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 sales account executive sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a job-winning experience section: Sales Account Executive resume edition
Sales account executive resume experience section: dos and don'ts
- List 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Include only relevant job experience;
- Make sure to highlight your strongest skills by focusing on the challenges you’ve faced and the results you’ve achieved;
- Don’t use buzzwords that carry no meaning;
- Don’t share confidential information about your previous employers.
If you prefer to be led by example, check out some great Sales Account Executive resume experience section snippets below!
- Responsible to define and execute the strategic engagement with 2 Global Oil & Gas Accounts WW (Total & OMV). Work on complex, multi-millions / multi-sites deals with mid to long sales cycles (6 to 24+ months).
- Manage and coach 1 Sales Account Manager based in Aberdeen
- Leverage internal resources (Services, Solution Consultants, R&D…) and external resources (Accenture, McKinsey, Wood…) to position solution based on business case and cost vs. benefits analysis.
- Collaborate with internal resources to define value proposition and go to market strategy for Industrial AI technology
- Managed ~ 15 accounts in the Chemical, Pharma and Power sector in Europe (travelling 30% of my time abroad)
- Started June 2016, focused on 4 major accounts in Europe in Oil & Gas sector with total contract value of ~26 million $
- Engaged with Department Head, VPs and EVPs, CDOs... for up-sell, cross-sell and renewal contract negotiations
- Completed the 1-year Emerging Leader Program with Cornell University
- Strategic planned Brazil B2B Retail Channel
- Implemented one global B2B2C sales program in Brazil
- Launched an MVP in Brazil of a Global Finance partnership program
- Managed reseller account
- Managing Oracle relationship with Enterprise Customers.
- Understand Customers business, their pains and their goals, and address the right solutions for their needs.
- Ensure 100% customer satisfaction and retention.
- Up-selling and leveraging business from new and established customer relationships.
- Strengthen client relationships through regular engagement and face-to-face meetings.
- Own the sales cycle - from lead generation to closure.
- Work in partnership with our team of Business Developers, Sales Engineers, Partners and marketers for all sales leads and sales opportunities.
- Prepare and demo Oracles technology with a personalised experience for each customer requirements.
- Analyse, Plan and Execute a Territory Business Plan in order to guarantee 100% coverage of my territory.
- Demonstrate the business benefits and value proposition of Oracle Technology and Cloud solutions to business customers.
- Generating and following up on business opportunities to create more demand with new and existing customers (Business Intelligence, Chatbots, Blockchain, IoT, Security, IaaS, PaaS, Database and Integration) and maintain customer relationship.
- Working with and developing relationships with Oracle Partners, Pre-Sales teams and Business Development Consultants to drive revenue and maximize customer service.
- Plan and implement demand creation activities and direct sales campaigns.
- Win sales deals in a competitive environment to achieve sales targets.Develop and execute a sales plan that provides complete territory coverage.
- Explain and demonstrate the value of Oracle technology to executive decision makers.
- Led and managed a cross functional team of inside and outside specialists through the sales cycle with customers including; value based problem solving, business discovery, technical validation, presentations, negotiations, and solution implementation
- Acted as primary point of contact for K12 and Higher Education accounts in Missouri where it was my responsibility to build and maintain relations from the influencer level (teachers, IT Technicians, students, etc) to the decision maker level (CIO, IT Director, Principle, Superintendent, Board)
- Created sales and marketing events to showcase Dell solutions to large groups of diverse customers in the region. These events typically included sales,marketing,product teams,and local VARs
- Managed and collaborated with partners by providing training, resources, guidance and sales support to VARs in my territory
- Developed over 125 new customer relationships accounting for over 1.8 million dollars in earned revenue
- Consistently exceeds quota by 120% or above for the past 18 months
- Able to demonstrate and execute solid sales initiative, contract negotiation skills, proposal preparation and presentation
- Manage and maintain business to business and business to consumer new and existing global company sales quotas of Float Pod products
- 2018 President's Club Winner - Gross New Clients
- Help manage over 500 active advertising accounts
- Sell new listings and digital marketing solutions, upgrade current packages, stay up to date with government affairs and fair housing laws
- Service current clients
- Networking at Arizona and Nevada client events and local association philanthropies
- Manage a pipeline of SDR and self-generated leads making daily contact with prospective clients to solict new business. Developed 1.5MM new opportunities in 6 months
- Conduct online demonstrations to validate platform features, quality and assess upfront business impact
- Quarterback across SE, CS, Product development and Senior leadership teams
- Educated, trained, and on-boarded enterprise accounts
- Integrated service in skilled nursing facilities, clinics, and hospitals
- Presented service and technology to healthcare executives
- Developed and authored SOPs for organization across all divisions
- Assisted in growing customer base from 11 accounts to 132 in 5 months
- Successfully on-boarded 121 new accounts over 5 months
PRO TIP
Check the Sales Account Executive job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.
Action verbs for your sales account executive resume
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An impressive skills section for your sales account executive resume
Writing a skills section that stands out:
- Check the job advert for keywords that you can use: this will help you pass ATS;
- Focus on relevant and valuable skills that will support your application;
- Make sure to include both hard and technical skills, leaving soft skills for other sections of your Sales Account Executive resume;
- Don’t list skills you don’t have.
Top skills for your sales account executive 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.
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Sales account executive resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your sales account executive 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
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Sales Account Executive resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
The sales account executive resume summary: tips and tricks
Making a strong first impression.
- Keep your summary section short and easy to read; avoid long sentences;
- Highlight your total years of experience in the field;
- Mention 1-2 of your biggest achievements and strengths;
- Add a couple of keywords from the job advert.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Include a link to your portfolio in your 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.
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Sales account executive resume: A strong education section
What to include in your education section.
- Your highest education degree (incl. major, duration, name of institution);
- A bit more about the certifications you’ve got (if they are relevant to what you’re applying for);
- Some extracurricular activities that have helped you develop and strengthen your skills;
- If you’re an entry-level applicant: Relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your sales account executive 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 Machine: The Sales Training B2B Master Course
Learn Sales Strategies & Sales Techniques to Sell ANYTHING for Entrepreneurs, Startup, B2B Sales, & Business Development
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.)
The Complete Sales MBA: 10 Sales Skills Courses in 1
Accredit Yourself With the Sales Skills MBA - All There is to Know on Ethical Sales (Scripts, Examples, Pitchdecks inc.)
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Sales account executive resume: How to choose the right format
The content of your resume is necessary for showcasing your expertise, skills, and education. Great formatting, on the other hand, is essential for highlighting your attention to detail, creativity, and ability to stand out.
There are three basic resume formats to choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which one of these you choose depends on a couple of things, but most importantly: the industry and your level of experience.
The reverse-chronological resume format, for example, is great if you’re a Sales Account Executive with many years of experience and no career gaps. It doesn’t really matter if your company of choice is a multinational corporation or an early-stage startup – this resume format is considered to be a safe bet.
If you’re someone with little or no experience, however, we advise you to go for a functional skills-based resume format. It focuses on skills, competencies, and education, rather than experience. This makes it great for entry-level applicants, career changers, and graduate students.
And if you’re tired of traditional formats and want to go over the top when it comes to your application, the combination or hybrid resume format is here to help. Here, you can focus on both your experience and your skills, there’s even space for you to highlight your most spectacular personality traits. If you want to give a modern feel to your Sales Account Executive resume, this resume format is just what you need. Add a ‘my life philosophy’ section for additional bonus points!
Looking for ways to perfect your Sales Account Executive resume layout and style?
- Don’t risk it: choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts (sized 10-12p);
- Match the length of your Sales Account Executive resume with your years of experience – choose a one-page template if you’ve got less than 10 years of experience; otherwise, opt for a two-page resume;
- To be on the safe side, save your resume in PDF. This will help you avoid formatting issues and unauthorized editing.
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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 Sales Account Executive 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.
Your sales account executive resume: Other sections to include
Tired of resumes that focus only on your professional side? Want to show you’re an actual human being with a real personality that goes beyond your work experience? Then add some other sections to your Sales Account Executive resume!
Depending on the industry, company, and position, you can go for a more creative or less creative approach. Choose 1-2 of the following:
Making your sales account executive resume shine
In a pile of boring black and white resumes, a creative Sales Account Executive application feels like a breath of fresh air. And trust us, recruiters love this.
There are two ways to add a splash of creativity to your resume. You can either go for a creative layout (bright colors, modern fonts, etc.) or add some creative sections (e.g. ‘what my typical day looks like’).
It’s up to you! Just make sure to keep the position, company, and industry in mind. Otherwise, you risk going over the top. And that’s not always a good idea.
What makes a great sales account executive 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.
