One specific CV challenge in tech sales is artfully communicating your ability to keep pace with rapidly evolving product features and market demands. Our guide provides you with clear, actionable steps to ensure your CV showcases your adaptability and continuous learning in the field, setting you apart from the competition.
- Create an attention-grabbing header that integrates keywords and includes all vital information;
- Add strong action verbs and skills in your experience section, and get inspired by real-world professionals;
- List your education and relevant certification to fill in the gaps in your career history;
- Integrate both hard and soft skills all through your CV.
Discover more industry-specific guides to help you apply for any role in the links below:
Structuring your tech sales CV layout: four factors to keep in mind
There are plenty of best practices out there for your CV layout and design. At the end of the day, a clear format and concise CV message should be your top priority. Use your CV design to enhance separate sections, bringing them to the forefront of recruiters' attention. At the same time, you can write content that:- Follows the reverse chronological order in the experience section by first listing your most recent jobs;
- Incorporates your contact information in the header, but do skip out on the CV photo for roles in the UK;
- Is spotlighted in the most important sections of your CV, e.g. the summary or objective, experience, education, etc. to show just how you meet the job requirements;
- Is no longer than two-pages. Often, the one-page format can be optimal for your tech sales CV.
Before submitting your CV, you may wonder whether to export it in Doc or PDF. With the PDF format, your information and layout stay intact. This is quite useful when your CV is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS) . The ATS is a software that scans your profile for all relevant information and can easily understand latest study on the ATS , which looks at your CV columns, design, and so much more.
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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 tech sales CV
- Professional Summary showcases your sales expertise and achievements.
- Sales Experience highlights your work history and relevant sales roles.
- Key Sales Achievements emphasise specific successes and recognitions.
- Technical Skills section indicates your proficiency with sales software and tools.
- Sales Training & Certifications show your dedication to learning and excellence.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your understanding of technology and how you’ve effectively translated complex technical features into compelling value propositions for a range of customers.
- Provide evidence of sales achievements with quantifiable metrics, such as revenue growth or exceeding sales targets, to demonstrate your effective sales strategies in the tech industry.
- Demonstrate your proficiency with sales tools and software, including CRM systems and communication platforms, showcasing how they've increased efficiency in your sales processes.
- Detail your capability to maintain a deep knowledge of market trends, new technology products, and updates within the tech sector to emphasise your commitment to continuous learning.
- Include specific examples of times you’ve worked collaboratively with cross-functional teams, such as product management and engineering, to show you can bridge the gap between tech and sales.
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Making a good first impression with your tech sales CV header
Your typical CV header consists of Your typical CV header consists of contact details and a headline. Make sure to list your professional phone number, email address, and a link to your professional portfolio (or, alternatively, your LinkedIn profile). When writing your CV headline , ensure it's:
- tailored to the job you're applying for;
- highlights your unique value as a professional;
- concise, yet matches relevant job ad keywords.
You can, for examples, list your current job title or a particular skill as part of your headline. Now, if you decide on including your photo in your CV header, ensure it's a professional one, rather than one from your graduation or night out. You may happen to have plenty more questions on how to make best the use of your CV headline. We'll help you with some real-world examples, below.
Examples of good CV headlines for tech sales:
- Senior Account Executive | Strategic B2B Sales | SaaS Expertise | Certified Solution Selling | 10+ Years' Experience
- Technology Sales Manager | Increased Market Share | Cloud Solutions | Leadership & Growth | 8 Years in Tech Sales
- IT Sales Consultant | Cybersecurity Specialist | BSc Computer Science | Consistent Quota Surpassing | 5-Year Track Record
- Enterprise Sales Director | EMEA Markets | Complex Deal Closure | MBA | 12+ Years' Success
- Junior Sales Associate | Tech Start-Up Background | CRM Proficient | Rapid Learner | 2 Years' Hands-On Experience
- Channel Sales Partner | Hardware & Software Solutions | Relationship Building | 6+ Years in Tech Ecosystems
Catching recruiters' attention with your tech sales 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 tech sales 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 tech sales job:
The best formula for your tech sales 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
- Demonstrate a successful track record in tech sales by highlighting specific achievements, such as consistently meeting or exceeding sales targets, and quantifying results with percentages or revenue figures.
- Detail knowledge of the tech products or services sold, such as SaaS, cloud-based solutions, or cybersecurity products, showcasing the ability to understand and communicate complex technical information.
- Showcase relationship-building skills by mentioning the development of long-term partnerships with key stakeholders, including C-level executives, IT directors, and decision-makers within potential client organisations.
- Highlight competencies in leading sales strategies, including market analysis, competitive research, and the execution of go-to-market plans specific to technology products or services.
- Mention familiarity with sales and CRM software, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, to illustrate proficiency in leveraging technology to manage sales pipelines and client data effectively.
- Emphasise experience in negotiating and closing deals, particularly those that involve intricate or high-value technology solutions, to prove high-level negotiation abilities and successful closure rates.
- Include instances where you've successfully worked as part of a cross-functional team, collaborating with technical support, product management, and marketing departments to drive sales growth.
- Present your ability to conduct compelling presentations and product demonstrations tailored to the needs of tech-savvy clients or those with specific technical requirements.
- Cite any relevant awards or recognitions received for sales excellence within the tech industry, such as 'Salesperson of the Year' or 'Top Enterprise Sales Performer', to substantiate a reputation for exceptional sales performance.
- Spearheaded a cross-functional team to develop go-to-market strategies for new cloud services, achieving a 150% increase in customer acquisition within the first year.
- Facilitated product knowledge workshops for a team of 30 sales associates, resulting in a 35% improvement in sales pitches and a notable 20% uplift in conversion rates.
- Negotiated high-value contracts with enterprise customers, securing an average deal size of £75K and contributing to a 25% year-on-year revenue growth.
- Implemented a CRM system customisation that streamlined the sales process and reduced the sales cycle by an average of 10 days.
- Established and managed a portfolio of 50+ mid-market accounts, resulting in an annual recurring revenue of £2.5 million.
- Led a quarterly training program on sales methodologies and product updates, enhancing the team's productivity by 40%.
- Drove the sales process from prospecting to closing with a focus on software solutions, consistently exceeding quarterly targets by at least 15%.
- Pioneered a partner channel program that contributed to a 30% increase in indirect sales within the first 18 months.
- Conducted in-depth market analysis to identify emerging market trends, enabling the company to adjust its product roadmap accordingly.
- Managed a territory that included over 200 SMEs, achieving an average annual growth rate of 18% through strategic solution selling.
- Collaborated with product teams to provide feedback from clients, significantly influencing the development of the next generation of products.
- Organised and hosted monthly webinars on tech product updates, attracting an average of 100+ industry professionals per session.
- Cultivated relationships with key stakeholders in large accounts, managing to upsell new software features that resulted in a 20% increase in customer lifetime value.
- Played a pivotal role in the launch of a new cybersecurity solution, directly contributing to inaugural sales totalling £1.2 million.
- Organised a series of industry-specific seminars that positioned the company as a thought leader and drove a 15% uptick in qualified leads.
- Led a team of sales engineers in crafting customised IT infrastructure proposals, which were instrumental in securing contracts with top-tier clients, averaging £500K annually.
- Developed a comprehensive training program on cybersecurity products for new hires, increasing departmental sales effectiveness by 25% within six months.
- Exceeded individual sales quota for three consecutive years by an average of 20%, expanding the customer base in the financial services sector.
- Introduced an innovative SaaS model to traditional industries, contributing to a market penetration increase of 50% in the healthcare sector.
- Delivered personalised client presentations and demos, resulting in a high conversion rate of 40% from initial meeting to deal closure.
- Leveraged in-depth knowledge of IoT technologies to diversify the product portfolio, which broadened our customer base by 35%.
- Developed and executed a comprehensive sales plan for a new AI-driven analytics platform, leading to a 200% increase in adoption rate in the first quarter post-launch.
- Masterminded a channel partner program that added an additional revenue stream of £3.5 million within the first year of operation.
- Revitalised underperforming sales territories through targeted coaching and performance incentives, leading to a 22% surge in sales figures within six months.
Lacking professional expertise: how to write your CV to highlight your best talents
Don't count on your lucky stars when you're applying for a role, where you happen to have less (or almost none) professional experience. Recruiters sometimes do hire inexperienced candidates if they're able to present their unique value from the get-go. So, instead of opting for the traditional, CV experience section:
- List any applicable expertise you happen to have - no matter if it's a part-time job, internship, or volunteer work. This would hint to recruiters that your profile is relevant;
- Focus your CV on your transferrable skills or talents you've obtained thanks to your whole life and work experience. In effect, you'll be spotlighting your value as a candidate;
- Separate more space for your applicable academic background and certificates to show you have the technical know-how;
- Ensure that within your objective, you've defined why you'll like the job and how you'll be the perfect match for it. Always ensure you've tailored your CV to individual applications.
Looking for more good examples for your first job? We'll show you how other candidates, with less professional experience, have created their job-winning CVs.
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If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills
Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.
- Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
- Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
Top skills for your tech sales CV:
Product Knowledge
SaaS Sales Expertise
CRM Software Proficiency
Technical Presentation Skills
Lead Generation and Prospecting
Solution Selling
Sales Analytics
Negotiation Tactics
Contract Management
Cybersecurity Basics
Communication Skills
Active Listening
Emotional Intelligence
Relationship Building
Problem-Solving Ability
Adaptability
Teamwork and Collaboration
Time Management
Customer-Focused Approach
Resilience
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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.
Education and more professional qualifications to include in your tech sales CV
If you want to showcase to recruiters that you're further qualified for the role, ensure you've included your relevant university diplomas. Within your education section:
- Describe your degree with your university name(-s) and start-graduation dates;
- List any awards you've received, if you deem they would be impressive or are relevant to the industry;
- Include your projects and publications, if you need to further showcase how you've used your technical know-how;
- Avoid listing your A-level marks, as your potential employers care to learn more about your university background.
Apart from your higher education, ensure that you've curated your relevant certificates or courses by listing the:
- name of the certificate or course;
- name of the institution within which you received your training;
- the date(-s) when you obtained your accreditation.
In the next section, discover some of the most relevant certificates for your tech sales CV:
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If you have received professional endorsements or recommendations for certain skills, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, mention these to add credibility.
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Key takeaways
Impressing recruiters with your experience, skill set, and values starts with your professional tech sales 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.
