INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales positions are at a 5% growth rate, which is slower than average. With that said, there are currently 1,625,700 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 77,600 to 1,703,300 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales jobs was $65,420 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $31,950, and the highest 10% more than $129,200.
Our conclusion? The Wholesale & Manufacturing Sales job market is wide open for candidates.
Top field sales representative sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to craft the perfect Field Sales Representative resume experience section
Perfecting the experience section: Field sales representative resume checklist:
- Be careful with bullet points: use no more than 4-6 per position;
- Mention only positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for;
- List your experience in chronological or reverse-chronological order;
- Highlight your results by using numbers – e.g. percentage increase/decrease in an important metric that’s followed by - your hard work;
- Use action words whenever possible… but more on that below.
Need examples? We looked through thousands of Field Sales Representative resumes and gathered some examples of what the ideal experience section looks like. Check them out below!
- Implement sales strategy on Cheese Category in assignedretail accounts & exceeding volume/revenue goals (18.78% over target)
- Manage customer relations and trained Wholesalers’ sales reps inSales and Merch Techniques in order to push product at Point of Sale which drove both increase of sellout and better implementation of Placement Strategy (14.94% over target)
- Manage 165 retail doors, achieve excellent execution at point of saleby increasing visibility through shelf restructuring, gain of secondaryplacement and out of plan displays due to out of the box thinking andtaking initiative.
- Developing Sales strategies and Plans;
- Face to Face sales initiatives to acquire new restaurant partners;
- Assessings restaurant needs and suggesting appropriate products, services and solutions;
- Preparing, explaining and following-up on management reports;
- Advising restaurant partners on how they can optimally make use of JETs solutions and offerings.
- Achieved a 120% of monthly target for customer acquisition in Q2 2022
- Developed and maintained relationships with 20+ key accounts, resulting in a 30% increase in sales
- Collaborated with the marketing team to create a new sales pitch, resulting in a 25% increase in conversion rate
- Trained and mentored 5 new sales representatives on product knowledge and sales techniques
- Achieved a 150% of monthly target for consumer electronics sales in Q4 2020
- Ranked #1 in sales performance in the company for two consecutive quarters
- Collaborated with the marketing team to increase foot traffic to the store, resulting in a 20% increase in sales
- Resolved customer complaints and issues, resulting in a 95% satisfaction rate
- Achieved a 20% increase in sales revenue in the first year by identifying and targeting key customer segments.
- Increased the number of new accounts by 35% by leveraging personal and professional networks to build lasting relationships with potential customers.
- Successfully conducted over 150 product demonstrations resulting in a 90% product adoption rate among potential customers.
- Consistently met and exceeded sales targets by over 25% every quarter.
- Improved the efficiency of the sales process by 15% by implementing a new customer relationship management system.
- Worked as part of a team to provide technical support and training to customers, resulting in a 95% satisfaction rate.
- Developed and delivered sales presentations to a wide range of audiences, including builders, architects, and construction workers.
- Collaborated with marketing teams to develop targeted campaigns that increased brand awareness and generated new leads.
- Managed and optimized a sales territory of over 100 accounts, resulting in a 50% increase in repeat business.
- Trained and mentored junior sales representatives on sales techniques, product knowledge, and customer service skills.
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Field Sales Representative job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action verbs for your field sales representative resume
Recommended reads:
Impressing recruiters with a top field sales representative resume skills section
Checklist for an impressive field sales representative resume skills section:
- List both hard and technical skills that are important for the role;
- Check what the job description says and add some keywords based on that;
- Focus only on relevant skills;
- Try not to list things such as “communication”; rather, highlight your soft skills in other sections of your Field Sales Representative resume.
Top skills for your field sales representative resume
Salesforce
MS Office
CRM
Forecasting
Cold Calling
Business Development
Customer Service
Project Management
Relationship Building
Time Management
Storytelling
Research / Information Gathering.
Critical Thinking
Problem Solving.
Tech Savvy
Networking
PRO TIP
Avoid getting sidetracked by Applicant tracking software by including a tech skills' section matching the job description and your own qualifications.
Recommended reads.":
Field sales representative resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your field sales representative resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your Field Sales Representative resume header. Most companies will require that you include one in your resume, and even if they don’t, it’s an excellent opportunity to directly show them your proudest projects.
Crafting a strong summary for your field sales representative resume
Checklist: The perfect field sales representative resume summary section
- Add a couple of keywords from the job description;
- Mention some of your most valuable skills and characteristics;
- Highlight your top achievements (and add numbers!);
- Use no more than 3-5 sentences to guarantee readability and keep - the hiring manager interested.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Highlight specific past projects that you’re most proud of in your summary. It sets an excellent tone for the rest of your resume. You can talk about all of your former jobs in your work experience section later on.
Recommended Reads:
An impressive education section: field sales representative resume
Field sales representative resume: education section checklist
- Highlight your highest education degree;
- Include the degree subject, year of graduation, and institution name;
- Mention some of the awards you’ve received during your studies;
- List your certifications (incl. the body that’s issued them);
- Entry-level positions: Give preference to courses that are relevant to the position.
Top Certifications for your Field Sales Representative resume
Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques
Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!
Sales Training: How To Close More Sales
Closing Sales: Sales Training Course: Sales Skills; Selling Techniques; Sales Strategies for B2B, B2C Direct Sales
Sales Representative - From Beginner to Advanced
An external sales course for sales representatives calling on outlets such as retailers & wholesalers
Sales Training Masterclass: Smart Tips For Sales Success
Become a top sales person by learning practical sales skills that harness your effort & emotion for sales success
Sales Skills: the Complete Closing-the-Sale Blueprint
Get Accredited to Close Like the Wolf of Wallstreet: Closing is #1 Most Important Sales Skill (Blueprint & Scripts inc.)
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PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Field Sales Representative. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
The right format for your field sales representative resume
When it comes to formatting your Field Sales Representative resume, there are certain things you need to keep in mind. These include your level of expertise, your total years of experience, and the position and company you’re applying for, to name a few.
You can choose between three basic resume formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
The reverse-chronological format is just that – all your experience listed in a reverse-chronological way. It’s great for experienced professionals who have been in the industry for many years and have no career gaps.
The functional skills-based resume, on the other hand, focuses on skills, education, and personality traits, rather than experience. This makes it great for graduates, people with less experience, or bigger career gaps. The idea is to show you’re the perfect match without putting too much emphasis on your lack of relevant experience.
If none of these sound suitable, go for a hybrid (or combination) resume. It’s a mix of experience, skills, and personality traits. It’s also considered modern and innovative because of its non-traditional structure and sections. Here, you can add details about what your typical day looks like or what your life philosophy is. In short, the hybrid resume format shows who you are, both as a professional and as an individual.
More tips on perfecting your resume style and layout:
- Choose a traditional 12p font;
- Make sure your resume margins are no bigger than an inch;
- Go for a one-page template. If you have broad experience and can’t fit your resume on one page, choose a two-page resume template
- Save your resume as PDF to avoid formatting issues and unauthorized editing.
Read this: Ways to make your Field Sales Representative resume stand out
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PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Field Sales Representative resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
More sections worth adding to your field sales representative resume
If the industry, company, and position you’re applying for allow for that, you could include other sections in your Field Sales Representative resume. By doing this, you’ll show the recruiter that you’re a real human and not a robot.
Here are some ideas:
The right kind of creativity for your field sales representative resume
Several years ago, everyone preferred keeping a safe distance from creative resumes. Today, adding creativity to your CV is considered cool, innovative, and one of the best ways to stand out.
You can add a creative section that describes your typical day or even go for a colorful creative template. No matter what you choose, make sure to keep the position, company, and industry in mind. Otherwise, you risk looking silly.
What makes a great field sales representative resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
