good resume examples for sales

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22 Sales Resume Examples That Landed Jobs in 2024

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

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• Sales Resume
• Sales Resumes by Experience
• Sales Resumes by Role

Writing Your Sales Resume

Sales are the lifeblood of any growing company. Without sales, companies grow stagnant—or worse, fail. But with a good sales department, a company can truly thrive.

You know how to care for customers, present solutions to problems, and adapt to any situation. Unfortunately, getting a new sales job involves more than just a short resignation letter at your current job and being stellar at what you do.

You shouldn’t have to create a resume or write a sales cover letter alone, which is why we’ve analyzed hundreds of professional resumes and created 22 sales resume examples just for you. These examples have helped salespeople get hired by companies like Google and Facebook , and they’re here for you to achieve the next role of your dreams in 2024.

Sales Resume Example

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Why this resume works

• Whether your most significant impact was in total sales, conversion rate, retention rate, or lead generation performance, it doesn’t matter—numbers speak louder than words, so include them whenever you can!

Sales Assistant Resume

• Find a way to include metrics to really sell your skills!
• Don’t just say you used a certain skill; demonstrate how you used that skill. For example, did you use your organization skills to stock many items? 
• Pack your resume objective with proactive language that shows your eagerness for growth and improvement. If you’re looking for a career-building role, then say exactly that!

Entry-Level Sales Representative Resume

• Sales is a people management game. If you have charm and patience, that’s much more valuable in the eyes of the hiring manager than an impressive educational background.
• You can also include a  resume objective  to mention some of your accomplishments and skills right off the bat; if you choose to do so, make sure you tailor it for every job to which you apply.
• If your education is your strongest area, include your minor, GPA, and any relevant courses you’ve taken.
• If you’ve worked on several projects, make room to include them on your resume in place of work experience.

Experienced Sales Associate Resume

• Your true competence as a sales associate shines through the most when you mention how you effectively calmed angry customers and offered practical, compassionate solutions.
• If you’re not overly familiar with a skill, leave it out—honesty is the best policy, and many skills are easy to learn on the job.

Experienced Retail Sales Associate Resume Example

• If you don’t have past retail experience, don’t fret; use the positions you have to highlight transferable skills, like time management, customer service, and problem-solving.
• Instead of just listing responsibilities, include any achievements, too. Were you a top salesperson in your store? Did you increase your customer review rating? Did you cross-sell effectively and increase revenue? All of these are great examples to include!

Senior Sales Analyst Resume

• Include a  resume summary  (also called a career summary) if you can boast 10+ years of field experience. Make it a concise, customized snapshot of yourself by including your specializations, defining expertise, and mentioning the target business by name.
• You can include the number of employees you manage or mentor, the rate at which you’ve increased revenue, the rate at which employees have hit sales targets during your tenure, the number of departments you collaborate with, the number of monthly presentations you give, and any other metrics that showcase how you’ve improved company performance.

VP of Sales Resume

• A good example is the training program you initiated, which boosted team morale and overall productivity by 38 percent.

Executive Sales Resume

• The ATS, the gatekeeper of applications, has a thing for resumes with conventional sections (think work experience, education, certifications, and skills) sprinkled with keywords mentioned in the job ad. Eligible terms for a sales position range from Salesforce, Tableau, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to Mailchimp.

Pharmaceutical Sales Resume

• Did you help expand market share? Did you leverage technology to help close more sales deals? Add all that in and sit back as your past success elevates your candidacy to the top of the shortlisted applicants.

Insurance Sales Resume

• Highlight how you’ve tapped InsurGrid, NowCerts, ClearSlide, etc. to improve customer service, and attract and retain customers. Also, back your competencies with realistic figures that underscore your impact.

Tech Sales Resume

• Be bold, like Asher, in showing off to what extent your skills and knowledge contributed to the company’s sales department.

Sales Representative Resume

• Make sure every section of your sales representative resume is easy to read and distinguish by either capitalizing them, bolding them, or using a colored font.
• Any mistakes will be easy to see and will hurt your chances of getting an interview. So, always  check your resume  before you submit it!

Sales Manager Resume

• Focus your work experience on your sales achievements and management expertise. Even if you have no sales management experience, you can still show off your sales skills and leadership qualities wherever it was that you worked. 
• When you can, include metrics that quantify your success. Saying you conducted meetings is one thing, but conducting meetings that resulted in a 14% increase in leads is another.

Digital Sales Representative Resume

• A  good resume template  will help you structure your content effectively, but be aware of spacing—even a good resume template won’t help if your text is too tiny to read or spreads into the margins.
• If you’re stumped on what numbers to include, consider these options: response time, the number of active accounts, size of the average account, churn dollars, team size, ROI, social media post engagement, the number of products you know, and how many awards you’ve won.

Sales Strategist Resume

• There are many  good resume examples  if you know where to look, and they can help you break out of your writer’s block funk. Take a look and get some inspiration!
• Moreover, you can ask some co-workers to help you, too! They can help you decide what metrics to include and how to sound confident but not arrogant.
• For example, if you’re a senior-level employee, you don’t need to include much in your education section, but you should include more work experience bullet points.
• However, if you’re new to the field, you can include your GPA and educational awards while minimizing your work experience in favor of projects.

Sales Consultant Resume

• A strong network on LinkedIn indicates that you’re good at building professional relationships, which is an essential element of sales.
• If you haven’t updated your LinkedIn in a while, make sure you do that as soon as possible.
• For example, you can talk about unveiling events for clients, creating working relationships, and building up networks. These details demonstrate that strong customer rapport is, in fact, a skill you possess.

Sales Engineer Resume

• For example, if the job you’re applying to emphasizes the importance of using CRM software or building long-lasting relationships with customers, emphasize these skills in your skills section. 
• Focus on including hard skills similar to the ones used in the  sales job description .
• If you’re just starting your career in sales engineering OR transitioning to a different type of role, include an objective.
• If none of the above applies, leave it out in favor of more work experience.

Director Of Sales Resume

• Don’t forget to list accomplishments related to leading people and building customer relationships, starting by recording how many customers you helped or how many people you led. Then look for percentages relating to KPIs from there.
• If you’re stuck on what to include in your  resume skills section , go back to the  sales job description  and see what soft skills they require, whether explicitly stated or implied.

Outside Sales Representative Resume

• Good examples include the number of new accounts you opened, conversion rate, retention rate, lead generation performance, and overall growth.
• Sales revenue is the main statistic related to every sales position, but make sure you venture outside the box to include other metrics, too.
• You’d be amazed at what tiny typos and punctuation errors can slip through without your noticing, and employers will appreciate your attention to detail!
• Run your resume through a  resume checker  or spellcheck system, then proofread it again with your own eyes.

Software Sales Representative Resume

• For example, did you exceed your sales quotes, and if so, how many times? How much did you increase profits for the company? 
• Provide details that prove you can boost numbers at the next company you’ll work for!
• If you can, shoot for half and half between technical and soft skills, but if you’re an entry-level candidate, it’s okay to have more soft skills.
• As a software sales rep, you should include the programming languages you know, plus soft skills like “negotiation” and “interpersonal communication.”

Fragrance Sales Associate Resume

• For a successful career in sales, you’ll want your communication and persuasion skills to shine just as brightly as your technical knowledge. Be sure you include some of both in your fragrance sales associate resume .

Sales Development Representative Resume

• Sales are all about the numbers. When you’ve brought about tangible positive results at your past workplaces, it speaks to how effective you are as a salesperson and should be touted in your sales development representative resume .

Related resume guides

• Sales Associate
• Sales Representative
• Sales Manager

Proper formatting ensures your resume is readable, logical, and complete. If you neglect the formatting, you risk potential employers not taking your application seriously (or not even seeing your resume). When it comes to formatting, remember the following: 

• Choose one of three resume format options 
• Draw attention to your resume header 
• Make your sales resume accessible for the ATS and employers

Overall resume format options

Hiring managers’ preferences tend to change over time, but for 2024, it’s clear that three  resume formats  are the most popular:

• Reverse-chronological format:  This format emphasizes your most recent experience by placing work experience toward the top of your resume. Ordering your experience this way highlights career growth and development.
• Functional format:  A functional format stresses skills over work experience. This type of format may be appealing if you have little work experience or if there are gaps in your employment. 
• Combination/hybrid format:  This type combines reverse-chronological and functional formatting, placing equal weight on job history  and  skills, but it can be hard to read because of this.

Though all three types are popular,  hiring managers prefer   the reverse-chronological format . It’s easy to read, underscores career growth, and looks honest regarding your job experience. 

Draw attention to your resume header

Presenting your contact information may seem unimportant. However, this is the most important information in your resume; without it, how can you expect hiring managers to tell you “you’re hired?” Don’t make the mistake of underestimating the importance of an accurate and beautiful resume header.

Start by aligning your header either to the left or center. Then write your name in a large font size so you can see it from far away.

Right below your name, include your job title in a slightly smaller font. Then if you like, you can tastefully add some color to show your personality. (We love cobalt blue and buttercup yellow, but we’re a bit biased.)

Underneath your name and title, list your contact information. Keep the text the same font size as the body of your resume, and consider including a border (with or without color) to make it pop. This section should include:

• Your email (make sure it’s professional and not something like “ [email protected] ”)
• Phone number (with an area code)
• City & State (optional but recommended)
• Professional links to portfolios or sites like LinkedIn (optional but recommended)

Make your sales resume accessible to the ATS and employers

Once you upload your resume to an online job application, it won’t go straight to a hiring manager’s desk. Instead, it will go through the ATS, or Applicant Tracking System software.

This system uses keywords in your resume to determine your likelihood of being a good fit for a particular sales job. If you don’t pass the ATS scan, it’s doubtful you’ll get an interview.

To get past the software and reach human eyes, pay attention to:

• Margins:  Use standard half-inch or one-inch margins all around.
• Fonts:  Use professional, easy-to-read fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Georgia. 
• Font sizes:  The body of your resume should be the smallest font at around 12-point, your job title should be 20-point font, and your name should be approximately 24-point font.
• Header names:  Instead of adjusting font size for section headers, try bolding them or using all caps. 
• Skills:  You can list them in a horizontal or vertical list; we recommend using bullet points in a vertical list unless you lack space. 
• Logical order:  As we suggested earlier, we recommend a reverse-chronological format since it’s easy for the ATS to scan. 
• One page:  You must fill one page  exactly . You can slightly adjust fonts, font sizes (just a touch), vertical spacing, and margins to hit this target.

If you’re struggling to  make a resume online  with enough content and proper formatting, remember this: the most important thing is to  ensure your resume is read . If you have to cut content to keep your formatting easy to read, do it.

Do you really need an objective or summary?

Contrary to sources floating around the internet, there  is  a difference between a  resume objective  and a  resume summary . Both are short paragraphs written explicitly for every application you submit, but there are a few key differences between them. 

An  objective  identifies why you’d like to work for the company under the specific job title for which you’re applying. A  summary  highlights the skills you possess and what achievements you’ve earned within your past positions.

Objectives and summaries are strictly optional, but there are a few instances where adding one would help.

• Consider including an objective if you’re seeking an entry-level role or are transitioning careers.
• Consider using a summary best suited if you have 10+ years of sales experience.

Customized resume objective:  Seasoned floor salesperson with 4+ years of experience hitting sales 7% above targets. Seeking a position with Neiman Marcus, where my specialization in high-end retail will continue the tradition of upholding the highest standard of luxury retail experiences for clientele. 

• This objective is specific to the job and includes a customized job title, quantified metrics, specific skill sets, and the company name. It adds real value and will impress any hiring manager.

Poor summary statement:  Dedicated applicant with experience in sales and marketing looking for a sales associate role to improve customer service skills. 

• This statement is anything but specific, and it could be on any number of sales resumes. More than just that, it doesn’t highlight any skills or qualifications beyond dedication. Major yikes.

Customized summary statement:  Results-driven sales associate with 13+ years of experience developing rapport and good customer relations. Leveraged top marketing strategies to yield results, performing in the top 5% of sales associates at all workplaces for over a decade. From informing customers about purchases to designing trending storefront decor, I am confident that my proven excellence in results-driven sales strategies would positively impact the movement of products at Decor 101. 

• This summary statement is customized and unique, including specific skills and quantifiable metrics to support their claims; this candidate is a top choice for an interview.

Know what to include in your job experience section

When writing your sales resume, you may be tempted to include every job you’ve had since you were 16. Though this may be an appropriate choice if you have limited job experience, we recommend including two to four highly relevant jobs on your sales resume if you have more experience. 

Write your work experience bullet points purposefully

When you write your work experience section, remember that space is crucial. To take up less room, use bullet points to break up chunks of text. Start each bullet point with an action verb, such as “oversaw” or “championed,” to drive your value (and cut filler).

Using action verbs will also lay the foundation for using active (rather than passive) voice. For example, a passive sentence like “The store was closed by the sales team” sounds weak and boring. Active voice gives agency to the subject and shortens the statement: “The sales team closed the store.” 

Avoid personal pronouns when writing about your experience, such as “I” or “we.” Ending punctuation is up to you—just be consistent. (Avoid having periods at the end of all your bullet points except for one, for example).

Finally, keep your verb tense in the past, and make sure it’s consistent.

Good bullet points can look like any of these examples:

• Executed an outbound calling strategy to warm leads, leading to a close rate of 16%, which exceeded targets by 50%
• Implemented and expanded the use of Salesforce, saving over 18 hours of weekly manual reporting time by sales staff
• Led initiatives for prospective home buyers to improve brand awareness and increase inbound customer interest, resulting in a $275,000+ increase in incremental revenue

These bullet points are successful because they start with action words, maintain an active voice, avoid personal pronouns, and are consistent with punctuation and tenses. 

Getting these things correct is tricky, but you can return to this guide anytime to review these tips!

Use numbers to your advantage

You may have noticed that all the bullet point examples we included contain numbers. Metrics are essential for any resume, but especially your sales resume. Words tell hiring managers you’re good at your job, but numbers show undeniable value. Include quantified metrics within at least 50 percent of your bullet points. 

Here’s how:

• Performance relative to targets:  Have you ever or do you consistently outperform sales targets? By what percentage do you exceed targets on average? 
• Improvements per customer:  Do your customers have higher purchase totals than others? Are they making more repeat purchases than customers helped by other sales associates? What’s your close rate? 
• Efficiency standards:  How many customers do you help on average, per hour, day, or week? How long does it typically take you to make a sale? How many seconds does it take you to greet customers? 
• Customer relations:  How many customers have reviewed you positively on customer surveys? Have any customers mentioned you by name in positive reviews?

It helps to see these tips in practice, so here are some examples: 

• Improved the shopper-to-customer conversion rate of the store by 6% by prioritizing immediate customer service of inbound customers
• Responded to customer questions with a detailed understanding of products, resulting in a customer satisfaction rating of 96%
• Recognized as a Top 5% Salesperson in the most heavily trafficked Kay’s store in Maine 
• Exceeded annual membership targets by 23% by encouraging a compassionate, customer-centered approach

Select appropriate sales skills for your resume

The skills section is one of the shortest sections on your resume and one of the most mysterious. Unfortunately, the ATS plays a big part in this section since it scans your resume for pre-selected keywords.

Not enough keywords? Not the right keywords? ATS wins, 1 to 0. 

We’re here to shed light on this mystery using a simple trick. When writing your skills, choose those mentioned in the  sales job description . Of course, don’t include every skill they list, but use the job description to guide your strengths.

Ideally, include a mix of both hard and soft skills for a total of six to 10 skills. Hard skills are easier to measure, so we recommend listing mostly hard skills. However, soft skills, such as “organization” and “customer service,” are critical in a sales role, so include a few that match your abilities. 

Let’s put this trick into practice! Here’s an excerpt from a sales job description: 

Seeking qualified sales associates! Our ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced work environment and can maintain a positive, upbeat attitude with co-workers and customers under stressful situations. Must utilize standard software to track and follow up with leads. Should be charismatic, comfortable with public speaking, and have a solid ability to memorize merchandise details and answer complex customer questions. We serve a predominantly Hispanic population, so Spanish speakers, please apply! 

From this job description, we can create a list of skills that would be particularly appropriate for this job position: 

• Salesforce and HubSpot CRM
• Bilingual (Native English, Fluent Spanish) 
• Customer relations
• Interpersonal communication
• Product knowledge 
• Sales demos and pitches
• Time management 

 No matter the job you’re applying for, you’re likely to see some of these skills: 

• Cold-prospecting 
• Negotiation
• Work stream management
• Trend forecasting
• Traditional lead-generation
• Presentations 

Education, certs, interests, and hobbies

In sales, employers typically only require a high school diploma or equivalent. However, specific educational requirements will vary widely in such a large field. Some employers will seek applicants with a bachelor’s degree in business or even an MBA. 

So in your sales resume, list your highest level of education. If you have a graduate degree, you can include both it and your undergrad degree.

If you have any certifications or additional training, such as software certification for a particular type of CRM, you can include that, too, although it isn’t required.

Typically, sales professionals don’t include an optional  interests and hobbies section on their resumes , but there are a few circumstances where it may be appropriate: 

• Hobbies can demonstrate that you’re the type of person a potential customer might enjoy chatting with, which is a bonus for employers.
• Use projects, like volunteering or academic extracurriculars, in place of work experience if you’re light on jobs. 

Here’s an example of what projects could look like on your sales resume:

Tailor your sales resume to the job description

Remember to customize your resume  every time  you apply for a job. Tailoring your resume to the job description is the best way to land an interview quickly.

Start by reworking your resume objective or summary statement (if you have one). Then adjust your skills section to include skills relevant to the role. Finally, adjust your job description bullet points to include relevant qualifications. 

For instance, if a job description mentions they’re looking for a sales representative who can begin giving presentations on day one, emphasize your comfort in public speaking roles. Highlight your previous presentation experience, and perhaps de-emphasize the data analysis skillset that is less relevant to this job. 

Pro tip:  You can keep a master list of bullet points for each job title in a separate document . Write down as many skills and responsibilities as you can for every job title, and organize them based on their emphasis (time management, customer relations, data analysis, etc.). Then you can pull from this document to create fully-customized resumes quickly. 

Edit and polish your sales resume

When finished  writing your resume , it’s tempting to submit it immediately, but it’s best to take a step away first. Give your eyes and mind a rest for a day, and send your resume to trusted family and friends for review. Then you can adjust your content and  check your resume  for errors before you submit; that way, you don’t miss the little details you may have inadvertently overlooked!

Ready for the Next Step?

The first step to having an interview-ready, professional sales resume is to take the time to research and prepare. Congratulations on helping out your future self by using our guide! 

Our easy-to-use  AI resume builder  will allow you to build your resume from the ground up with perfect formatting, so you can save serious time and focus on your next sales job. If you’re ready to find out how your resume stacks up, use our  resume checker  to give you AI-powered suggestions to polish your resume to perfection. 

We know that wherever you get hired, you’ll be helping customers and growing revenue in no time!

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Gut the guesswork in your job hunt. Upload your existing resume to check your score and make improvements. Build a resume with one of our eye-catching, recruiter-friendly templates.

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• • Led a team of 15 sales professionals, achieving a 40% year-over-year increase in sales revenue by implementing innovative sales strategies and enhancing the sales process.
• • Spearheaded the expansion into three new markets, resulting in a 25% increase in market share and establishing the company's presence in competitive regions.
• • Negotiated and secured contracts with key accounts worth over $5M, contributing significantly to the company's bottom line and strategic growth objectives.
• • Developed and executed a comprehensive training program for new hires, reducing ramp-up time by 50% and significantly improving sales team productivity.
• • Implemented a CRM system that improved lead tracking and sales forecasting accuracy by 35%, enabling more strategic decision-making.
• • Organized quarterly sales conferences to align on goals, share best practices, and foster team unity, which was instrumental in boosting team morale and performance.
• • Managed a region generating over $2M in annual sales, exceeding sales targets by 20% each quarter through effective territory management and customer engagement strategies.
• • Launched a partner program that increased sales channel revenue by 30% within the first year, enhancing product distribution and market penetration.
• • Led the turnaround of an underperforming district, achieving a 15% sales increase in the first six months through strategic realignment and team motivation.
• • Collaborated with marketing to develop targeted campaigns that increased lead generation by 40%, directly impacting sales growth.
• • Initiated a cross-functional team effort to address customer service issues, reducing complaint rates by 60% and improving customer satisfaction scores.
• • Exceeded individual sales targets by 25% for three consecutive years through effective client relationship management and strategic sales approaches.
• • Played a key role in a project that resulted in a 20% increase in customer retention by enhancing product training sessions for clients.
• • Contributed to a 10% year-over-year growth in sales by identifying and penetrating new market segments with high potential.
• • Facilitated successful negotiations of contracts with major clients, securing deals that were 15% above the average contract value.

23 Sales Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

Your sales resume must clearly showcase your track record of sales achievements. Highlight numerical sales successes, such as hitting targets or growing customer bases. Include examples of relationship building and retention strategies. Demonstrate your proficiency in various sales techniques and tools through concise examples and recognitions.

All resume examples in this guide

Entry-Level Salesperson

Sales Representative

Sales Manager

Sales Associate

Software Sales

Solar Sales

Jewelry Sales

Door To Door Sales

Enterprise Sales

Executive Sales

Inside Sales

Outside Sales

Phone Sales

Luxury Sales

Furniture Sales

Construction Sales

Director of Sales

Resume guide.

Sales Resume Example

Resume Format

Resume Experience

Hard & Soft Skills

Certifications & Education

Resume Summary/Objective Tips

Additional Resume Sections

Key Takeaways

By Experience

Sales require a talent for persuasion. Hence, recruiters are looking for candidates who can demonstrate experience and promote their skills.

But you’re not sure how to go about it without sounding too arrogant.

We can help with that!

Our guide will teach you:

• How to get noticed by optimizing your sales resume for both ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) checks and recruiters.
• How to build a solid experience section and a powerful resume summary.
• Various writing tricks you can use, each illustrated with a real sales resume example.
• How to create an assorted skills section that shows off your technical and social abilities.

And if you’ve set your sights on a specific sales role, we’ve got you covered:

• Sales Cover Letter Guide
• Insurance Sales Resume Guide
• Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Resume Guide
• Head of Sales Resume Guide
• Sales Consultant Resume Guide
• Area Sales Manager Resume Guide
• Sales Analyst Resume Guide

Sales resume example

Here’s what this applicant does well in their resume:

• Strategic leadership and team success: The use of concrete examples, such as “40% year-over-year increase in sales revenue” effectively highlight the candidate’s sales skills.
• Market expansion and client relations: The applicant clearly knows that the role is performance-based. Showcasing relevant achievements like the ability to grow businesses and manage key accounts is crucial.  
• Innovative solutions and process improvements:  The resume perfectly underscores what makes the candidate rise above other contenders - their ability to use innovative sales strategies, enhance sales processes, and develop comprehensive training programs for new hires.

How to format your sales resume

Understanding your audience is crucial, both in sales and resume writing. Just as effective sales tactics hinge on resonating with the customer, a captivating sales resume relies on your excellent communication skills and ability to convince hiring managers of your value. In both instances creating a clear message, tailored to your audience’s needs and preferences is the key to success.

A powerful sales resume aligns your strengths with the company’s specific needs, mission and goals. It also showcases what you’ve achieved as a sales specialist so far.

To ensure you have a solid resume framework:

• Use the reverse-chronological resume format : Recruiters want to see how you’ve expanded the scope of your responsibilities and the projects you’ve handled over time.
• Opt for the hybrid resume format ,  if you’re transferring careers: Don’t dismiss prior work experience, especially if it’s within the same business niche. Underscore your transferable skills.
• Pick the functional resume format , if you’re a sales novice: No experience? No worries, this layout will allow you to put an emphasis on your formal training and all the sales skills you have to offer.
• List your LinkedIn in the resume header : Being in sales means you’re also representing a company and its brands. That’s why hiring managers must confirm how you conduct yourself professionally.
• Employ your sales skills in the resume summary: Even if you’re a novice, you must prove you can actually sell something. And it begins with your knowledge and skills.
• Showcase your career progress in the experience section: Emphasize your go-to attitude when it comes to tackling bigger and more complex sales campaigns.
• Don’t make your resume longer than 2 pages : Part of what makes a sales pitch effective is the art of being concise. So, if you have lots of experience, be selective with what you include.
• Choose a stylish design : When it comes to design, you can add a splash of color  to make your resume stand out. Just don’t go overboard and turn your application into a promotion poster.
• Pick a cool, but readable font :  Long gone are the days when you had to stick to Arial or Times New Roman to make your resume presentable. Lato and Exo 2 are great alternatives, but other serif and sans-serif fonts work, too!
• Optimize your sales resume for ATS scans: Hiring managers rely on ATS software  to filter out the viable candidates. To pass these scans, make sure to repeat keywords  and phrases you see in the job ad.
• Save your application as a PDF file : Don’t risk wasting your writing and formatting efforts by saving your sales resume as a Word document. More often than not, this file type scrambles the document design to adjust it to the reader’s device settings.

Delving beyond the general sales resume structure recommendations, and knowing what sections to add and where to place them is vital for your success.

If your work history is short or is not directly related to the sales field, push the skills and certification segments near the top of your resume. Showcase you’ve undergone the necessary training and you’re familiar with the fundamental sales principles. Plus, indicate how you want your career to progress in the future.

On the other hand, if you’ve been in the industry for a few years now, start with your most relevant positions. Be mindful to stick to the reverse chronological order, when listing them.

Then, include any additional qualifications you’ve obtained as a sales expert.

Is your resume good enough?

Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

It may seem like a lot to keep track of, but there are only five must-have sections:

The top sections on a sales resume:

• Contact information:  Allow recruiters to contact you easily via email or your business profiles. It’s no use getting noticed if hiring managers can’t reach you.
• Sales objective or summary:  Inform recruiters of your career goals and how they align with the role in question.
• Experience in sales:  Show hiring managers that you have relevant experience in the role they're hiring for.
• Sales skills:  Display the skills and knowledge that make you the best fit for the role.
• Education:  Recruiters are interested in your academic background because they want to ensure you have a foundational understanding of sales principles.

Each of the sections above focuses on a particular area of your expertise. But while these simplify the process of categorizing your experience and skills, they don’t indicate the specific details hiring managers are searching for in a sales resume.

So, here are the top points your sales resume must cover to draw recruiters’ attention:

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Sales experience:  Prior practical experience gives recruiters confidence in your ability to perform the job, as it demonstrates that you have already honed some of the necessary skills in a real setting.
• Communication skills:  A crucial part of sales is being able to effectively convey information and persuade customers, which is why recruiters prioritize this as a key characteristic in potential hires.
• Knowledge of the product/industry:  Understanding the product or the industry means you can craft strategies that will appeal to the company’s target demographic.
• Demonstrated achievement of sales goals:  Hiring managers prioritize measurable accomplishments because they show your ability to deliver results and meet targets.
• Client relationship management:  Recruiters look for this skill to ensure you can handle and grow relationships with clients effectively to maximize sales and client retention.

How to write your sales resume experience

As its name suggests, the resume experience section  is where you lay out your relevant work history, along with pertinent achievements and awards you’ve obtained for each of the positions you’ve held. That’s because hiring managers want to know the results  of your actions, instead of what you did on a day-to-day basis.

When it comes to sales, the effectiveness of marketing strategies and tactics is measured by the conditions and environment in which they have been applied. Simply put, without context and results, sales approaches are mere tools. Yet, understanding where and how to apply these instruments is crucial. Hence why recruiters are so focused on achievements, They want to ensure you know how to apply your knowledge and expertise before they give you a chance at an interview.

Use the experience section to display the scope of your sales experience by referencing important moments of your career. If you’re transferring from a different industry, stress the relevance of your specific business niche expertise to the company’s business operations as well as the role you’re applying for. For instance, having pharmaceutical knowledge will make a good impression on recruiters, if you’re striving to become a sales representative within the beauty industry.

Yet, your experience doesn’t have to come only from past job positions you’ve held. Depending on the company’s main product or service, your expertise may come from:

• Volunteering and side gigs you’ve done.
• Being a member of an interest group or association.
• Having a deep understanding of the particular industry and the competitors within the niche.
• Trying to develop a similar product or service yourself.

Regardless of which route you choose, remember to link your sales experience to specific achievements. The best way to frame each bullet point in your entries is to:

• Begin with an action verb  to enhance the impact of your wording.
• Provide context to explain why this particular success story is worth mentioning.
• Finish off by detailing the outcome of the situation.
• Remember to use resume keywords  and phrases from the job ad to tailor your experience section.

Hiring managers are searching for applicants who masterfully balance thoughtfulness, responsibility, and decisiveness. The perfect candidate is aware that actions have consequences, but at the same time, they’re goal-oriented and proactive.

To illustrate, check out the following sales resume example experience section:

• • Achieved a 30% cold calling success rate for 2022.
• • Increased the monthly Average Order Value (AOV) for 40+ client accounts.
• • Awarded Sales Representative of the Month.

While the section highlights some of the candidate’s abilities and achievements, the lack of attention to detail is evident. The applicant has:

• Missed the chance to include a company website. Showcasing the type and quality of products and services your past employers offer can provide insight into the target audiences you’re used to analyzing.
• Omitted key details about the listed achievements. Having a “30% cold calling success rate” doesn’t mean much if it can’t be compared to the overall scale of the company’s business operations.
• Failed to make their Sales Representative of the Month award count for something. This is an in-house prize. As a result, eligibility to receive such acknowledgments varies from company to company. So, recruiters won’t be able to determine the scale of your success if the criteria isn’t public or widely recognized within the industry.

Business owners are concerned with the bottom line. So, whenever possible, don’t forget to mention the scale of the projects you’ve handled. Also, make sure you clearly show the link between your actions and the results you’ve achieved.

Here’s how this candidate enhanced their experience section after consulting with us:

• • Achieved a 30% cold calling success rate for 2022 and, as a result, onboarded 170 new business clients.
• • Increased the monthly Average Order Value (AOV) for 40+ client accounts by 59% through various upselling methods.
• • Awarded Sales Representative of the Month 3 times in a row for closing over 18 deals above $45,000 for each respective month.

Straight away, recruiters know the:

• Type of clients the applicant has experience with.
• Revenue growth they can bring on a monthly and yearly basis.
• Candidate’s strengths when it comes to sales skills.

How to quantify impact on your resume

By now you’ve seen just how vital measuring the impact  of your work is. For a performance-based job like sales, this is especially important because your work must deliver the desired results.

It’s true that certain job aspects can be difficult to quantify, so we’ve compiled a list with some metrics you can reference on your sales resume to get you started:

• Numeric sales achievements: Demonstrate your ability to meet sales targets.
• Percentage increases in sales: Underscore your contribution to driving growth and improving sales performance.
• Size of your client portfolio: Reveal the number of clients you’ve effectively managed to show your ability to handle pressure and foster professional relationships.
• Revenue generated: Highlight your direct impact on the company’s bottom line.
• Number of cold calls made: Display your proactive approach towards securing new business.
• Increases in market share: Indicate your strategic ability to grow the business.
• Quantitative growth of customer base: Prove you have stellar client acquisition skills.
• Sales rankings: Feature any professional acknowledgments from past employers to demonstrate your talent for high performance.

Writing a sales resume with no experience

We’ve already noted some of the ways you can display relevant sales experience, despite a short work history. But if you’re on your path to securing your first job , you can still reference:

• Volunteering  and fundraising experience.
• Memberships in professional associations  and organizations.
• Relevant research you’ve conducted and case studies you’ve published.
• Additional training  you’ve completed.

Once you’ve determined what you want to detail on your sales resume, just remember to:

• Frame each entry as a project if you’re not formally employed.
• Start your bullet points with the appropriate action verb.
• Explain what was the goal of your project and the actions you took.
• Share the results and insights your work offers.

How to list your hard skills and soft skills on your resume

No resume is complete without the skills section . It outlines the scope of your technical and social attributes. Particularly the ones you haven’t had the chance to address anywhere else on your resume.

Generally, they can be divided into two categories:

• Sales hard skills : These cover your knowledge of basic sales principles, contract management, and lead generation. Basically, the relevant know-how you can’t do your job without.
• Sales soft skills : These demonstrate how well you work with other colleagues, as well as your ability to foster business relationships and negotiate contracts.

We know it’s tempting to overcrowd this segment with your top technical abilities. However, hiring managers are looking for candidates with a well-rounded profile. This means that the perfect applicant has to have analytical thinking and high emotional intelligence.

To make sure you don’t overcrowd your skills section:

• Read the job requirements listed in the job ad.
• Review your sales resume once again and write down which of the skills from the job ad you haven’t mentioned so far.
• Think of relevant achievements for each of the new elements you want to add to this section.
• Begin each description with an action verb.
• Provide some context to explain why your accomplishment is significant.
• Outline the outcome of your work.

Depending on the position, a various combination of your skills will be required. But if the job ad doesn’t offer much information, we’ve prepared two lists with top sales skills to help you out:

Best hard skills for your sales resume

• Negotiation
• Closing Deals
• Salesforce CRM
• Microsoft Excel
• Data Analysis
• Lead Generation
• Direct Sales
• Product Knowledge
• Pipeline Management
• Sales Presentations
• Cold Calling
• Market Research
• Contract Negotiation
• Sales Strategy Development
• Client Retention
• Sales Reporting
• Contract Management

Best soft skills for your sales resume

• Communication
• Time Management
• Flexibility
• Relationship Building
• Self-Motivation
• Adaptability
• Problem Solving
• Personal Organization
• Customer Service
• Emotional Intelligence
• Public Speaking

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

Another way to reference certain abilities and expertise you have is to illustrate your academic background.

Every company has its own requirements when it comes to the type and level of education they demand from candidates. Generally, a Marketing Management or Business Administration degree goes a long way. Although some employers are happy with applicants who have the equivalent practical experience instead.

That’s why, even if you’re transferring from a different field, your chances of securing the position aren’t impossible. Especially, if your degree is related to the business niche in which you’ll operate.

With that said, if you’re a tenured professional with a college degree, build your education section  by including your Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree. For each entry you’ll need to list:

• The name of your degree and your college.
• The date of course completion.
• One or two of your academic achievements.

On the other hand, if you're a recent graduate, make sure you also include one piece of relevant coursework  or related majors and minors  that align with the role-required skills.

Here’s how to do it:

• • Researched and presented a paper on Profanity as a Sales Tool: The Impact of Swear Words in Sales Copy
• • Majored in International Marketing Management, Digital Marketing and e-Commerce Marketing.

In addition, if you don’t want to add your high school diploma , certificates are always a good alternative .

These are even easier to incorporate into your resume. Just list the name of your qualifications, as well as the name of the issuing organization. Like so:

If you’re not sure which certificates to include on your sales resume, we’ve compiled a list with the current most popular certificates with recruiters:

Best certifications for your sales resume

• Certified Professional Sales Person (CPSP®)  
• Certified Sales Executive (CSE)  
• Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP)  
• Certified Professional Sales Leader (CPSL)
• HubSpot’s Inbound Sales Course  

How to write your sales resume summary or objective

Pay special attention to how you frame your resume profile . This is a short paragraph, placed right below the resume header. It’s freeform in nature and outlines your key career achievements—consider it your sales pitch to hiring managers and potential employers.

Based on how much sales experience you have, there are two types of resume profiles you can choose from.

The first one is the resume summary . This type is best used by specialists with at least 4 years of practical sales experience.

If you opt to write a resume summary, make sure to mention:

• Notable past employers.
• At least two significant career achievements that relate to the available position.
• At least three core job skills—remember to use keywords and phrases.

By contrast, if you’re still a sales novice, the resume objective  is the way to go. Like the summary, it provides a brief description of your professional wins so far, but here the focus is mainly on your:

• Ability to align your strengths and expertise with the company’s goals.
• Top technical and social skills.
• Education and certifications.

Let’s look at a few examples so you can see the difference.

First, check out the following sales resume objective sample:

It doesn’t pack the same punch as a sales pitch usually does. This sample’s main issue is the lack of specificity. The candidate states they’re proficient in various skills. Yet, the objective doesn’t detail how these talents were acquired or where for that matter. Plus, the candidate doesn’t mention any relevant internships or side work to support their application.

Finally, the resume objective claims the applicant is “currently undergoing training to become certified.” But there are many sales-related certificates out there and employers can be very picky when it comes to which certificates they deem preferable.

Here’s how adding a few details can make your objective statement more convincing:

Now, take a look at the sales resume summary example below:

Very unimpressive!

Although the success of your resume profile relies on top-notch pitching skills, don’t treat the summary as a dating profile. Don’t count on resume buzzwords  to stand out as they don’t add value to your application. What’s more, this candidate is far too succinct because they haven’t:

• Mentioned any relevant achievements or special training.
• Shared the names of the awards they’ve won, some of which could be completely unrelated to the job in question.
• Listed the exact name of the certificate they hold. Don’t forget that the names of certificates and certain skills often serve as keywords when it comes to ATS checks.  

With these points in mind, the following edit shines a better light on the candidate’s qualifications:

This version lets hiring managers know exactly what they can expect from this applicant, such as:

• An annual revenue increase.
• Excellent contract management and relationship-building skills.
• A professional who’s in step with industry trends.

Additional sections for a sales resume

Using cookie-cutter sales resume templates is a thing of the past. While it’s recommended you follow certain best practices, using a standard resume template is the same as trying to promote two competing products by using the same sales tactics.

To stand out you must truly make the resume your own. This means that your individuality must shine through.

Adding extra sections to your sales resume  is a smart way to get noticed by recruiters. This way you can include relevant bits of information about your expertise that don’t really fit the mold of other sections.

For instance:

• A portfolio with case studies, research, and presentations  you’ve done, even if only as part of your coursework.
• Awards, prizes, and other professional recognitions from past employers you’ve received.
• Promotion and marketing campaigns you’ve designed and facilitated for charity events.

How to put a presentation section on your resume

Some of the extra section examples we’ve listed don’t really apply to novice sales specialists.

That’s why, if you don’t have much experience, your best option would be to share a presentation you’ve done. This way you can showcase where your expertise lies, as well as the breadth and depth of your sales knowledge. It will also prove how up-to-date you are with industry trends.

To do this:

• Leave some free space near the education section.
• List the title of your presentation.
• Provide a summary of what your presentation is about.
• Cite the start and end date of your project.
• Share at least one achievement that resulted as a direct consequence of your presentation.
• Link to an online version of your work, if applicable.

You can follow the education section format above or the example we’ve prepared below:

• • Secured a year-long internship with eWin Digital Agency as a B2C Sales Advisor.

Key takeaways

And that’s how you build a powerful sales resume! Simply:

• Pick the reverse-chronological resume format to detail your work history.
• Include your LinkedIn profile in the resume header.
• Use the chance to turn your resume summary into a sales pitch.
• Bear in mind to quantify the achievements you list in the experience section.
• Show a glimpse of your character by attaching extra sections to your resume.
• Highlight your academic background and any additional training you’ve undergone.
• Supplement your skills section by referencing talents or aspects of your personality that you haven’t had the chance to address elsewhere on your resume.

Sales resume examples

Explore additional sales resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

A typical sales resume is going to focus heavily on their performance in previous sales roles. That’s where the challenge of an entry level salesperson resume comes in. Fortunately, there are other ways to show you’ve got sales skills and the right attitude to learn.

Consider whether you’ve had experiences which showed persuasion, determination, passion, or just ingenuity. These examples can demonstrate you have what it takes to thrive in a sales position even without any formal work experience.

Beyond this, you need to show you’re ready to learn. Show you’re eager to get out there and grow to really stand out.

Finally, you can show you have what it takes for an entry-level sales position with more than just the resume. Make sure your communication skills shine during the whole application process. Write your resume and cover letter in a concise but persuasive manner. Follow-up with an email to keep the hiring manager engaged and after an interview be sure to send a thank you letter.

• Show that you can hit and exceed sales targets, communicate effectively, and manage your leads.
• Showcase your qualities as a sales representative clearly, through extremely specific examples.
• Display customer-related experience, e.g. account representative, support background, or any other experience that strengthens your ability to work with people’s needs.
• Make you memorable and prove culture fit by demonstrating your personality, e.g. by adding information about your passions and side projects.

• Strike a balance between demonstrating strong sales skills and the skills it takes to manage a team.
• Demonstrate the impact you’ve brought to previous companies you’ve worked for. Don’t be shy about using the numbers that will help your case.
• Demonstrate leadership skills as a sales manager by talking about your team and the progress you’ve helped it achieve. This could be an increase in sales results, a role in hiring new employees, or mentoring existing ones.
• Include references from higher-ups. For a sales manager role, you can also add references from your team. This is a good way to show your managerial experience from their perspective.
• Demonstrate you can push to complete work on time and get these past few clients before the close of the quarter.

• Are very product-driven, e.g. they demonstrate passion for the product or the ability to learn more about it
• Combine good personality with customer service skills that get results
• Demonstrate genuine interest in the target industry through product knowledge and relevant detail
• Display expert communication skills in the real world context, and NOT routinely list them in the Skills section
• Showcase your personality through custom “Most proud” and “How I spend time: resume sections

• Show why you’re better than the somewhat notorious car salesman stereotype
• Starts with being specific. Don’t just list your responsibilities from previous jobs, talk about the numbers. How many vehicles did you sell, what was the % improvement?
• Includes information about upselling and offering add-ons to customers -- after all, that’s where the bulk of your profit comes from.
• Covers communication and people skills just as well as hard sales numbers.
• Include examples of assessing customer needs and working with different types and tax brackets of clients.

A director of sales has a lot on their plate and their resume will need to reflect the increased number of requirements for such an important position.

The first and most important point you need to get across is that you improve the company’s sales strategy. Some key components, depending on the industry, would include pipeline volume growth, reducing sales cycle length, and ultimately increasing the average purchase volume and growing monthly sales revenue.

Make sure you include relevant numbers for each of the improvements you’ve worked on. After all, if you’re in sales, you know that numbers speak for themselves.

Your director of sales resume wouldn’t be complete without a focus on leadership skills. Talk about your experience managing sales teams, mentoring mid-level management, and improving team effectiveness.

The position of director of sales is multifaceted and there’s a lot of other information you may want to include on your resume. Take a moment and think what has made an impression on you when recruiting for your own sales teams. This can be specific sales results, but most often memorable candidates include something in their resume that shows their personality and demonstrates culture fit.

Looking to build your own Sales resume?

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