14 Sales Representative Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

With the increasing reliance on technology in sales, sales representatives have their work cut out for them.

You need to demonstrate strong technical abilities like data analysis and CRM, as well as interpersonal skills like negotiation and communication.

Striking the right balance on your sales representative resume to show that you’re a well-rounded candidate can be challenging.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• How to detail relevant sales roles and achievements in your reverse chronological experience section
• How to demonstrate the right combination of hard skills and soft skills to showcase your sales expertise to hiring managers
• How to write a sales representative resume summary that highlights a career achievement and shows your value in the industry
• How to quantify impact with measurable results so potential employers will see how you will meet sales goals at their company

Looking for something a little different? Browse our resume and cover letter guides for positions similar to sales representative:

• Sales rep cover letter
• Sales support representative resume
• Pharma sales rep resume
• Advertising sales rep resume
• Sales development representative resume
• Customer sales representative resume
• Medical device sales rep resume
• Technical sales representative resume

Sales representative resume example

Here's what this applicant does well in their resume:

• Highlighting leadership and team success: The resume effectively showcases Payton's ability to lead high-performing teams, evidenced by the record sales figures and significant revenue increases under their leadership.
• Emphasizing skill in CRM and strategic planning: Payton's expertise in CRM implementation and strategic sales planning is clearly demonstrated, highlighting their role in improving sales efficiency and boosting revenue.
• Detailing impactful achievements: The resume includes specific, quantifiable achievements, such as increasing market share by 10%, enhancing sales efficiency by 25%, and leading a team to a $5M sales record.
• Showcasing educational background: Payton's advanced education in business and marketing, including a Master of Business Administration and relevant certifications, is prominently featured, underscoring their knowledge base in the field.

How to format a sales representative resume

Sales representatives must have clear and effective communication that gets their point across quickly.

Formatting is the first thing recruiters notice about your resume and your first opportunity to demonstrate organization and communication skills.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you format your sales representative resume:

• Reverse chronological layout - This resume format keeps the focus on your work experience in a reverse timeline. Sales roles can vary greatly across industries and this layout shows a clear and committed career path.

• Header - The top of your resume should include a brief but important header that provides professional contact information and an introductory title. Show hiring managers that you’re the right candidate with a title for your specific sales role or niche.

• ATS optimization - Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to screen resumes before they reach a human recruiter. Sales representatives must ensure their resumes contain the right keywords and are formatted in a way that is ATS-friendly.

• Limit to one page - Don’t waste recruiters’ limited time with pages of irrelevant work history. Include only the strongest and most relevant information on your sales representative resume and tailor every section to fit your target job.

Ensure preservation of formatting and ATS optimization by using a PDF file format. Use the best fonts, layouts, and file format for ATS optimization in Enhancv’s resume builder to create an impressive sales representative resume.

How to write your sales representative resume experience

Your resume experience section is where you list your previous work history along with top achievements from each job. Each role should include 3-4 bullets highlighting your accomplishments.

Showing results is important for sales representatives. Don’t just list job duties in this section. Demonstrate a mastery of sales skills with measurable outcomes.

Let’s look at a sales representative resume sample experience section.

What doesn’t work in this example:

• No measurable results - Showing evidence of your success is key for sales representatives. It’s not enough to claim that you “negotiated and closed deals” without showing real results.
• No industry keywords - Sales representatives need particular technical skills that hiring managers will be looking for. Make sure to use keywords from the job description to show that you’ve researched your target job and have relevant industry knowledge.
• Lists duties instead of achievements - “Tracked customers and sales” is a generic statement of responsibilities rather than achievements. Potential employers want to know that you were successful in your role, not just see an overview of duties.

Let’s make a few changes and give this experience section another try.

What works in this example:

• Includes industry skills - Showing proficiency in industry technical skills like CRM and Salesforce shows up-to-date knowledge in the field and increases employability.
• Shows measurable results - Real data like “$4.5M in revenue” tells potential employers how you will achieve success at their company.
• Highlights specific achievements - Achievements like leading teams of sales representatives in successful projects show your value in the industry and the impact you will have in your target role.

How to quantify the impact on your sales representative resume

Using specific metrics provides a clearer picture of your effectiveness as a sales representative. Clear examples show hiring managers exactly what you have accomplished.

Quantify your achievements from previous roles by using real numbers and data to highlight measurable results.

Here are a few areas to consider when deciding what numbers to include in your sales representative resume:

• Include specific sales figures to demonstrate quantifiable achievements and success in meeting targets.
• List the percentage increase in sales or revenue to show growth and impact on the business.
• Mention the number of new accounts acquired to illustrate networking and client expansion skills.
• Specify the size of deals closed to highlight capability in handling significant transactions.
• Detail the number of products or services sold to exhibit product knowledge and sales versatility.
• State the ranking in sales performance to showcase competitiveness and excellence in the field.
• Incorporate the number of repeat customers to emphasize relationship-building and customer loyalty.
• Present the reduction in sales cycle time to indicate efficiency and effectiveness in closing deals.

How do I write a sales representative resume with no experience

There are many different career paths for sales representatives. If you’re making a career change or new to the industry, you’re faced with the challenge of writing a sales representative resume with no sales representative experience.

The key to an effective entry-level sales representative resume is focusing on transferable skills instead of work history.

Follow these steps to writing an effective sales representative resume with no experience:

• Choose a functional resume layout
• Focus on transferable skills
• Use additional sections to highlight skill development and niche knowledge
• Tailor every section to fit your target job

A functional resume layout focuses on transferable skills rather than experience. This is a great way to show potential employers that you’ve learned interpersonal skills and relevant software platforms in other ways.

Don’t pad your experience section with irrelevant jobs just to fill space. Only include roles that are relevant to your target position and focus on transferable skills.

Customer service positions, sales support roles, and jobs in a sales niche like pharmaceuticals or advertising all present great opportunities to develop sales representative skills.

How to list your hard skills and soft skills on your resume

Striking the right balance of technical skills and interpersonal skills on a sales representative resume can be challenging. Show potential employers that you’re a well-rounded candidate who can handle all aspects of the role.

Skills on your sales representative resume will be in two categories - hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills are the technical knowledge and abilities needed to perform job duties. Soft skills are the interpersonal and communication skills needed to interact with others.

The main difference in these two sections on your resume is presentation. Hard skills are listed while soft skills include examples.

Let’s look at an example of hard skills on a sales representative's resume.

Only list relevant hard skills on your resume that you’re proficient in. You don’t want to include a skill on your resume and then get stuck during the interview process when you can’t keep up.

Here is a list of top hard skills to consider for your sales representative resume.

Soft skills differ from hard skills on a resume in that they require a bit more explanation. Soft skills can be open to interpretation and you don’t want hiring managers left to make their own assumptions.

Your soft skills section is an opportunity to show potential employers that you have the right interpersonal skills to be a sales representative at their company.

Let’s look at an example of a sales representative resume soft skills section.

Use your soft skills section to show potential employers how you will fit into their company culture and impact success.

Here are a few top soft skills to consider for your sales representative resume.

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

Not all sales representative positions will require a formal degree above a high school diploma. However, in most cases, companies will look for candidates with a bachelor’s in business, marketing, economics, or a related field.

The education section on your sales representative resume will be clear, concise, and professional.

Let’s look at an example of an education section on a sales representative's resume.

A good education section only needs to include the following:

• Name of degree
• Name of institution
• Years attended

Details like GPA and coursework are not necessary. Only include this info if specifically requested in the job listing or if you’re applying for an entry-level position and have relevant coursework.

A sales representative certification section will be similarly basic with just the name of the certificate and the issuing institution.

Certifications are a great way to keep your resume up-to-date with industry skills and technologies.

Let’s take a look at an example of a sales representative certification section.

Here are a few certifications to consider adding to your sales representative resume to increase employability.

How to write your sales representative resume summary or objective

A summary or objective is a great way to introduce yourself to hiring managers and highlight your top accomplishments as a sales representative in 3-4 sentences.

Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between a summary and an objective.

A summary is a brief introduction that summarizes your career and value in your industry. An objective looks to the future and captures what you are hoping to achieve in your new position.

A summary is typically the better option for candidates with years of experience to draw from, whereas an objective is ideal for those breaking into the industry.

If you have at least some experience, a good strategy is to write a summary that ends with an objective that you share with your target company.

Let’s look at an example of a sales representative resume summary.

What doesn’t work in this example:

• Blanket terms - Using overused terms like “passionate” or “skilled” with no quantifiable evidence doesn’t mean anything. Don’t waste valuable space in your summary with empty statements.
• No industry keywords - This candidate misses an opportunity to share industry expertise and specialized knowledge. Recruiters have a lot of resumes to get through. Don’t waste time and show your value right from the start.
• Unclear objective - Simply wanting the position isn’t a sufficient goal. Companies want to see that you’ve researched them and will bring solutions to their challenges.

Let’s make a few changes and take another look.

What works in this example:

• Clear introduction - “Sales professional with 8 years of experience in the pharmaceutical sector” lets hiring managers know right away that this candidate has a specific amount of experience in a particular niche.
• Top achievement - “Negotiated deals resulting in $8.2M in 2022” highlights a career achievement and lets potential employers know how you will impact success at their company.
• Shared goal - Ending with a goal to “leverage client relations expertise and expand reach as sales representative at TR and Sons” shows hiring managers that this candidate will bring the skills necessary for this specific role.

Additional sections for a sales representative resume

Sales roles can vary greatly across different industries. A representative must adapt their resume to reflect the specific demands and jargon of the industry they're targeting.

Sometimes the best way to do this is by adding sections tailored to your specific career path.

Here are a few sections to consider adding to your sales representative resume:

• Languages - speaking multiple languages can be a great strength in sales, especially if your target company has international reach and requires communication with different countries

• Volunteering - volunteering can be a good opportunity to develop transferable skills like leadership, networking, and problem-solving

• Hobbies - hobbies and interests present an opportunity to show specialized skills that can help to increase your employability within a particular sales niche

Key takeaways for writing a great sales representative resume

You’re just about ready to send off that amazing sales representative resume that lands interviews! Before we wrap up this guide, let’s review a few key points.

• Highlight your top industry achievements from your previous sales roles with a reverse chronological experience section.
• Strike a balance between hard skills and soft skills to show potential employers that you have the right combination of technical expertise and interpersonal communication skills.
• Keep your resume up-to-date and increase your employability by earning relevant certifications and continually updating your sales representative resume.
• Add sections to your resume to show how you have developed transferable skills from experiences like volunteering, hobbies, and language learning.