Article • 13 min read

Sales resume examples and effective writing tips for 2023

Land your next sales job with a perfectly crafted sales resume.

著者: Donny Kelwig, Contributing Writer

更新日: March 15, 2024

Salespeople must be able to emphasize the value of various products and services in order to close deals and meet quotas. But before they can even get to that point, they need to make their biggest sale ever: themselves.

When you’re applying for a sales job, you’re essentially selling yourself to a hiring manager. Your sales resume is your value proposition, and it needs to be as well-thought-out as any other sales script.

In this article, we’ll cover the crucial components of a sales resume, tips for crafting a resume for certain roles, and a sales resume sample.

How to format a sales representative resume
Tips for sales resumes for different roles
Sales resume examples

How to format a sales representative resume

Most of the hiring process is out of your control—but not your resume. Starting with a clean and well-formatted resume is going to help ensure you aren’t immediately dismissed. Luckily, there are a few best practices you can follow to make your sales resume look great and incentivize managers to hire you:

Always start with your contact information in the header.
Use a standard font (like Arial, Garamond, or Times New Roman) in 11- or 12-point size.
Divide your resume into clear sections so it’s easy to read at a glance. Common sections include:
- Contact InformationSummary or Objective
- Work Experience
- Education
- Skills
Use a reverse chronological order for your Work Experience section, starting with your most recent job and going backward.
Keep it short. One page is the ideal length for a resume. If you’re a real pro with decades of experience, a two-page resume may be necessary, but keep it concise and impressive.
Take a few extra minutes to double-check your resume and fix any typos or errors. Better yet, ask someone else to proofread your resume.
When you’re done, save the file as a PDF with your full name in the file name (for example: Lastname_Firstname_Resume).

Let’s dive deeper into what should be included in your resume.

Sales resume objective

If you had only three sentences to convince a hiring manager to keep reading, what would you say? Your answer forms the basis of the sales resume objective. Think of your resume objective as your elevator pitch. It’s your chance to describe your aspirations and why you’re the ideal candidate for the position.

If you don’t have a wealth of work experience to reference in this section, that’s okay. The resume objective focuses on transferable skills you might have acquired elsewhere. Be specific—explain how the knowledge and experience you’ve gained could help you excel at prospecting, pitching, and closing.

Sales resume summary

Hiring managers can’t afford to do an in-depth analysis of every application they come across. Sales resume summaries help grab the hiring manager’s attention by outlining your most valuable skills and overall experience. If the hiring manager is interested, they’ll continue to read the rest of your resume.

When writing a sales resume summary, your job is to tell the potential employer why they should consider you as a candidate. Fill the summary with your most important attributes, and try to compose it with language that illustrates your enthusiasm for the position.

It’s important to note that the sales resume summary and objective serve the same purpose, so don’t include both. If you’re writing a sales skills resume, pick the one that paints you in the best light: If you have a lot of work experience, you’ll probably want to go with a summary, but if you don’t, an objective is likely the better fit.

Sales resume experience

No matter how much experience you have, you’ll want to spotlight it on your resume. The best sales resume offers a quick glimpse of who you are and what you can bring to the role.

Start by listing your previous positions, including the company name and the time frame you worked there. Underneath each job, list the responsibilities and accomplishments for each position.

For instance:

Spoke with 50+ prospects each day, leading to $20K in new revenue for Q1
Cold emailed 100 potential customers daily, with a closing rate of 15%

Focus on achievements and sales KPIs that hiring managers could confirm with a call to your current or previous employer. If a potential hire says they “helped their company increase revenue,” it can come off as vague and misleading. How much money was involved? How much did you contribute? Back your claims up with verifiable numbers.

Sales resume education

Education is a straightforward yet crucial section of your resume. Don’t include your high school information (unless it’s the only education you have). All other degrees can be listed in reverse chronological order. Include the institution, relevant majors or areas of study, and graduation year. If you graduated more than 10 years ago, you can leave off the year.

This is also a section where you can list continuing education classes. Employers like to hire people who continue to develop their sales expertise.

Sales resume skills

When you’re writing a sales or a customer service resume, it’s imperative to feature your most applicable skills for that particular job. These skills will vary depending on the position, so make sure you understand what hiring managers might want in a candidate.

For example, if you’re applying for a sales manager role, you’ll want to display your leadership skills. This could include delegation, the ability to inspire, virtual leadership, and strategic thinking.

There are a few traits in particular that hiring managers tend to look for when they’re writing the job description:

Product knowledge: Doing a little research on the products the company sells will go a long way!
Team player: This is a green flag for potential employers. No one wants to hire someone who can’t work well with others.
Empathy: The ability to show empathy is an asset for you as a salesperson and as an employee.
Self-starter: A motivated candidate is going to become a motivated sales rep.
Communication and organizational skills: Your expertise means nothing if you’re unable to communicate ideas in a clear, methodical way.
Problem-solving skills: Employers want to hire people who can effectively handle a problem when it comes up.

Tips for sales resumes for different roles

The day-to-day responsibilities of sales reps vary significantly from those of sales executives, so the resumes for these roles will look completely different. Here are a few tips on creating a resume for entry-level, managerial, and executive sales positions.

Entry-level sales resume

Not every aspiring salesperson has years of experience behind them, and that’s okay. When you’re applying for an entry-level position, the first step is to look at your previous work experience and find skills that might be transferable to the world of sales. Quite a few jobs are great for building sales skills, even if they don’t involve sales specifically.

For example, if you’ve worked in the service industry, you’ve likely developed strong communication skills and learned how to work well with a team. At the very least, you know how to follow instructions, chat with customers, and solve problems in a fast-paced environment.

Simple additions to a resume go a long way for managers looking to hire a sales rep.

Sales manager resume

If you’re writing a sales manager resume, it’s critical to elaborate on your sales experience. Hiring managers are seeking a sales manager who can take on a wide variety of tasks every day. Your resume should include quantifiable achievements and highlight leadership skills.

If a potential hire mentions that they have over five years of sales experience, that’s informative—but it doesn’t demonstrate their capabilities. Meanwhile, a straightforward statement consisting of hard facts leaves no room for vagueness. For example: “Over four years, I earned my company $1M in new revenue while averaging a 98% quota achievement.”

Specific details and stats show what the candidate is capable of and give the hiring manager a glimpse into their potential future with the company.

Sales executive resume

Similar to sales manager resumes, sales executive resumes aim to showcase concrete experience and skills—plus statistics to back them up. The main difference is that sales managers need to display what they’ve done in the past, while sales executives need to prove that they can do it again.

Consistency is a crucial part of being a sales executive. Sales managers’ performance can seem more impressive with an agile sales team or with a stellar product. But sales executives must be able to go above and beyond in any situation.

Your job is to convince hiring managers that you can consistently perform at a high level, regardless of the circumstances. So when writing your sales skills resume, it’s beneficial to highlight experience in multiple roles at different companies.

Sales resume examples

Now that we’ve gone over some helpful tips for writing sales resumes, let’s take a look at sales resume samples with the sections we’ve mentioned.

1. SaaS sales manager resume example

First Name, Last Name
Sales Manager

Address | xxx-xxx-xxxx | Email

Self-motivated, tenacious, and client-focused sales manager with four years of sales and marketing experience in SaaS. Successfully took control of four marketing campaigns—each worth $2M to $4M—while managing a team of 15 technical sales reps. An out-of-the-box thinker with strong customer service skills looking to share expertise with a new group.

Expertise

Strong sales strategy implementation
Thorough product knowledge in the SaaS field
Great time management skills
Coaching and mentoring
Ability to adjust tactics at a moment’s notice to meet client demands
An empathetic approach to customer service
Excellent selling, communication, and negotiation skills
Client acquisition and retention
Strong problem-solving skills
Excellent MS Excel skills: market trends, analysis, cell formatting

Professional Experience

Sales Manager

Company, Location
May 2017 – Present

Cold-called 20+ clients each day, with a closing rate of 15% to 20%
Implemented and managed a training seminar on sales strategy that increased revenue by 12% and sales velocity by 9%
Boosted revenue by 15% within the first quarter of my start date
Consistently exceeded sales targets by over 10% each year
Averaged more than $3M in annual sales
Provided personalized coaching and mentoring to a team of 15+ sales reps
Provided extensive reporting, analysis, and course correction for a team across 4 branches

Sales Development Representative

Company, Location
August 2013 – April 2017

Leveraged tailored customer surveys to form sales strategy, boosting profits by 20% over three years
Turned 8+ daily cold calls into warm leads; organized meetings with the AE team
Averaged a 175% quota achievement for FY 2015
Constantly adapted sales strategy to meet client needs, leading to a 34% win rate
Answered client questions and concerns, leading to a 92% customer service satisfaction rate over four years
Helped develop cold calling scripts for the entire sales team, leading to an 18% growth in revenue in a single fiscal year
Managed prospects, funnel positions, and progress through a CRM

Education & Training

University Name

Location
May 2013
BA in Business Administration

In the above example, the applicant focuses on their accomplishments. There are very few instances where they don’t cite a specific, quantifiable achievement. In doing so, they make it easy for hiring managers to gauge their performance in each role. The potential hire also highlights skills that are preferable for sales managers.

Now, let’s look at a sales resume example for someone with very little professional sales experience.

2. Entry-level sales rep resume example for industrial sales

First Name, Last Name

Address | xxx-xxx-xxxx | Email

Highly motivated and client-focused sales specialist with in-depth knowledge of industrial and mechanical products. Has hands-on experience with large machinery and excelled in a mechanical engineering program. Looking to leverage excellent customer service skills and a Sandler Sales certification in an entry-level industrial sales position.

Expertise

Excellent cross-selling and upselling strategy implementation
Empathetic customer service skills
Customer acquisition proficiency
In-depth mechanical knowledge
Excellent problem-solving skills
Strong selling and communication skills
Product database proficiency

Professional Experience

Auto Parts Store Sales Assistant
Company, Location
July 2018 – Present

Worked with 40+ clients each day to find the exact parts they needed
Consistently worked to upsell and cross-sell products, leading to a 46% success rate
Managed an inventory system to assess and seek out necessary products
Utilized detailed knowledge of mechanics to recommend specific parts that were ideal for each customer
Developed a three-step selling program that increased upselling and cross-selling rates by 15%
Used excellent customer service skills to contribute to the company’s $200K annual revenue
Achieved a 95% customer service satisfaction rating for FY 2020
Provided coaching, training, and sales assistance to 7 new team members

Car Mechanic

Company, Location
August 2015 – June 2018

Used extensive mechanical knowledge to identify and offer solutions to clients
Leveraged customer service skills to keep clients satisfied, leading to an 83% customer return rate
Utilized product database to track inventory and find the right products for each job
Implemented unique marketing strategies to boost client acquisition rate by 18%
Assessed each client’s vehicle to determine upselling and cross-selling opportunities, resulting in a 23% success rate

Education & Training

Sandler Sales Certification

Online course
January 2021

University Name

Location
May 2021
BA in Mechanical Engineering

This applicant has little professional sales experience, so they must showcase their current skill set and how it can be transferred to a sales rep role. The potential hire has a degree in mechanical engineering and experience working in a mechanical environment. They leverage this knowledge and background to illustrate their value as someone with extensive information on industrial products.

The applicant also mentions their Sandler certification. This type of training can be important in scoring an entry-level sales position if hiring managers tend to favor candidates with professional sales experience.

The above example shows how someone without much sales experience can still build a strong resume by connecting their work and skills to the sales job they’re applying for. They cite specific details and statistics and translate those accomplishments into a common sales language. Between the candidate’s upsell and cross-sell success rates, customer service skills, and expertise, hiring managers will likely see them as a great fit for industrial sales.

3. Digital sales rep resume example

No matter what sales job you’re applying for, it’s important to ensure your resume speaks to the specific type of position you’re hoping to get. Let’s review an example of a person looking to work in digital sales.

First Name, Last Name

Address | xxx-xxx-xxxx | Email

Self-driven and highly personable digital sales associate. Driven 200K+ clicks and app store visits. Aiming to leverage excellent customer service skills and IT knowledge in a digital sales position.

Work Experience

Digital Sales Representative

Company, Location
May 2019 – Present

Averaged 135% quota achievement over FY 2020 and 2021
Developed new business via outbound digital strategies in a variety of channels—including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok—leading to a 760% increase in follower count over two years
Contact and assess the needs of 20+ SMB customers per day, with a closing rate of 27%
Work closely with Digital Sales Managers to construct business sales projections, form revenue strategy, and develop new training programs
Support new business development and segmentation strategies

IT Technician

Company, Location
August 2016 – May 2019

Assisted clients with various technological issues
Provided prompt and warm customer service, resolving 100% of client questions in a professional and timely manner
Attended technology workshops and learned up-to-date IT strategies

Skills

Excellent and effective negotiator
Empathetic customer service skills
Customer acquisition proficiency
In-depth tech knowledge
Excellent problem-solving skills
Strong selling and communication skills
Highly adaptable and agile

Education & Training

University Name

Location
August 2015 – May 2021
BS in Business Management

Even though this person’s IT position is not a sales position, it’s still great to include on a resume because it speaks to the candidate’s familiarity with tech. It also displays the candidate’s experience interacting with clients and providing solutions for them.

Use a CRM to keep track of your achievements

Don’t let your hard work go unnoticed—try Zendesk Sell. With customizable sales dashboards and sales productivity tools, our software saves you from wasting time editing and managing a spreadsheet. Request a demo today, and show hiring managers everything you’re capable of.

Article • 13 min read

Sales resume examples and effective writing tips for 2023