in short
Hiring your first salesperson marks a turning point: you hand off a sale you used to make yourself. Start by defining the profile (hunter or farmer), a realistic fixed-plus-variable package, and a pipeline you have already tested. Without a precise brief, selection comes down to gut feeling.
why does this first sales hire change everything?
Until now, it was often the owner who sold, through their own relationships or conviction. Hiring a first dedicated salesperson means handing that function to someone else: what stayed implicit has to become explicit, from the sales pitch to how customers actually decide.
Demand for these profiles stays strong, and the tension is confirmed on the ground, especially for sales representative roles.
51,990
commercial and marketing executive hires planned for 2026 in France, 17% of executive hires
Apec, prévisions de recrutements de cadres 2026 (in French) (opens a new window), 2026 data
39.9%
of 22,100 sales representative recruitment projects in France rated difficult
France Travail, enquête BMO 2026, attachés commerciaux (in French) (opens a new window), 2026 data
which profile should you hire first: hunter, farmer or both?
A hunter chases new accounts; a farmer grows and retains an existing portfolio. With no sales team in place yet, your first hire often has to do a bit of both: win new customers and grow them, since you cannot yet split the roles.
- The business developer: prospecting and opening new accounts, the profile closest to a pure hunter.
- The account executive: running the sales cycle through to signature, then managing the relationship.
- The technical sales specialist: selling with a strong technical component, useful if your product needs real expertise.
- The sales manager: only worth considering if you are hiring a team lead straight away rather than a first salesperson on the ground.
what level of pay should you plan for?
The median pay for sales representation executives in France stands at €54,000 gross a year, fixed and variable combined, with 80% of cases between €37,000 and €87,000. A sales management role is negotiated noticeably higher.
€54k
median gross annual pay for sales representation executives, fixed and variable combined (80% between €37k and €87k)
€85k
median gross annual pay for sales management (80% between €55k and €138k)
Set the variable portion against indicators you can check yourself (signed revenue, qualified meetings booked), not against overall company performance the salesperson cannot control alone.
how do you write the brief and the selection process?
With no existing sales team to calibrate the interview against, the brief becomes your only benchmark. Describe your real sales cycle, even if it is informal, before writing the job ad.
- Describe the current sales cycle: who decides, how long it takes, the usual sticking points.
- Set two or three measurable success indicators for the first 90 days, not just a revenue target.
- Test a work-sample task close to the job: a mock call or a mock meeting with a typical customer.
- Check the level of autonomy needed: a first salesperson often prospects with no support staff.
To make the final interview more objective, read our guide how to evaluate a candidate put forward by an agency.
should you use an agency for this first hire?
It is not mandatory, but the documented tension on sales profiles, plus the stakes of a failed first hire (a bad signal for the function, time lost), often justify using a headhunter specialised in sales rather than posting a single job ad.
To compare fee models, read our guide how much does a recruitment agency cost.
frequently asked questions
Should you hire a junior or an experienced salesperson first?
It depends on how much time you can give to coaching them. A junior needs structured onboarding and real follow-up; an experienced profile works with more autonomy but costs more (the €54,000 median covers all sales representation executives, at every level).
Should the variable pay be capped?
Not necessarily, but it should stay clear and based on indicators both sides can verify, agreed before signing rather than negotiated after the fact.
How long before you can judge your first sales hire?
The first 90 days already reveal the ability to build a pipeline, often before the first signed deals. The length of your sales cycle determines when revenue shows up.
Is a headhunter useful for a non-executive role like a field salesperson?
Yes. Headhunters do not only work on leadership roles: on Muzzo, the assignment goes to sales specialists at every level of experience, not only senior executive profiles.