Sales Representative Resume Example

Sales Representative Resume Writing – Best Tips

When it comes to sales, one thing is for sure – employers look for the best in this field.

Key factors, are of course active sales skills like: customer orientation, negotiation skills and knowledge of sales techniques. An effective resume that highlights those skills will definitely help you land the job you want!

In a recruitment process, you have just a couple of seconds to draw the HR Manager attention. Use that time and create the Winning Resume that will help you to get invited to an interview.

Read our guide and learn how to present your past work experience and competencies in a right way.

1. Include Professional Summary or Career Objective 

An important part of a good, modern resume is the professional summary, where you briefly describe who you are and why you are the one to be selected.

All good resume examples and templates have that resume section. This is particularly crucial in a Resume of a Sales Agent.

Highlight your professional experience, determination and effectiveness. These mostly are the most desired features in this job! Below are some examples of sentences that could be included in your professional summary:

Sales Representative Resume Summary examples:

Show your potential employer that you know well the industry, and you are the person they need. 

Sales is all about effectiveness, so if you are successful, be sure to show it! 

Again, show the employer a resume that’s tailored to the role you’re applying for and that your experiences can add a lot to their company. 

The professional summary should be at the top of your resume. Remember not to make it too long. 3-4 sentences should be enough. Be brief, concise and to the point. Let your candidate profile refer to the facts and your professional achievements that you are most proud of as a Sales Representative and that are most meaningful. 

TIP: Professional Resume is good for candidates with larger experience, e.g. for  senior sales representatives. If you are at the early stage of your sales career path, you might consider writing a sales rep career objective

2. Sales Representative Professional Experience – how to describe it in a resume?

One of the most important fields in a resume is a previous work experience section.

Describe it in a clear, readable and understandable way. Don’t you want to start from scratch? Use one of our good resume template with a clean, business layout.

Avoid generalities and phrases that mean nothing.

Let the section with sales experience help you sell yourself in the best way you can.

Let it show that you are indeed the right person for the position of a Sales Associate in a given company. 

How to describe work experience on a sales representative resume in a right way?

In the experience section, candidates usually indicate the years they worked for the company, the role, and the primary responsibilities they performed.

However, this is not enough if you want your resume to stand out from other applicants.

What else should you include?

While describing your past responsibilities, focus on the ones that really matter.

Don’t write about building a positive company image – that means nothing! Focus on facts and achievements, such as: 

Remember to write in percentages, not specific amounts – this way you will not give away company secrets. At the same time you will gain credibility in the eyes of a future employer.

A good way to showcase your professional successes would be to highlight them in the “Professional Achievements” section located just below the listed responsibilities. Doesn’t the Resume builder have this option? Use our fully customizable Resume Template which already has the achievement section.

When describing the tasks you performed, try to relate them to those listed in the job advertisement you are applying for.

Skip or briefly describe those that are of little importance for the position of Sales Representative.

This will make room for the ones that are really important. This way your future employer will see that you are the right person who can easily handle the tasks they will face as a sales representative in their company. 

And what if your sales experience is not particularly impressive?

Then consider describing your past jobs in a way that highlights your chances of being a good and effective salesperson.

Not an experienced salesperson but in your previous job you dealt with customer service?

Highlight that on your resume!

Did you co-found a student organization?

Show off projects in which you had contact with institutions or university authorities. Try to highlight all the tasks and skills you have already accomplished that will be of value in a sales representative position.

Also consider writing a cover letter to convince the potential employer that you are worth giving a chance despite your limited experience. 

3. Sales Associate Skills – how to create a good resume skills section?

An effective sales representative resume can not lack a section outlining your skills.

This field is also included in Resume templates offered by us. When presenting your skills, focus on those that are most relevant to the position of a salesperson:

• Acquiring new customers,
• Negotiation skills,
• Customer orientation,
• Result orientation,
• Knowledge of sales techniques,
• Preparation and presentation of commercial offers,
• Professional customer service,
• Knowledge of foreign languages, e.g. English, German

Of course, in the work of a salesman, soft skills such as communication skills or punctuality are also important.

However, it is not always worth devoting attention to them in your Resume.

For the employer, it will be much more important if you can effectively negotiate and win new customers.

If you are applying for a job in a company cooperating with foreign clients, it is necessary to underline your language skills, e.g. English, German or French.

It is also important that the section presenting your skills also includes tools and programs typical for the industry. For example, you have been preparing sales presentations on a daily basis, indicate in which programs.

Remember to refer to the job advertisement for which you are applying. If the employer expects you to know a specific tool that you are familiar with, be sure to include that information in your Resume document. 

What if, in the template or resume wizard you are using to write your job application, doesn’t have the skills section? 

Use our resume template. They are super easy to edit. It’s really worth using the right CV template, especially in the case of a sales representative position.

4. Summary

The role of a Sales Rep largely consists of actively selling products or services.

Before you get hired, you need to sell yourself.

Therefore, show a resume that stands out from other jobseekers and other sales resumes.

That is why opt for a professional, clear and specific resume, which will be like a perfect, tailored sales offer.

Such offer should convince him/her that it is you who should be invited to take part in the recruitment process.

Want to increase your chances even more?

Apart from using ready-made Resume Template you can record a short video or write a cover letter! You can take advantage of our professional Cover letter templates. 

If you still might have questions or doubts on how to write a good resume for sales position, leave us a comment.