Crafting a CV that effectively showcases your ability to meet targets and build client relationships can be a daunting challenge for any sales advisor. By following our guide, you'll find expert tips and tailored advice to help you articulate your unique selling points and sales achievements, ensuring your CV stands out to potential employers.
- Applying best practices from real-world examples to ensure your profile always meets recruiters' expectations;
- What to include in your work experience section, apart from your past roles and responsibilities?
- Why are both hard and soft skills important for your application?
- How do you need to format your CV to pass the Applicant Tracker Software (ATS) assessment?
If you're writing your CV for a niche sales advisor role, make sure to get some inspiration from professionals:
Structuring and formatting your sales advisor CV for an excellent first impression
The experts' best advice regarding your CV format is to keep it simple and concise. Recruiters assessing your CV are foremost looking out for candidates who match their ideal job profile. Your white space, borders, and margins. You may still be wondering which format you need to export your CV in. We recommend using the PDF one, as, upon being uploaded, it never alters your information or CV design. Before we move on to the actual content of your sales advisor CV, we'd like to remind you about the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS). The ATS is a software that is sometimes used to initially assess your profile. Here's what you need to keep in mind about the ATS:- All serif and sans-serif fonts (e.g. Rubik, Volkhov, Exo 2 etc.) are ATS-friendly;
- Many candidates invest in Arial and Times New Roman, so avoid these fonts if you want your application to stand out;
- Both single and double column CVs can be read by the ATS, so it's entirely up to you to select your CV design.
PRO TIP
Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to key points, such as job titles, company names, or significant achievements. Overusing these formatting options can dilute their impact.
The top sections on a sales advisor CV
- Contact Information to allow quick communication.
- Personal Statement highlighting sales expertise and goals.
- Work Experience demonstrating a track record in sales.
- Key Sales Achievements to showcase specific successes.
- Relevant Skills emphasising sales and customer service abilities.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your customer service skills by detailing your ability to understand and respond to client needs, providing personalised and effective solutions that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Demonstrate your sales track record with concrete examples, including specific targets you've met or exceeded and any awards or recognition you've received for your sales performance.
- Show your adaptability and knowledge of different sales environments by listing experience with various sales techniques and technologies, from face-to-face interaction to online platforms or CRM software.
- Emphasise your ability to work as part of a team by mentioning successful collaborations with colleagues and other departments to achieve sales goals and ensure a seamless customer experience.
- Include any additional certifications or training relevant to sales advising, such as courses in effective communication, negotiation tactics, or product-specific knowledge that sets you apart as a skilled advisor.
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What information should you include in your sales advisor CV header?
The CV header is potentially the section that recruiters would refer to the most, as it should include your:
- Contact details - your professional (non-work) email address and phone number;
- Professional photograph - if you're applying hinting at the value you bring as a professional.
Many professionals often struggle with writing their sales advisor CV headline. That's why in the next section of this guide, we've curated examples of how you can optimise this space to pass any form of assessment.
Examples of good CV headlines for sales advisor:
- Senior Sales Advisor | Strategic Account Management Expert | 10+ Years Experience | Certified Sales Professional
- Junior Sales Consultant | Customer Acquisition Specialist | B2B Sales | Degree in Business Administration
- Retail Sales Advisor | Luxury Goods Expert | Client Relationship Pro | 5 Years On-the-Floor Experience
- Technical Sales Specialist | IT Solutions & Software | Certified Technical Sales Professional | Results-Driven Performer
- B2B Sales Executive | Industry Networking Leader | Market Analysis & CRM | 7 Years Field Experience
- Territory Sales Manager | FMCG Sector Authority | Trade Marketing Strategist | 12 Years Progressive Experience
Catching recruiters' attention with your sales advisor CV summary or objective
Located closer to the top of your CV, both the summary and objective are no more than five sentences long and serve as an introduction to your experience. What is more, you could use either to entice recruiters to read on. Select the:
- Summary, if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience. Feature your most impressive accomplishments and up to three skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for;
- Objective, if you're just starting your career off. Provide your career goals and answer how you see the role you are applying for will match your professional growth.
Judging which one you need to add to your sales advisor CV may at times seem difficult. That’s why you need to check out how professionals, with similar to your experience, have written their summary or objective, in the examples below:
CV summaries for a sales advisor job:
- Highly proficient Sales Advisor with over 6 years of experience in the luxury automotive industry, adept in CRM software and client retention strategies. Celebrated for surpassing annual targets by 150% through strategic sales initiatives and exceptional customer service.
- Dynamic sales professional with 8 years of experience in fast-paced tech environments, skilled in cloud solution sales and SaaS platforms. Recognised for generating a 35% increase in new business, leading a team to achieve the highest regional sales records.
- Former Hospitality Manager with a decade of customer service expertise, now transitioning to a sales career. Excels in building client rapport and has a keen interest in developing competitive sales strategies to effectively address client needs in the retail sector.
- Experienced educator looking to leverage 12 years of relationship-building and communication skills into a sales advisor position within the pharmaceutical industry. Passionate about life-long learning and translating complex product information into digestible content for clients.
- Eager to embark on a career as a Sales Advisor, bringing forth strong interpersonal skills and a dedication to customer satisfaction. Objective: To employ my persuasive communication abilities to surpass sales goals and contribute to company growth as a key team member.
- Aspiring to begin a professional journey in sales with a focus on technology solutions. Objective: To utilize acute problem-solving talents and a passion for technology to drive sales success and foster enduring client relationships within a dynamic industry.
The best formula for your sales advisor CV experience section
The CV experience section is the space where many candidates go wrong by merely listing their work history and duties. Don't do that. Instead, use the job description to better understand what matters most for the role and integrate these keywords across your CV. Thus, you should focus on:
- showcasing your accomplishments to hint that you're results-oriented;
- highlighting your skill set by integrating job keywords, technologies, and transferrable skills in your experience bullets;
- listing your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest and most senior, to hint at how you have grown your career;
- featuring metrics, in the form of percentage, numbers, etc. to make your success more tangible.
When writing each experience bullet, start with a strong, actionable verb, then follow it up with a skill, accomplishment, or metric. Use these professional examples to perfect your CV experience section:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Developed in-depth knowledge of the company's product range and services, enabling the provision of expert advice and tailored recommendations to customers.
- Consistently achieved and exceeded monthly sales targets by utilising strong selling techniques and maintaining a high level of product knowledge.
- Provided exceptional customer service, handling inquiries and resolving issues promptly to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.
- Utilised CRM software to maintain accurate records of customer interactions, purchases, and feedback to enhance future sales strategies.
- Engaged with new and existing customers through various channels, including in-store, phone, and email, to build relationships and secure sales.
- Conducted product demonstrations and presentations to groups and individual customers, translating complex features into benefits.
- Actively participated in sales training and workshops to acquire new skills and stay updated on the latest sales trends and techniques.
- Collaborated with the marketing team to implement promotional strategies, leading to an increase in customer footfall and sales volume.
- Monitored inventory levels and contributed to the stocking and merchandising of products to ensure availability and visual appeal.
- Engaged actively with customers to provide detailed product knowledge which boosted sale conversion rates by 30%.
- Collaborated with the sales team to implement strategic marketing initiatives, leading to a 15% year-on-year revenue growth.
- Initiated a customer feedback system to enhance the shopping experience, reducing returns by 25% and increasing customer satisfaction scores.
- Managed a portfolio of 50+ clients and consistently achieved top-5 sales performance in the company, exceeding sales targets by up to 40%.
- Developed a comprehensive product training program, raising team product knowledge and contributing to a store-wide increase in average transaction value by 20%.
- Implemented customer segmentation strategies which enhanced upselling and cross-selling opportunities.
- Spearheaded the introduction of a new CRM system, improving lead management and contributing to a 35% rise in repeat business.
- Negotiated and closed deals with key business accounts, resulting in a £500,000 annual increase in sales revenue.
- Conducted monthly sales forecasting which allowed for more efficient inventory management and a 10% reduction in supply costs.
- Streamlined the online sales process, which contributed to an 80% improvement in customer purchase completion rates.
- Headed a cross-functional campaign for a new loyalty program that increased customer retention rates by 25% within the first year of implementation.
- Orchestrated in-store events and product showcases that led to record-breaking sales weekends, surpassing previous sales records by 50%.
- Pioneered a B2B sales initiative that captured a new market segment, contributing to a 20% expansion of the company's client base.
- Masterminded a digital sales strategy that integrated social media platforms, resulting in an average 40% increase in engagement across key demographics.
- Championed a customer loyalty scheme that tailored promotions to individual shopping habits, which elevated repeat purchase rates by 18%.
- Conducted in-depth market analysis to identify and capitalize on emerging trends, leading to the introduction of 10 successful new products.
- Led a customer service excellence workshop that enhanced the skills of over 30 team members, directly correlating with a 15% increase in positive customer reviews.
- Orchestrated a strategic partnership with a technology provider to augment the sales process with cutting-edge tools, thereby enhancing customer engagement.
- Designed and executed online sales campaigns using analytical tools to track and optimize performance, resulting in a 22% boost in online sales figures.
- Led a team of sales associates to achieve the highest upselling rate in the region, contributing significantly to the 18% increase in the store's annual revenue.
- Developed a bespoke client management system that improved the efficiency of after-sales support and increased post-purchase customer satisfaction rates by 20%.
- Revamped the sales training program to focus on consultative selling techniques, which led to a 5% improvement in closing rates store-wide.
- Forged strategic alliances with local businesses to drive brand awareness and customer traffic, fueling a 12% increase in quarterly sales volume.
- Introduced an analytics-driven sales approach that prioritized customer needs and preferences, resulting in a more personalized shopping experience and a 10% uplift in customer retention.
How to ensure your sales advisor CV stands out when you have no experience
This part of our step-by-step guide will help you substitute your experience section by helping you spotlight your skill set. First off, your ability to land your first job will depend on the time you take to assess precisely how you match the job requirements. Whether that's via your relevant education and courses, skill set, or any potential extracurricular activities. Next:
- Systematise your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience (whether that's your education or volunteer work) towards the top;
- Focus recruiters' attention to your transferrable skill set and in particular how your personality would be the perfect fit for the role;
- Consider how your current background has helped you build your technological understanding - whether you've created projects in your free time or as part of your uni degree;
- Ensure you've expanded on your teamwork capabilities with any relevant internships, part-time roles, or projects you've participated in the past.
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PRO TIP
Include examples of how you adapted to new tools, environments, or work cultures, showing your flexibility.
Hard skills and soft skills to showcase your unique skill set on your sales advisor CV
Did you know that your CV will mostly likely be assessed by recruiters based on skill alignment? And that means that the way you feature your key skills across different CV sections will play a crucial role in landing you that first interview. We recommend you add your:
- technical capabilities or hard skills in your CV experience, certificates, projects, etc. Use your past accomplishments to prove your technical capabilities. List up to a dozen different software or hardware in your dedicated skills section to match the job keywords;
- personal and communication skills or soft skills in your CV strengths, achievements, summary/ objective, etc. Soft skills are a bit more difficult to prove. How do you define your aptitude in active listening? So, instead of just listing the skill name, include a tangible metric to show your success.
On a final note, when you're in a hurry to create your profile, you may misspell a particular technology or soft skill. That's why we suggest you copy and paste the particular skill name (or keyword), directly from the job advert. This would also help you to pass any initial Applicant Tracker System (ATS) tests.
Top skills for your sales advisor CV:
Product Knowledge
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Sales Strategy Development
Sales Forecasting
Lead Qualification
Negotiation Techniques
Market Research
Financial Analysis
Presentation Skills
Data Analysis
Communication
Active Listening
Empathy
Problem Solving
Adaptability
Teamwork
Interpersonal Skills
Resilience
Persuasiveness
Time Management
PRO TIP
Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
Listing your university education and certificates on your sales advisor CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
PRO TIP
Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
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Key takeaways
Impressing recruiters with your experience, skill set, and values starts with your professional sales advisor CV. Write concisely and always aim to answer job requirements with what you've achieved; furthermore:
- Select a simple design that complements your experience and ensures your profile is presentable;
- Include an opening statement that either spotlights your key achievements (summary) or showcases your career ambitions (objective);
- Curate your experience bullets, so that each one commences with a strong, action verb and is followed up by your skill and accomplishment;
- List your hard and soft skills all across different sections of your CV to ensure your application meets the requirements;
- Dedicate space to your relevant higher education diplomas and your certificates to show recruiters you have the necessary industry background.
