Sales Resume Examples: Templates & Formats [Skills, Objective, Summary]

sales resume example
Created by CakeResume

In this endless job-search marathon, a successful resume specifically for sales positions is the first step for anyone who wants to stand out among all the others. 

Sales should know how to build trust —— and build and build and build. A salesperson doesn’t just contact a customer and let it roll, but instead, they experience a series of rigorous processes to build trustworthy relationships between businesses and customers, and ultimately, converting that into real output (hence sales). This trust-building process is actually similar to job applications —— candidates are supposed to build trust with the recruiters, and promote themselves in the best light.

How to write a sales resume?

Before throwing into the thrill of job hunting, crucial knowledge and structured guidance can dramatically improve one’s resume and his/her writing process. 

Step 1: Understand the difference between a sales CV and a sales resume.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) and resume both are a collection of one’s academic and professional experience, but…  

CV

  • a more detailed diary that includes all experiences
  • mostly used in Academia settings
  • 2 pages or more +  extensively plain layout    

Resume

  • covers only information relevant to a specific position and industry for job-hunting.
  • one-page catalog (max. two) that has a variety of layouts depending on the job-context

Despite the fundamental differences in CV and resume, beware there are language-specific preferences across different countries. Remember to check out the specifics for the requested sales CV/resume before submission. 

Step 2: Choose the right sales resume format.

Writing a successful sales resume constitutes a structured organization format. There are 4 types of sales resume format: chronological, functional, hybrid, and targeted ones (to see more, check out "4 Popular Types of Sales Resume Formats") In order to notch up the job application race, candidates should choose the right format suitable for their sales experiences and context.

Step 3: Find inspiration from sales resume templates and samples.

Writing based on strong sales resume templates and samples can be a good starting point. Check out resume examples for sales positions, tackle it down. Note down the “good parts” as well as the “terrible bits” of these sales resume examples, and remember to “borrow” or avoid it during your own endeavor. 

Step 4: Tailor your resume for that sales job.

No matter if one’s applying for an entry-level sales job or a managerial one, always try the best to include quantitative achievements and past duties related to the sales position.

Step 5: Craft the sales cover letter.

Speak with passion and sincerity why you want to serve as their salesperson and how your profile and sales skills on resume fit their sales role. 

Step 6: Proofread your sales resume.

Because errors and typos exist, so does proofreading. Ensure there are no careless mistakes at all means, keep your sales resume intelligible and trustworthy like your job. 

CakeResume provides the right sales resume templates & formats for sales talents to showcase their skills and experiences. Sign up to create the best sales resume Now!

What to put on a resume for sales?

Even the candidates with less or even no relevant experience can land an interview if they prop their resumes up. A sales resume that includes everything one’s needed and excludes the unnecessary nonsense can possibly gain a stamp of approval. Yet, then, here comes the question: What EXACTLY should one put (or NOT put) on a sales job resume? 

1. Resume Profile (Personal Information)

In order for an employer to, at least, call a candidate in for an interview, they will need to know some basic information regarding his/her personal details. 

The MUST-HAVE list: 


  • Full name (first step to authenticity)
  • The professional title gives a hint of one’s experience and professional level (ex: graduate V.S. a startup founder)
  • Email Address and Phone Number
  • Address Information (city, state, country) are important for freelance, remote, and international working. 

The PLEASE DON’T INCLUDE IT list: 

  • Current Salary can be the bargain-context during an interview to negotiate your salary (verbally), but putting it on the resume could be deemed as unprofessional. 
  • Social Security Number (or other National Insurance Info) are required for official recruitment, not the interview process.
  • Sexual Orientation, Marital Status, Race, Gender, Age, Nationality, Religion, and Photograph 

💡 Unless specifically asked for it (which is a hint of concern in itself), do not include irrelevant information on private life, and expose oneself to potential discrimination. 

2. Resume Title/Headline

A headline is like the #hashtag on a resume: the one-line phrase on the top of a resume that paraphrases a candidates’ strength and experience, and tells the employers you are the ideal fit for the sales job position. Remember to use keywords related to the required skills, qualifications, or experiences, and keep the headline concise (max. 10 words). 

Sales Resume Headline Examples

  • Sales Manager with a Demonstrated History in Merchandising
  • Goal-Oriented Sales Associate who Exceeded Yearly Sales Metrics by 45% 
  • Project-Lead Sales Director: Social Selling Trainer 

3. Sales Resume Summary & Objective

The summary and objective sections on a resume is the extended version for the “headline” (around 2-3 sentences). A sales resume summary will mostly include the highlights of your significant sales experiences and skills, whereas a resume objective focuses on one’s career goals. 

However, summary is much more preferred than objective as it concretely portrays a candidate’s competence, rather than gibbering vague and generic “visions” and purposes. 

Again, it basically answers the two questions: “What have you achieved?” and “Why are you here?” with proofs. 

Sales Resume Objective Examples 

  • Strategic-driven storyteller. Car salesman with a proven track record for doubling sales revenue in the last 5 years. Growing as a marketing executive in the international automotive industry. 
  • Accomplished sales manager with 10+ years of experience in both online and storefront environments. Eager to strive for solutions in optimizing the customer experience and sales metrics. 

4. Sales Skills for a Salesperson Resume (Personal & Technical Skills)

In a sales resume, a skill set is one of the most important sections that present and exposes one’s profession from a concrete-perspective. By “matching” one’s skills with the recruiters’ job description, one can easily show how you are (or aren’t) the perfect candidate.

💡 Keep in mind to stay clear from progress bars (which is prominent in some resume templates) and overused buzzwords: they come across as improper and over-generalized.

Sales Skills Resume Examples

  • Lead Tracking and Conversion
    • "Experienced in market entry strategy and conversion. Performed valuation analysis on overseas sales insight."
  • Social Media Marketing
    • "Enhance content strategies with SEO knowledge. Have a demonstrated history with managing over 3500+ articles over brands’ social media. Collaboration with sales management on increasing media exposure rate and targeted customer connection."

5. Working Experiences on a Sales Resume

Most recruiters view the working experience as almost the most integral part of a sales resume: no matter how a person blabbers on the other sections, their actual employment history can’t lie (unless it’s fraud).

One should include in their work experience section:


  • organizations’ names
  • job titles
  • start and end days for employment
  • brief descriptions of position responsibilities and accomplishments

Remember,  brevity is the key!

Sales Work Experience Examples

Sales Representatives at XYZ Corp.

Chicago, May 2016 - Present

  • Managed and adjusted corporate revenue goals over the past 4 years.
  • Led marketing strategies for both outbound and inbound launches based on market information, increase the sales growth rate by 28% over a year.

6. Education on a Sales Resume

Despite seemingly irrelevant, a resume including an education section serves as a formal credential for candidates’ sales skills and background. 

It’s best to include basic information about your educational background: 

  • School or University (include highschool education only if you’re a highschool student) 
  • Degree and Major (Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral) 
  • Year of Graduation 
  • Honors & Awards 
  • Minor, GPA, and extracurricular (optional) 

Sales Education Resume Examples

  • Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business 2010 - 2014
    • BS in Business Administration;  Concentration in Marketing Management 
    • GPA: 3.6/4.0 
    • U.S. Fulbright Scholar 

7. Additional Information on Resume: Sales Certification 

Although the market says sales is a magic gain through practice and experiences, having a sales certification can definitely help a candidate stand out from the crowd, showing their determination to back up their sales skills and selling ability with market-proven organizations. 

Some notable certifications for salesperson include:

  • Certified Inside Sales Professional (CISP) from AA-ISP
  • Sales Management from the American Marketing Association 
  • Hubspot Inbound/Outbound / Sales Management Certification 

Moreover, for salespeople, language fluency and verbal presentation skills are also crucial for the position.

💡 Additional information regarding spoken language fluency could also be a great boost-up for the candidate (especially if the spoken language fits the targeted market for the corporation). 

Additional Sales Information Resume Examples

  • Certification: Sales Management, American Marketing Association. 
  • Native-Level Fluency in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. 

Tips for writing the best sales resume.

Here are some tips to help you through the tedious journey of writing a sales job resume. 

Tip 1: Customize the Sales Resume. 

Customize the resume for sales positions. For every application, twinkle the sales resume with little changes: adjust the sales profile, skill sets, accordingly with the applied job position.  

Tip 2: Use Keywords.

Use Keywords associated with the sales job description.

Tip 3: Use Numbers.

Use concrete data for your accomplishment to prove your sales results, lead tracking, and value to the company.  

Tip 4: Choose an ATS-friendly Sales Resume Format.

Fancy sales resume templates or layouts (with too many visuals) will be tossed into the ATS “bin” and not seen.

Tip 5: Use Action Verbs.

Action verbs are a great tool. They directly portray your role in past experiences vividly in a concise way (here’s a list). 

Tip 6: Optimize your LinkedIn profile.

For a salesperson, connections and skills are the keys: and LinkedIn proves it. Your profiles’ connection is a stamp of approval for your social media practices —— another crucial step for sales success.
Furthermore, endorsements from your co-workers can also provide true feedback of your abilities outside of one’s sales resume. 

How to write a cover letter for a sales job?

Roll up your seat and prepare to play an active role in your own application. A suitable and strong cover letter for a sales job will let you yield a higher chance in this thriving competition.

Here is a sales cover letter should go:

  1. Contact information is a must; let them know who you are! Start with a name, email, and phone number. 
  2. A proper greeting (polite and passionate) is midwives to success. 
  3. Tell them why you want them. This is a great opportunity to blend in how you like the industry/company value & product) 
  4. Persuade them why they should want you. Pick 2 to 3 experiences or achievements that match their needs (promote yourself in the best light!)
  5. Have a nice closing then you’re done! 

💡 Beware don’t blabber gibberish. Always keep it concise, short, and customized. Do some research before applying.

Sales Resume Sample
(Text Format)

Samson Wolf

Strategic Storyteller Who Exceeded Yearly Sales Metrics by 45%

Mobile: (+12) 000-3456
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/samsonwolf

Resume Summary

Sales account manager with 8+ of experience in the fashion industry. Exceeded sales goal by 28% in the two quarters. Certified CISP (AA-ISP) seeking to leverage solid product knowledge and negotiation skills in senior roles.

Work Experience

Sales Account Manager.ABC Company 

Jun. 2018 - Present     

  • Managed quarter and yearly KPIs; supervise a sales team of 11, responsible for the team's social selling training. 
  • Defined company’s online lead process and sales SOP, resulting in 43% from internet lead to registration.
  • Exceeded corporation profit objectives by $1,400,000 in sales quarterly within the city. 


Sales Associate.XYZ Company          

Feb. 2016 - May 2018

  • Scored 96+% caller satisfaction since Feb. 2017 for Inbound Sales and Service Support
  • Updated team sales report on a daily basis, featuring 8 states in the US. 
  • Executed multiple B2B2C sales cycles from prospect to close.
  • Tracked Salesforce CRM for ongoing sales progress

Skills

Hard Skills:

  • Salesforce CRM
  • Certified CISP (AA-ISP)
  • SQL (sales-qualified lead)
  • Google and Microsoft Offices

Soft Skills:

  • Client Account Management
  • Contract & Deal Negotiation
  • Problem Solving
  • Team Building

Language Proficiency in Mandarin, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Education

  • M.A in Business Management, Northwestern Graduate School 
    (Expected June 2014)
    A 2 year, full-time degree program for experienced business leaders 
  • B.A in Business Administration, Washington University in St. Louis
    2000 - 2004
    Academic award: President’s Honor Roll.

CakeResume provides the right sales resume templates & formats for sales talents to showcase their skills and experiences. Sign up to create the best sales resume Now!

--- Originally written by Julia Chu ---

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