Map the customer contact
Ask whether conversations happen by phone, video, email, in a store, or at a customer location. Find out whether leads are provided, self-generated, or a combination. Also ask who handles account service after the sale.
Understand the territory
For a field role, ask about geographic coverage, overnight travel, vehicle requirements, and expense reimbursement. For an office role, ask about attendance expectations and call schedules. A remote job can still require specific working hours and an approved work location.
Compare support and expectations
Learn who prepares quotes, demonstrates products, schedules appointments, and resolves service problems. Ask how performance is measured during training and after the ramp-up period. Two roles with similar titles may give employees very different responsibilities.
Make a side-by-side decision
Write down location, schedule, customer type, training, compensation structure, and travel for each opportunity. Bring unanswered questions to the recruiter. Choose based on the work you can perform consistently, not only the advertised earning potential.
Original editorial guidance from Detroit Sales Job Fair. Examples are illustrative; this article does not announce a specific vacancy or guarantee a hiring outcome.