Sales Resume Templates and Examples for 2024

Sales Resume Template Example

PDF

DOCX

Google Docs

What Sales Resume Template Should You Use?

Start by choosing a template that will sell your skills well. This is your chance to make an impression on hiring managers, so make it count. The best resume template for a sales professional is clean and well-structured. Avoid templates that look too busy, cluttered, or colorful. Hiring managers and recruiters will be persuaded by the content of your resume rather than trendy graphics. Spacious, well-designed templates draw the reader’s focus to what is most important: your accomplishments and key skills.

What to Include in a Sales Resume

Once you’ve found the right template, it’s time to start writing. Section by section, you’ll build out your sales resume. Your template will include all the basic resume elements: contact info, work experience, etc. Let’s look at these elements in detail:

• Contact Information. Provide all your basic contact info and let readers know how to reach you for an interview. Include your name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to any online professional profiles (e.g., LinkedIn).
• Profile. Introduce yourself to your resume readers with three to four sentences describing your career goals. Briefly mention what you have to offer as a sales professional. Give details about your experience, skills, and objectives. Be sure to include the job title and company name for the role you’re pursuing.
• Work Experience. Make a short list of your most recent and relevant sales experience starting with your current position. Provide job titles, names of employers, and dates of employment. Your job responsibilities should be listed using action words to show how you executed your sales goals and maintained client relationships. Use metrics to show the positive impact you made.
• Education. Highlight your training, especially sales training, by listing each relevant degree or certificate you’ve earned. Include pertinent business certificates in this section too. Specify the institution, degree/certificate name and dates of attendance or certification.
• Key Skills. List ten key skills you’ve gained as a sales professional. Feature your technical and interpersonal competency by choosing five hard skills (e.g., lead generation, forecasting, industry-specific knowledge) and five soft skills (e.g., active listening, adaptability, persuasion).

How To Write a Sales Resume

Often, hiring managers sift through hundreds of cover letters and resumes to fill just one position, so you need to write a sales resume that stands out from the others. Go beyond the rest and be intentional with the information you include and how you present it. We’ll show you how to strategically craft a resume that demonstrates your sales experience, customer service skills, and industry specialization.

Quantify your experience

Your professional experience encompasses more than the responsibilities listed in a job description. Hiring managers are interested in seeing the evidence of your career success. Establish your sales credibility by including specific numbers and metrics. Use action verbs to show how you exceeded your monthly targets or increased conversion rates. Showcasing your accomplishments demonstrates your ability to achieve measurable results. Here’s an example:

Tailor your resume for each application

Although it is about you, it should be written with your prospective employers in mind. Sales professionals know all about helping customers solve problems. Take this theory and apply it to yourself. Be the solution to a company’s problem. Write your sales resume to meet the hiring manager’s needs. You can do this by tailoring each resume you send out. Use keywords from job listings, feature certain skills above others, and use specific company language.

Highlight both hard and soft skills

Consider adding a “key skills” section to your sales resume. Organize your skills into a bulleted list, highlighting the most relevant skills and abilities required for the job. Include both hard and soft skills on your resume. Your industry know-how and interpersonal skills are equally important. Take a look at some of our examples below:

Common Hard and Soft Skills for Sales Positions

Use common action verbs

Keep your language concise by using action verbs. Instead of using first-person language (e.g., “I was responsible for presenting…”), begin sentences describing your accomplishments with an action verb. Make an impact by strategically using your words to show your achievements. Below you’ll find examples of action verbs you can use in your sales resume:

What if you don’t have experience?

Even if you don’t have direct sales experience yet, there are plenty of transferable skills you can leverage. Customer service jobs, mentorships, and education are all areas you can highlight for a sales resume. Let’s take a look at how you can dig deeper and mine your professional history for sales-compatible experience:

• Education: Include any sales or business-related coursework you’ve completed. Show your willingness to learn and grow in a sales role.
• Certification: Consider earning a sales certificate if you do not already have one. List all your certifications or the evidence of any you’re working toward.
• Customer service: Any experience in customer service is valuable. Highlight jobs you’ve had within retail, food service, hospitality, etc.
• Internships: Include business internships you may have participated in or consider applying for internships now. These positions help you gain the experience and skills needed for a career in sales.

Check Out Related Examples

Marketing Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Social Media Manager Resume Templates and Examples

By: Andrew Stoner

Minimalist Resume Template Text Example

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

A resume should be a forward-looking value proposition that showcases your most relevant accomplishments for a target role — not a rear view summary of your previous roles and responsibilities.