Crafting a national sales manager cover letter often feels like a daunting hurdle in your job search. You've already polished your resume and started applying, only to realize a compelling cover letter is expected—one that highlights not just your career but an achievement you wear like a badge of honor. Striking the right balance between formality and originality, without spilling over to clichés or simply rehashing your resume on a single page, is the sweet spot you're aiming for. Let's walk through how to encapsulate your finest professional moment in a cover letter that stands out.
- Write a national sales manager cover letter that helps you stand out (and get the job);
- Understand how to start and end your national sales manager cover letter with the appropriate greeting;
- What to include in the body of your national sales manager cover letter to put your best foot forward;
- Your most important achievements - how to present them as part of your national sales manager cover letter.
And if you want to make your life even easier, simply drag and drop your national sales manager resume into Enhancv's AI cover letter generator, and it will write your cover letter for you in just a few moments.
If the national sales manager isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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National sales manager cover letter example
AIDEN WILLIAMS
San Francisco, California
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Highlighting past achievements related to the role's requirements, such as "spearheading market expansion" which showcases the candidate's proven capability in driving growth, aligning well with a sales leadership position.
- Emphasizing quantifiable outcomes like "the addition of over 120 enterprise accounts" and "customer base growth by 30%" provides concrete evidence of the candidate's success and impact on previous roles, essential for a role focused on results.
- Connecting personal skills and experience to the company's needs, as the applicant does by mentioning a "track record in…strategic sales" and a "comprehensive understanding of SaaS and technology solutions," making the candidate's expertise directly relevant to what the hiring organization is looking for.
The must-have sections and format of your national sales manager cover letter
When writing your national sales manager cover letter, keep in mind that it'll only be read by the recruiters and not the Applicant Tracker System (or software used to assess your profile). That's why you should structure your content with a/an:
- Header (apart from your contact information, include your name, the role you're applying for, and the date);
- Personalized salutation;
- Opening paragraph to win the recruiters over;
- Middle paragraph with key details;
- Closing that starts from clichés;
- Sign off (that's not mandatory).
Industry standards dictate your paragraphs to be single-spaced and to wrap your content in a one-inch margin. Designing your national sales manager cover letter, refer to one of our templates, which automatically takes care of the spacing and margins.
Choose the same font for your national sales manager cover letter as you did for your resume: the likes of Lato and Bitter would help you to stand out in a sea of cover letters in Arial or Times New Roman.
Export your whole national sales manager cover letter from our builder in PDF to keep the same formatting and image quality.
The top sections on a national sales manager cover letter
Header with Contact Information: Include your name, address, phone number, and email. This section is essential for a National Sales Manager as it provides the recruiter with immediate access to your contact details for quick reference and potential follow-up.
Introduction: A brief opening that captures attention and states the specific National Sales Manager position you are applying for. This sets the tone of the cover letter and makes it clear you're interested in this particular role, highlighting your targeted approach.
Professional Achievements: A section dedicated to outlining your key sales achievements, such as exceeding sales targets, successfully expanding into new markets, or leading high-performing teams. Specific metrics and accomplishments demonstrate your suitability for a high-level sales management role.
Leadership Philosophy and Style: Given the nature of the role, this section should focus on your management approach, including team-building strategies, leadership qualities, and how you drive sales performance. A sales manager needs to showcase their capability to inspire and lead a national team.
Closing and Call to Action: Politely request an interview and convey your enthusiasm for the opportunity to contribute to the company's success. A well-crafted closing in the cover letter of a National Sales Manager should express confidence and readiness for steering national sales strategies.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Proven sales track record: Recruiters look for candidates who have consistently met or exceeded sales targets, as this demonstrates the ability to drive revenue and contribute positively to the company's financial performance.
- Leadership experience: National sales managers must be able to lead and motivate sales teams spread across different regions, so experience in managing and developing teams is highly valued.
- Strategic planning skills: The ability to develop and execute effective sales strategies that align with company goals is critical for a national sales manager, who must oversee sales operations on a large scale.
- Strong business acumen: Understanding market trends, customer needs, and the competitive landscape is crucial for making informed decisions that will impact the national sales efforts.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills: Interacting with clients, stakeholders, and team members across various locations requires clear and persuasive communication, as well as the ability to build and maintain relationships.
- Adaptability and problem-solving: National sales managers must be able to adapt to changing market conditions and solve complex challenges that may arise in different territories, ensuring consistent sales performance.
Kick off your national sales manager cover letter: the salutation or greeting
When writing your national sales manager cover letter, remember that you're not writing for some complex AI or robot, but for actual human beings.
And recruiters, while on the lookout to understand your experience, would enjoy seeing a cover letter that is tailored to the role and addresses them. Personally.
So, if you haven't done so, invest some time in finding out who's the hiring manager for the role you're applying to. A good place to start would be LinkedIn and the corporate website.
Alternatively, you could also get in touch with the company to find out more information about the role and the name of the recruiter.
If you haven't met the hiring manager, yet, your national sales manager cover letter salutation should be on a last-name basis (e.g. "Dear Mr. Donaldson" or "Dear Ms. Estephan").
A good old, "Dear HR Professional" (or something along those lines) could work as your last resort if you're struggling to find out the recruiter's name.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Company Name] Team,
- Dear [Hiring Manager's Name],
- Dear Ms./Mr. [Last Name],
- Dear [Department] Department,
- Dear Recruiting Team,
How to start your national sales manager cover letter introduction
The opening paragraph of your national sales manager cover letter can seem like a real enigma.
Where do you start writing?
In your national sales manager cover letter introduction, focus on yourself by stating what:
- gets you motivated and excited about the role;
- you like best about the company, from culture to awards.
Write no more than two sentences, which are both authentic and show your enthusiasm for the opportunity.
What comes next: your national sales manager cover letter middle paragraphs
In the next three to six paragraphs (or the body of your national sales manager cover letter) you have to prove your unique value.
Most candidates tend to mess up at this stage. They tend to just copy-paste information from their resume.
That's one big no-no.
Remember that when writing your national sales manager cover letter, it has to be personalized. And, your ultimate aim is to catch the recruiter's eye.
So, look back on key job requirements and write down a list that includes the ones you cover.
Next, select just one key achievement from your professional (or personal) history that meets those advert keywords.
Narrate a story around how you've grown your skill set and knowledge. Also, aim to show the unique understanding or soft skills you bring about, thanks to your past success.
Finishing off your national sales manager cover letter with what matters most
So far, you've done a fantastic job in tailoring your national sales manager cover letter for the role and recruiter.
Your final opportunity to make a good impression is your closing paragraph.
And, no, a "Sincerely yours" just won't do, as it sounds too vague and impersonal.
End your national sales manager cover letter with the future in mind.
So, if you get this opportunity, what do you plan to achieve? Be as specific, as possible, of what value you'd bring to the organization.
You could also thank recruiters for their interest in your profile and prompt for follow-up actions (and organizing your first interview).
National sales manager cover letter advice for candidates with no experience
If you're worried about writing your National Sales Manager cover letter and have no professional experience, we sure have some advice for you.
Turn recruiters' attention to your transferable or relevant skills gained thanks to your life and work experience.
Instead of writing about past jobs, focus on one achievement (whether from your volunteering experience, education, etc.) and the skills it has helped you build.
Alternatively, you could focus your National Sales Manager cover letter on your career objectives and goals. Always remember to make those relevant to the job you're applying for by detailing how you see yourself growing as part of the company.
Recruiters would be way more impressed with candidates who fit the job profile and can bring about plenty of skills and vision to the table.
Key takeaways
Winning at your job application game starts with a clear and concise national sales manager cover letter that:
- Has single-spaced paragraphs, is wrapped in a one-inch margin, and uses the same font as the national sales manager resume;
- Is personalized to the recruiter (using their name in the greeting) and the role (focusing on your one key achievement that answers job requirements);
- Includes an introduction that helps you stand out and show what value you'd bring to the company;
- Substitutes your lack of experience with an outside-of-work success, that has taught you valuable skills;
- Ends with a call for follow-up or hints at how you'd improve the organization, team, or role.
