Are you looking for jobs in sales?
We’ve talked many times before (here, here, and here) about the importance of focusing your resume on accomplishments, not responsibilities. We even have a Quick Start Guide that walks you through exactly how to transform job duties into strong resume accomplishments.
But, focusing on metrics and outcomes is especially important for resumes in sales.
Whether you’re a new sales representative or a seasoned sales executive…
Whether you’re selling high-volume CPGs or long-lead SaaS or medical devices…
And, whether you’re an account executive, an implementation specialist, or a customer success manager…
When it comes to finding jobs in sales, there’s one common thread on your resume: sales numbers.
The #1 thing your resume needs to do is show that you can make the sale. So, pack your resume with bullet points to show you’ve done just that:
- Increased sales X%…
- Increased revenue per account…
- Exceeded budget…
- Signed new logos…
- 2X President’s Club…
- Landed new accounts…
- Over-achieved quota…
- Top X% of sales team…
- Grew revenue…
If you don’t have exact metrics on hand – say your employer didn’t track numbers or it’s a past job where you no longer have access to the data – you can still make claims like “increased profits” and “attracted new leads.”
Or, if you have the opposite problem and you’re drowning in metrics—say your employer tracks multiple KPIs by month and quarter—your job will be to organize and select the clearest and most compelling numbers that tell the story of your sales success.
Not all your accomplishments are sales numbers though. Here are some other potential accomplishments for a sales resume:
- Resolved customer billing issues…
- Restored trust with difficult clients…
- Developed relationships with industry leaders…
- Developed a new sales script…
- Collaborated with marketing department…
- Cut operating costs…
- Identified target customers…
- Created win-win synergies…
- Positioned as a trusted advisor to uncover customer needs…
Your sales resume should give a hiring committee a sense of your sales style and approach. Use bullets like this:
- Build long-term relationships…
- Position as trusted advisor…
- Align product offerings with customer needs…
- Analyze market landscape…
- Resolve concerns…
- Increase utilization…
- Identify decision-makers…
If you’re looking for a sales manager role, describe your leadership style:
- Established an inspirational team culture…
- Demonstrated integrity, transparency, and clarity to motivate teams…
- Fostered relationships of trust and collaboration to lead associates to implement management vision…
- Worked alongside sales reps to clearly communicate expectations…
- Created a supportive atmosphere while delivering on expectations across departments…
- Coached sales teams with a values-driven, highly collaborative leadership style…
Because ATS resume screeners are increasingly common, you want to make sure your resume’s keywords match up with each job description. That means tweaking keywords to customize your resume each time you send it out. Review each job description and make sure your resume uses the same verbiage and lingo.
Here are some important keywords you’ll see in many sales-related job descriptions:
- Hunter
- Closer
- Lead Generation
- Pipeline Development
- Consultative Sales
- SaaS Sales
- B2B Sales
- Full Sales Cycle
- Cold Calling
- Needs Analysis
- Sales Presentations
- Negotiation
- Upselling
- Growing Market Share
- Client Retention
- Renewals
- Territory Management
- Outside Sales
- Direct Sales
Here’s the good news for sales pros: a job search is essentially a sales endeavor. You’re selling yourself! Specifically, you’re selling your ability to use your sales expertise to make your target company’s dreams come true. All the same strategies—demonstrating value, emphasizing differentiators, forming relationships, and resolving concerns—apply to your job search.
And if you’d like some extra support on crafting your job search / sales script, reach out to the pros at Upword Resume. We have a big-fat toolbox of strategies to highlight your sales accomplishments and people skills in a strong resume. So you can keep being a sales guru and let us be the resume experts.
