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 general sales manager sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a strong general sales manager experience section
General sales manager resume experience section: ultimate checklist
- Use no more than 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List relevant positions and situations that add value to your application;
- Describe situations, tasks, actions, and results (the S-T-A-R method);
- Remember to include numbers in whatever form you like (e.g. the number of projects you’ve finished);
- Begin each bullet point with an action verb.
Check out the examples below when building your experience section. They will help you stand out!
- Generated substantial growth in revenue and profitability.
- Slashed turnover in sales department by 75%.
- Surpassed a unit record (110 Units)
- Managed a team of 12 Employees (Sales and Finance)
- Excellent communication, management, and training skills
- Lead by Example
- Conduct daily, weekly, and monthly meetings
- Generate daily, weekly, and monthly sales forecast
- New and used inventory merchandising
- 100% customer satisfaction
- Expertise with FCA programs and factory incentives
- TV production (30 sec commercials)
- 2009 - Founded and created Alpha Alarm. Hired and trained a sales staff, technician staff, and office staff. Created a household name in the greater Albuquerque area by focusing largely on traditional marketing techniques. Developed customized sales strategies for Business to Business(B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) markets. Generated just over $1,000,000 in sales the first year.
- 2010 to 2013 - Expanded our operation into more regions of NM. Implemented a plan to dominate in those markets. Evolved an approach to sustain double-digit growth and launched a strategy in response to compete with new market entrants. Generated over $1.5 million in sales each year.
- 2014 to 2015 - Expanded heavily into the commercial market by offering an expanded product line. Developed and maintained commercial relationships. Increased service revenues by 500% and increased total revenue to $2.25 million and $2.6 million.
- 2016 - Sold company to an out-of-state buyer. Remained as the General Sales Manager to manage sales team and cultivate existing and new B2B relationships.
- 2017 - Rank in top 2 of sales production and revenue. Leading the top region in the company (out of 9) with 25% of the company's total production.
- 2009 - Founded and created Alpha Alarm. Hired and trained a sales staff, technician staff, and office staff. Created a household name in the greater Albuquerque area by focusing largely on traditional marketing techniques. Developed customized sales strategies for Business to Business(B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) markets. Generated just over $1,000,000 in sales the first year.
- 2010 to 2013 - Expanded our operation into more regions of NM. Implemented a plan to dominate in those markets. Evolved an approach to sustain double-digit growth and launched a strategy in response to compete with new market entrants. Generated over $1.5 million in sales each year.
- 2014 to 2015 - Expanded heavily into the commercial market by offering an expanded product line. Developed and maintained commercial relationships with dozens of local and national businesses in New Mexico including Cold Stone, H&R Block, Dion's Pizza, Blake's Lota Burger, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc. Increased service revenues by 500% and increased total revenue to $2.25 million and $2.6 million.
- 2016 - Sold company to an out-of-state buyer. Remained as the General Sales Manager to manage the sales team and cultivate existing and new B2B relationships.
- 2017 - Ranked in the top 2 of 75 of sales production, revenue, and new customer acquisitions. Lead the top region in the company (out of 9) with 25% of the company's total production.
- Vision : Development and implementation of a set of values to develop a new team spirit driven by ambition and ownership
- Results : Turnover and margin for French BU monitoring - P&L accountability : from loss-making to biggest profit driver in 3 years (ix 700).
- Operations : Close work with plants / suppliers until customers en ensure commercial conditions are delivered and help achieve customer service targets.
- Management : Direct management of 2 people and 15 others daily business lead interactions with 15 - Matrix structure + lead recruitment sessions
- Since hire date have implemented new processes and strategically re-staffed the store improving profits from $596,210 in 2015 to $1,050,423 in 2016 resulting in record sales and profit year for dealer group including receiving Gold Status (1 of only 4 in New England market) and Dealership of Distinction Award.
- Re-staffed BDC department and introduced new, effective process that has brought overall BDC closing ratio up 11%.
- Closing ratios and used vehicle profits were substantially improved as well averaging over $1,500 per unit after vehicle pack.
- Ensured customer satisfaction was an absolute top priority, making sure that every customer is treated with the utmost care and respect resulting in increased repeat business and 100% CSI.
- Hit all-time sales record of 120 total units
- Managed a team of 12 Employees (Sales and Finance)
- Developed excellent communication skills, managements skills, and training skills
- Lead by example
- Conduct daily, weekly, and monthly meetings
- Generated daily, weekly, and monthly sales forecast
- Handled all new and used vehicle merchandising
- 100% customer satisfaction
- Tv commercials (The face of the store)
- Took sales office that had struggled to maintain 40% of their monthly budget and within 3 months, became the top producing sales office, consistently achieving 270% to 350% of forecasted monthly budget.
- Created and implemented a training program with curriculum for new employees which was a contributor to 85% sales growth over a 12 month period.
- Recieved many awards for performance excellence and service to company.
PRO TIP
Check the General Sales Manager job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action verbs for your general sales manager resume
Recommended reads.":
Writing a strong skills section for your general sales manager resume
Checklist for your General Sales Manager skills section:
- Include all relevant skills from the job description to pass ATS;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise;
- List your technical skills in a clear and concise manner;
- Leave room for transferable skills related to teamwork, communication, negotiation, and conflict management.
Top skills for your general sales manager 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
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
General sales manager resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your general sales manager 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 General Sales Manager 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.
The ideal summary for your general sales manager resume
Mastering the Summary Section: Checklist
- Mention the total years of experience you have in the field;
- Focus on 2 to 3 of your top achievements;
- Highlight the things that make you the best fit for the position;
- Go for short, easy-to-read sentences to keep the recruiter’s attention.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Read the job description carefully and understand what the hiring company is exactly looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.
Recommended reads:
Things to include in your general sales manager resume education section
General sales manager resume education section checklist:
- Mention your highest education degree;
- Add the duration of your course and the institution you attended;
- List the awards you’ve received during your studies;
- Feature your certifications if they are relevant to the position;
- Entry-level positions: Share more about projects and classes.
Top certifications for your general sales manager resume
Sales Management Masterclass For Sales Managers & Management
Complete Guide For Aspiring & Current Sales Managers & Management Team To Create A High Performing Sales Enablement Team
Sales Training: Practical Sales Techniques
Sales Hacking: Essential sales skills, sales strategies and sales techniques to sell just about anything!
Fundamentals of Sales Management for New Sales Managers
The First 90 Days for a Sales Manager
Sales Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course
Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development
Business Development & B2B Sales for Startups- Sales Valley
The Complete Startup Playbook for Business Development & B2B Sales to learn Lead Generation, Pitching, & Closing Deals.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a General Sales Manager. 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.
Formatting your general sales manager resume
What’s worse than a .docx resume? A resume with a poorly chosen format.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Choosing between them is easy when you’re aware of your applicant profile – it depends on your years of experience, the position you’re applying for, and whether you’re looking for an industry change or not.
The reverse-chronological resume format is just that – all your relevant jobs in reverse-chronological order. It’s great for applicants with lots of experience, no career gaps, and little desire for creativity.
When working with less experienced applicants, we suggest the functional skills-based resume format. It’s great for recent graduates or people with large career gaps. Functional skills-based resumes focus on your personality, the skills you have, your interests, and your education. Ultimately, the idea is to show you’re the perfect fit without putting too much emphasis on your work experience (or lack thereof).
If you’re in the middle or are generally looking to make your resume feel more modern and personal, go for the combination or hybrid resume format. It offers the best of both worlds by combining sections focused on experience and work-related skills and at the same time keeping space for projects, awards, certifications, or even creative sections like ‘my typical day’ and ‘my words to live by’.
General Sales Manager Resume Formatting Checklist
- Choose the resume format based on your level of experience and the company you’re applying for
- Go for a traditional 10-12p font
- Stick to 1-inch page margins to ensure high readability
- Match the length of your resume to your experience, but don’t go for more than two pages!
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Test your draft General Sales Manager resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.
Additional sections for your general sales manager resume
In some cases, especially when it comes to entry-level positions, adding more sections beyond the usual ‘experience’, ‘skills’, and ‘education’ works well in your favor. Such additional sections will help you paint a fuller picture of who you are in the recruiter’s head.
Here’s a list of fun yet informative additional sections for your resume:
Making your general sales manager resume creative
We know too well that recruiters go through tons of resumes every day. The worse part is, they often need to hire people for different positions and teams. So how do you make yourself stand out in such cases?
By adding a dash of creativity to your General Sales Manager resume. It can be in the form of a colorful layout, a section describing your typical day, or even a picture of your favorite book – you decide!
Just make sure that the levels of creativity match the industry, company, and position you’re applying for.
What makes a great general sales manager 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.
