Crafting a CV that effectively showcases your sales achievements without seeming boastful can be a tricky endeavour. Our guide offers practical tips on striking the perfect balance, helping you to highlight your successes with the right mix of humility and confidence.
- Create an attention-grabbing header that integrates keywords and includes all vital information;
- Add strong action verbs and skills in your experience section, and get inspired by real-world professionals;
- List your education and relevant certification to fill in the gaps in your career history;
- Integrate both hard and soft skills all through your CV.
Discover more industry-specific guides to help you apply for any role in the links below:
How to ensure your profile stands out with your sales person CV format
It's sort of a Catch 22. You want your sales person CV to stand out amongst a pile of candidate profiles, yet you don't want it to be too over the top that it's unreadable. Where is the perfect balance between your CV format simple, while using it to shift the focus to what matters most. That is - your expertise. When creating your sales person CV:- list your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your latest roles;
- include a header with your professional contact information and - optionally - your photograph;
- organise vital and relevant CV sections - e.g. your experience, skills, summary/ objective, education - closer to the top;
- use no more than two pages to illustrate your professional expertise;
- format your information using plenty of white space and standard (2.54 cm) margins, with colours to accent key information.
Once you've completed your information, export your sales person CV in PDF, as this format is more likely to stay intact when read by the Applicant Tracker System or the ATS. A few words of advice about the ATS - or the software used to assess your profile:
- Generic fonts, e.g. Arial and Times New Roman, are ATS-compliant, yet many candidates stick with these safe choices. Ensure your CV stands out by using a more modern, and simple, fonts like Lato, Exo 2, Volkhov;
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are ATS-friendly. Avoid the likes of fancy decorative or script typography, as this may render your information to be illegible;
- Both single- and double-column formatted CVs could be assessed by the ATS;
- Integrating simple infographics, icons, and charts across your CV won't hurt your chances during the ATS assessment.
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For certain fields, consider including infographics or visual elements to represent skills or achievements, but ensure they are simple, professional, and enhance rather than clutter the information.
The top sections on a sales person CV
- Contact Information is a must for the recruiter to reach out.
- A Personal Profile summarises skills and sales expertise.
- Work Experience showcases a track record of sales successes.
- Key Achievements highlight specific sales milestones met.
- Education and Qualifications establish credibility in the field.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your sales achievements by quantifying your results, such as meeting or exceeding sales targets, growing a customer base, or increasing revenue by a certain percentage.
- Emphasise your ability to build relationships by mentioning specific examples of how you've maintained long-term clients or successfully navigated complex negotiations.
- Include any industry-specific knowledge or technical skills relevant to sales in your sector, which might include CRM software proficiency or expertise in market analysis.
- Detail your sales methodology and approach, whether it's consultative selling, solution selling, or another strategy, demonstrating your understanding and implementation of effective sales tactics.
- Illustrate your ability to adapt by providing instances where you've successfully adjusted your sales techniques to different markets, products, or customer behaviours.
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What information should you include in your sales person CV header?
The CV header is potentially the section that recruiters would refer to the most, as it should include your:
- Contact details - your professional (non-work) email address and phone number;
- Professional photograph - if you're applying hinting at the value you bring as a professional.
Many professionals often struggle with writing their sales person CV headline. That's why in the next section of this guide, we've curated examples of how you can optimise this space to pass any form of assessment.
Examples of good CV headlines for sales person:
- Retail Sales Manager | Team Leadership & Development | Revenue Growth Specialist | 10+ Years' Experience
- Senior B2B Sales Executive | SaaS Expert | CRM & Negotiation Pro | Chartered Sales Professional
- Junior Sales Representative | Consumer Electronics | Relationship Building | Recent Graduate with Honours
- Technology Sales Consultant | Cybersecurity Solutions | Strategic Account Management | 5 Years in IT Sales
- Pharmaceutical Sales Leader | Biotech Product Launches | Market Analysis Expert | 15 Years' Industry Insight
- Territory Sales Director | FMCG Sector | Key Account Growth | Proven Track Record | MBA Qualified
Your sales person CV introduction: selecting between a summary and an objective
sales person candidates often wonder how to start writing their resumes. More specifically, how exactly can they use their opening statements to build a connection with recruiters, showcase their relevant skills, and spotlight job alignment. A tricky situation, we know. When crafting you sales person CV select between:
- A summary - to show an overview of your career so far, including your most significant achievements.
- An objective - to show a conscise overview of your career dreams and aspirations.
Find out more examples and ultimately, decide which type of opening statement will fit your profile in the next section of our guide:
CV summaries for a sales person job:
- Dynamic sales professional with over 10 years of experience cultivating strategic client relationships in the pharmaceutical industry, skilled in consultative selling and proficient in CRM software. Spearheaded a team to a record-setting 150% sales growth over two years at Glaxon Pharmaceuticals.
- Proven track record in software sales management, having successfully led a SaaS start-up through its growth phase by achieving a 200% increase in annual revenue within three years. Expert in digital sales strategies and a master user of Salesforce CRM, looking to leverage extensive B2B sales experience into the technology sector.
- Former top-tier financial advisor seeking to transition into tech sales, bringing an extensive 8-year background in complex financial product negotiations and relationship building, combined with a passion for technology and its potential to revolutionize markets.
- Accomplished educator with 12 years of experience in developing engaging curricula and improving student outcomes, aiming to transfer a unique blend of communication and analytical skills to excel in a challenging sales environment.
- Eager to launch a sales career with a focus on building lasting customer relationships, utilizing strong interpersonal skills and a recent marketing degree from the University of Cambridge, with a dedication to learning and exceeding sales targets.
- Aspiring sales professional, possessing a driven mindset and a solid foundation in business administration gleaned from Oxford Brookes University, committed to mastering sales techniques and contributing to a dynamic sales team through a hands-on learning approach and unwavering enthusiasm.
Narrating the details of your sales person CV experience section
Perhaps you've heard it time and time again, but, how you present your experience is what matters the most. Your CV experience section - that details your work history alongside your accomplishments - is the space to spotlight your unqiue expertise and talents. So, avoid solely listing your responsibilities, but instead:
- adverts' keywords and integrate those in your experience section;
- Use your CV to detail how you've been promoted in the past by including experience in the reverse chronological order.
Before you start writing your sales person CV experience section, dive into some industry-leading examples on how to structure your bullets.
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Consistently met or exceeded monthly sales targets by effectively managing a portfolio of clients and actively seeking new opportunities, resulting in a 20% year-on-year revenue increase for the team.
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with key clients through regular communication, understanding their business needs, and providing personalised solutions, enhancing client retention by 30%.
- Initiated a strategic partnership with a major industry player, which led to a 15% increase in sales volume and expanded market reach.
- Leveraged in-depth product knowledge to provide expert recommendations and demonstrations, significantly improving the customer decision-making process and satisfaction scores.
- Utilised CRM tools to track customer interactions, sales progress, and forecasted future sales, ensuring a well-organised and efficient pipeline management system.
- Collaborated with the marketing team to create targeted promotional campaigns that generated a 25% uplift in lead generation and conversion rates.
- Actively participated in industry events and trade shows to network and generate leads, resulting in a 10% increase in qualified leads.
- Provided exceptional after-sales support by addressing customer concerns, securing repeat business, and generating referrals which accounted for 20% of quarterly sales.
- Conducted regular training sessions for new sales team members, promoting a culture of continuous learning and driving team sales performance.
- Exceeded annual sales targets by an average of 18% over a 3-year period whilst managing a portfolio of 80+ client accounts.
- Led the regional sales drive for our new product launch, achieving a 65% market penetration within the first six months.
- Facilitated a series of in-depth product training sessions for new team members, enhancing overall team sales efficiency by 25%.
- Achieved the highest upselling rate across a team of 20 salespeople for two consecutive years, driving an incremental revenue of £250,000.
- Spearheaded the adoption of a customer relationship management system, increasing the sales conversion rate by 30% within a year.
- Initiated a partnership with local businesses which resulted in a 15% growth in the B2B client base.
- Consistently exceeded quarterly sales goals by more than 20%, in a highly dynamic tech marketplace.
- Developed a strategic sales plan that identified and captured £500,000 in new business opportunities within the SME sector.
- Collaborated on the launch of a pioneering e-commerce platform that expanded the digital sales channels by 50%.
- Generated an increase in year-on-year sales by 30%, through the effective analysis of market trends and customer feedback.
- Negotiated and closed deals with key industry players, leading to an expansion of the company's market share by 10%.
- Implemented a customer loyalty program that saw a retention increase of 35% over a four-year period.
- Outperformed sales projections in the FMCG sector by 150% through the successful deployment of a targeted regional marketing campaign.
- Managed and grew the territory revenue to £1 million, representing a 60% growth over the initial sales figure.
- Trained and mentored a sales team which went on to win 'Best Sales Team' at the national company awards.
- Implemented a new direct sales strategy which led to a consistent 12% YOY growth in a highly competitive environment.
- Orchestrated a strategic pivot towards service-oriented solutions, adding an additional revenue stream of over £300,000 annually.
- Conducted comprehensive market research that prompted an overhaul of the pricing model, increasing overall profitability by 20%.
- Pioneered an innovative outbound sales process incorporating social selling tactics, which produced a 40% increase in leads.
- Instrumental in forging strategic partnerships that have driven a 200% increase in cross-selling opportunities.
- Played a central role in the team that exceeded sales projections by £2 million during the last fiscal year.
- Initiated and nurtured relationships with high value clients, achieving a client retention rate of 90% in the luxury goods sector.
- Successfully navigated complex sales cycles, closing deals that accounted for 35% of the company's revenue in 2016.
- Facilitated the company's expansion into three new international markets, resulting in a 50% increase in sales from those regions.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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Describe how each job helped you grow or learn something new, showing a continuous development path in your career.
The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills
Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.
- Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
- Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
Top skills for your sales person CV:
Lead Generation
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Sales Pitch Development
Product Knowledge
Negotiation
Closing Techniques
Market Analysis
Sales Reporting
Data Analysis and Interpretation
Social Media Marketing
Communication
Listening
Empathy
Problem-Solving
Teamwork
Adaptability
Persistence
Time Management
Persuasion
Emotional Intelligence
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Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
CV education and certificates: your academic background as proof of your skill set
A common misconception about your sales person CV education is that you only need it, if you have less professional experience. That is completely false. The CV education section serves to back up your technical (and sometimes personal) capabilities, fill in gaps in your work history, and show you have the initial industry background and know-how. When creating your education section:
- List your degrees in the reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent (and relevant) ones first;
- Include your degree and university names, start and graduation dates. It's optional to also denote you received a "First-Class Honours" for diplomas that are more relevant to the role;
- Curate your relevant university coursework, projects, or thesis work if you happen to have less professional expertise and need to integrate more job keywords and skills.
Your professional qualifications don't need to stop at your academic background. It's advisable to also select up to three of your most noteworthy (and relevant) industry certificates and feature them in a dedicated section. Once more, include the certificate name, the institution that issued it out, and the date you obtained it on. You could feature both hard skills and soft skills certificates, as in the examples below:
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If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
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Key takeaways
Your successful job application depends on how you well you have aligned your sales person CV to the job description and portrayed your best skills and traits. Make sure to:
- Select your CV format, so that it ensures your experience is easy to read and understand;
- Include your professional contact details and a link to your portfolio, so that recruiters can easily get in touch with you and preview your work;
- Write a CV summary if you happen to have more relevant professional experience. Meanwhile, use the objective to showcase your career dreams and ambitions;
- In your CV experience section bullets, back up your individual skills and responsibilities with tangible achievements;
- Have a healthy balance between hard and soft skills to answer the job requirements and hint at your unique professional value.
