Sales Representative Resume: Templates & Examples

Sales representatives build interactions and communication with customers, ensuring that the entire sales process is appropriate. They also identify customer needs, offer new products or services, and guarantee customer satisfaction from start to finish. If you're looking for jobs in sales, read how to craft a convincing sales representative resume! For other sales jobs resume guideline, check out our sales resume article!

How to Write a Winning Sale Representative Resume

The resume serves as the job seeker’s front line, allowing them to present themselves in the best possible light. Crafting an effective Sales Representative resume highlights strong communication skills, which are crucial in attracting potential clients to the company.

This section will further outline the key elements that should be included in a resume.

1) Always Add Your Contact Info

This is the first section that candidates should include in both their resume and cover letter. Contact information serves as a vital tool for recruiters to learn more about the candidate.

The most crucial information to include is your full name, active email, and phone number. Providing your email and phone number enables the recruiting team to contact you regardless of the outcome.

Conversely, it is recommended to avoid including a nickname, as it may diminish the professionalism of your resume. If you have two legal names, it is advisable to consider including both. 

On the other hand, including social media accounts is not a requirement for a sales representatives resume, as the primary job function is not related to content creation. Social media is a personal domain that should not be a part of a recruiter’s assessment, but LinkedIn is an exception. LinkedIn is commonly utilized by job seekers as a platform to gather information, recent activities, networks, and professional accomplishments. Recruiters also consider these data when conducting assessments. Plus, if you believe that your social media accounts can provide added value, you can include to include them.

Ensure that all the information in your contact details is accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible.

2) Add a Sales Representative Summary to Catch the Hiring Manager's Attention

A resume summary is a concise overview of a candidate’s experience, accomplishments, skills, and abilities. It serves as a crucial promotional tool for candidates to showcase why they are deserving of employment. If you are currently a Senior Sales Representative at Company A and aim to be promoted to VP of Sales at Company B, a summary can highlight your qualifications and aspirations.

Let's look at some examples to craft an eye-catching summary for your sales representative resume:

3) Or You Can Opt-for a Sales Representative Resume Objective

Meanwhile, an objective resume is commonly utilized to concisely communicate the applicant's goal or purpose in their job application. For example, a candidate may state their intention to fill position A at company B. Objective resumes are frequently used by individuals such as recent graduates with limited work experience, job seekers undergoing career transitions, and individuals relocating to new residences. This type of resume typically comprises 2 to 3 succinct sentences.

Here are some quick tips for you:

• A concise summary or objective consisting of two to five lines is sufficient to provide an idea of your identity and how your work experience can benefit the company you are applying to.
• To increase the chances of your resume getting through the ATS (Applicant Tracking System), it is important to incorporate relevant keywords. These keywords can be identified by reviewing job postings from target companies.
• Including measurable forms of achievements in your resume makes it easier for HR to evaluate your qualifications. You can highlight these achievements in the works experience section by providing specific details and metrics.

4) Pay Most of Your Time to Craft the Work Experience

The work experience section serves as the core of a resume, offering concrete evidence of a candidate’s previous work experience and the responsibilities held at past companies. It serves as a crucial factor for recruiters to assess whether a candidate aligns with their specific criteria.

When listing work experience, it is important to organize it chronologically, beginning with the most recent job and position. However, if you do not have any work experience, you can still fill this section with relevant organizational experience, volunteer work, or projects that align with the job requirements.

Additionally, you may consider using a functional resume format if you're a fresh grad, which emphasizes skills and qualifications. This resume format can also be suitable for individuals who have a career summary for specific purposes or circumstances.

A quick guide for you to craft your work experience section:

• Include important details like the organization/company/enterprise’s name, your work location (if relevant), and the dates of your employment. If you are currently employed, use ‘present’ for the end date.
• The formula for crafting a strong summary includes 3 essential elements. First, include the total length of work experience and the most recent position held. Second, highlight notable accomplishments while employed at the previous company. Finally, emphasize both your hard and soft skills.
• Remember to utilize bullet points in your Sales Representative resume. The main function of bullet points is to highlight your responsibilities, accomplishments, and skills in an easy-to-read list. This format makes the content more readable and helps to avoid lengthy paragraphs.
• The next step is to use action verbs such as researched, managed, monitored, improved, developed, etc. Action verbs serve as explanations, details, and descriptions of actions you took while working at your previous company.
• The final tip for crafting a Sales Representative resume is to make adjustments for each application. Every company may require different qualifications and use specific keywords. It is important to align your experience with the keyword mentioned in the requirements.

For instance, if a company is seeking a Senior Sales Representative, you can include two keywords in your summary section: ‘Sales Representative’ and ‘Senior Sales Representative’.

Let's look at some examples here:

5) Both Hard Skills & Soft Skills Are Equally Important

Achieving a balance between soft skills and hard skills is crucial in supporting an individual’s professional life. Soft skills are personal abilities that come into play during communication, when dealing with challenges, and when quick and adaptable problem-solving is required. In contrast, hard skills refer to technical competencies employed to generate tangible work outcomes. To drive results, the company needs employees with a balance of soft and hard skills.

Here are some tips for combining hard and soft skills on a resume so you don't get confused:

• The skills section is commonly positioned at the end. It provides the option to either combine hard skills and soft skills into a single section or keep them separate. It is essential to ensure that the skills mentioned accurately reflect your character and abilities.
• Use keywords for skills that match the requirements of the job. It is not impossible to write skills differently for each resume, depending on the requirements.
• It is crucial to maintain a balance between your hard and soft skills. When listing your skills on a resume, it is advisable to include a maximum of 5 action verbs for each category. Including too many skills may give the hiring team a perception of inconsistency.

Let's look at the job description example and how your resume's skill section should look like:

Want a list of essential skills for sales representatives? Check this out:

Sales Representative Resume Design and Examples

Sales representative resume with no previous experience looking for a full-time job

Sales representative resume with 2 years of experience

Sales representative who’s applying for an Account Executive Vacancy

Experienced sales representative template who have 15 years of experience applying for a VP of Sales position

How to Write a Cover Letter for Sales Representatives

A cover letter is the application letter telling the HR why and how a candidate is suitable for the job opening. Elements to include in a sales rep cover letter are:

• A warm greeting helps to set the scene and opens up the conversation.
• Discuss why one chose the company & the role. Best to mention one’s mission, interest in the industry, product, and more. 
• Tell how one can become their backbone. Speak with sincerity (and a little bit self-boosting) how one can help the company achieve its goal. 
• Professional but friendly goodbye is all one needs at the end of the letter. 
• If you're writing an entry-level sales representative resume or a resume for a sales representative with no experience, try to show show initiatives and self-discipline to the company.  

Let's look at the example below

Conclusion