Sales Recruitment

How to Hire a Sales Manager in the UK (2026)

Your front-line team leader. How to hire a Sales Manager who lifts the numbers.

By Mark Wilkinson, Managing Director of Coburg Banks

Mark has spent over 30 years in recruitment, placing sales people from SDR up to Sales Director for SMEs across the UK.

A good Sales Manager is the difference between a team that hits target and one that drifts. They're close enough to coach every day and senior enough to own the number. Hire well here and everything downstream gets easier.

⚡ In short

A UK Sales Manager usually earns £45k-£65k base plus commission. Expect a shortlist in days and a placement in 4-8 weeks. Coburg Banks recruits Sales Managers with no fee until they start.

£45k-£65k

Typical base salary

4-8 weeks

Time to hire

48 hrs

To first shortlist

12 wks

Replacement guarantee

What to look for in a Sales Manager

Coaching over doing

Watch for the manager who still tries to close every deal themselves. You want someone who makes the team better, not a super-rep with a title.

Data comfort

They should live in the pipeline and spot problems early. Ask how they'd read a dashboard and what they'd act on first.

Team builder

Recruiting, onboarding and keeping good people is half the role. Look for a track record of it.

How to run the hire

1. Be clear on selling vs managing.
Most SME Sales Managers do both, so decide the split before you brief and hire to it.

2. Score for coaching.
The value of a manager is making the team better, so weight that above their own past numbers.

3. Source actively.
Ask your network and use a recruiter to approach managers who aren't looking.

4. Set a real scenario.
Give them an underperforming rep to talk through. Their answer shows whether they coach, cut or panic.

5. Check the team results.
Reference how their team performed and how many people they developed or lost.

How much does it cost to hire a Sales Manager?

Fees typically run 15-20% of first-year salary, agreed and capped before we start.

There's no fee until your hire begins, and it covers the whole search - sourcing, screening and interview support - not just a list of CVs.

How long does it take to hire a Sales Manager?

Usually 4-8 weeks, often with a shortlist within a few days.

These roles move fairly quickly because the candidate pool is broad. The main thing that slows it is being unclear on how much you want them selling versus purely managing.

Do Sales Managers need to sell as well as manage?

In most SMEs, yes - at least partly. A player-coach who carries a small number themselves keeps credibility with the team.

In larger businesses the role is more purely about leading and coaching. We scope the balance with you so the shortlist fits how your team actually runs.

What sectors do you recruit Sales Managers for?

Every B2B and B2C sector, from manufacturing and technical distribution to SaaS, media and professional services.

Good sales management skills travel well across sectors, so unless the product is highly technical we cast wider than a single industry to get you stronger candidates.

What does a Sales Manager do?

A Sales Manager runs a front-line sales team day to day - setting targets and activity levels, coaching reps, managing the pipeline and reporting on performance.

In smaller businesses they usually carry a personal target too. They're the layer that turns a plan into daily execution.

What should I ask a Sales Manager at interview?

Ask:

A rep has missed target three months running - what do you do, week by week?
How do you run a one-to-one?
Tell me about a hire that didn't work and what you learned. and What numbers do you look at every morning? Look for a concrete routine, not slogans.

External citations

Sources:
- REC
- ONS Labour Market
- Coburg Banks Trustpilot

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