A sales representative is a critical component of any business. Every business will rely on its sales reps to meet sales goals, find new customers, take care of their existing customers or follow up after sales have been completed. As a sales professional, you’ll use many different skills to find, reach out to, and sell directly to your customers. Here’s how you can write a better sales representative resume.
The biggest skill to highlight as a salesperson is the fact that you have sales skills. You want to show that customers will regularly buy from you and that you have the knowledge necessary to effectively sell over your specific sales channel, whether in-person, online or on the phone. You must highlight how you’ll be an asset, whether with previous sales numbers, your knowledge of the sales field, or some other unique benefit.
Your first step for any resume should be to decide on your resume format. There are three options available: chronological, functional, and combination. Choose the format that works for your experience and education, then move on to writing the rest of your resume sections.
In a professional resume header, you’ll include your contact information. This consists of your email address, phone number and professional social media links, such as your LinkedIn profile and portfolio.
The first significant section of your resume should be your resume summary or resume objective. This is a two- to three-sentence paragraph where you generally show off what you want a recruiter to know about you. For those with many years of experience, a resume summary is best. This paragraph shows off your sales experience and achievements. However, if you have less experience, use a resume objective. The resume objective shows off your skills and accomplishments and what you hope to accomplish in this new role.
Your skills section needs to show off your knowledge of both inside and outside sales positions. Here are a few bullet points you may want to include in your resume:
All job seekers will need hard and soft skills, but it is even more important for sales representatives to have both skill types. When working on your resume writing, include skills that you excel in for both groups.
You can list up to 10 years of experience in your work experience section. Remember to prioritize previous job titles where you’ve worked in sales, such as a sales associate, sales manager, or senior sales representative. List your experience in reverse-chronological order, with the most important jobs listed first.
Depending on the job, you may only need a high school diploma in your education section or you may need a bachelor’s degree. List your highest education here, as well as any certifications you hold.
You should always write a cover letter for your application, even if the job description doesn’t state that you need one. A cover letter allows you to connect more effectively with a hiring manager, gives you a space to discuss your past experiences and skills, and can put you ahead of other job seekers who don’t have a cover letter. Use the ResumeNerd cover letter builder to create yours.
If you don’t have much experience in the sales field and are applying for an entry-level job, you won’t be able to list certain benefits, such as your number of sales or your industry connections. Instead, focus on your skills, education and any previous jobs that may have helped you work more effectively as a sales representative. For example, you might list previous positions as a retail worker where you learned how to predict customer needs on your sales representative resume.
Before applying for a new job, you must change your resume a bit. Read through the job posting and look for resume keywords. These are experiences, skills and knowledge that the hiring manager uses to indicate the type of person they’re looking for. It’s best to use the ResumeNerd resume builder to craft your basic resume, then go back through and personalize the resume for each job you apply to. There’s no such thing as a single perfect resume—only the best resume for each position.
