where most of your customers are. For example, Andheri, Goregaon and Malad on the western side, Thane, Mulund and Ghatkopar on the central side, and Vashi, Nerul and Kharghar in Navi Mumbai. See hiring by Mumbai locality.

Search in plain words, for example “sales executive in Thane, field sales, Hindi and Marathi”. See how to use the resume database.

Check

How to check real selling experience

Ask for one real deal: customer, product, objection and how they closed it.
Ask how they find new customers and keep old ones.
Ask how many calls or visits they make in a normal day or week.
Ask what they did when they missed a target.
Ask them to sell you a simple product in a minute, and listen to how they ask questions.

Use our first-call questions for the basics, and read how to check candidate experience.

Avoid these

Common mistakes when hiring sales executives

Mistake

Better

Mistake
Hiring the best talker
Talking well is not the same as closing.
Better
Ask for real deals and listen for detail.
Mistake
Vague targets and incentive
Better
Explain the structure clearly on the first call.
Mistake
Mixing field and desk roles
Better
Decide which one you need before you search.
Mistake
Ignoring the travel
Better
Search near the area they will cover.
Mistake
No plan for the first weeks
Better
Give a product briefing, a few warm leads and a check-in each week.

FAQ

Common questions

Field sales or desk sales: which do I need?

Field sales means visiting customers, so the person must be comfortable travelling across Mumbai. Desk sales means calls, messages and follow-up from the office. Decide this first, because the people for each are different.

How can I tell if someone really has selling experience?

Ask for one real deal they closed: who the customer was, what they offered, what the customer objected to and how they answered. Real sellers give specific details. Vague answers are a warning sign.

Should I hire a fresher for sales?

Sometimes. A fresher with good communication and drive can grow with training, especially in simple products. For high-value or technical products, experience in a similar sale is safer.

What should I say about pay and incentive?

Be open about it on the first call. Say what is fixed, what depends on results, and how targets are set. Surprises later are the main reason salespeople leave.

Search Resumes

How to hire sales executives in Mumbai

Start here

What kind of sales executive do you need?

A sales executive can mean many things. Be clear about where the work happens and who the customer is.

Field sales
Visits shops, offices or homes and closes in person.
Desk or inside sales
Sells by phone, chat and email from the office.
Dealer or channel sales
Handles distributors, retailers and repeat orders.
Business development
Finds new customers and builds long-term accounts.

Skills

Skills to ask for

Good sellers are easy to talk to, follow up without being pushy, and keep their word. Look for these.

Communication
Speaks clearly in the languages your customers use.
Target focus
Has worked towards a number and can explain how.
Follow-up discipline
Keeps a list of leads and calls back on time.
Area knowledge
Knows the routes and markets you sell in.

Also useful, depending on your work:

Experience selling a product similar to yours.
Basic Excel or CRM use to track leads and orders.
Quotations and order forms done neatly.
A two-wheeler and a licence, if the role needs travel. Check with a professional about any rules that apply.

The job description

What to put in the job description

Say what is sold, to whom and where. Salespeople read for the product and the pay structure first. More on this in how to write a job description.

What you sell and who buys it.
Field or desk, and the area or route covered.
Expected experience, and whether you will take a fresher.
How targets work and what the incentive depends on.
Travel allowance or any support given, if any.
Your pay range, to be given honestly on the first call.

Title: Sales Executive
Location: Our office in [your area], Mumbai. Field visits in [areas].
Experience: [Minimum] in sales of [similar product]. Freshers with strong communication may apply.
Skills: Clear communication in Hindi and English, lead follow-up, quotations, basic Excel.
The work: Meet or call new and existing customers, present our [product], follow up on leads, close orders and report weekly.
Hours: [Days and hours].
Pay: Salary: [your range]. Incentive: [how it works].
To apply: We will call you if your profile matches.

Where

Which area to search in Mumbai

For field sales, the best candidate often lives on or near the route they will cover. Travel costs time, and a salesperson who starts the day already tired sells less.

Search in plain words, for example “sales executive in Thane, field sales, Hindi and Marathi”. See how to use the resume database.

Check

How to check real selling experience

Ask for one real deal: customer, product, objection and how they closed it.
Ask how they find new customers and keep old ones.
Ask how many calls or visits they make in a normal day or week.
Ask what they did when they missed a target.
Ask them to sell you a simple product in a minute, and listen to how they ask questions.

Use our first-call questions for the basics, and read how to check candidate experience.

Avoid these

Common mistakes when hiring sales executives

Mistake

Better

Mistake
Hiring the best talker
Talking well is not the same as closing.
Better
Ask for real deals and listen for detail.
Mistake
Vague targets and incentive
Better
Explain the structure clearly on the first call.
Mistake
Mixing field and desk roles
Better
Decide which one you need before you search.
Mistake
Ignoring the travel
Better
Search near the area they will cover.
Mistake
No plan for the first weeks
Better
Give a product briefing, a few warm leads and a check-in each week.

FAQ

Common questions

Field sales or desk sales: which do I need?

How can I tell if someone really has selling experience?

Ask for one real deal they closed: who the customer was, what they offered, what the customer objected to and how they answered. Real sellers give specific details. Vague answers are a warning sign.

Should I hire a fresher for sales?

Sometimes. A fresher with good communication and drive can grow with training, especially in simple products. For high-value or technical products, experience in a similar sale is safer.

What should I say about pay and incentive?

Be open about it on the first call. Say what is fixed, what depends on results, and how targets are set. Surprises later are the main reason salespeople leave.

Search Resumes

How to hire sales executives in Mumbai

What kind of sales executive do you need?

Field sales

Desk or inside sales

Dealer or channel sales

Business development

Skills to ask for

Communication

Target focus

Follow-up discipline

Area knowledge

What to put in the job description

Which area to search in Mumbai

How to check real selling experience

Common mistakes when hiring sales executives

Common questions

Related reading

How to hire sales executives in Mumbai

What kind of sales executive do you need?

Field sales

Desk or inside sales

Dealer or channel sales

Business development

Skills to ask for

Communication

Target focus

Follow-up discipline

Area knowledge

What to put in the job description

Which area to search in Mumbai

How to check real selling experience

Common mistakes when hiring sales executives

Common questions

Related reading